Liberal Voice for Women Statement on the EHRC guidance – May 22nd 2026
Liberal Voice for Women (LVW) welcomes the long-awaited publication of the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s (EHRC) updated Code of Practice.
This statutory guidance provides long-overdue clarity for service providers, public bodies, and associations across Great Britain. Crucially, it brings official guidance into better alignment with the law following the landmark Supreme Court judgment in the For Women Scotland case, which definitively clarified that for the purposes of the Equality Act 2010, "sex" means biological sex.
The Supreme Court ruling righted a historic misinterpretation of the law. Sex in the Equality Act (and the law it was based on) always meant biological sex. Trans lobby groups spent a decade or so falsely claiming that gender self-ID was the law and trans people could use the spaces they felt ‘matched their acquired gender’. And far too many organisations believed them.
However, now we have the Supreme Court ruling and the Code and these confirm the law as it always has been.
Meeting the Party's Own Policy Demands
The laying of this guidance is an important moment that fulfils official Liberal Democrat policy. At the Spring 2025 Federal Conference, the party passed Policy Motion F9 ("Free to be Who You Are"). Clause 6 of that motion called on the Government to:
“...publish clear and comprehensive guidance on the use of any single-sex and separate-sex exceptions under the Equality Act, which reaffirms existing laws on protecting people from discrimination on the basis of being trans.”
As of yesterday, this specific call has been met. Crucially, the Code confirms how service providers can legally and fairly maintain single-sex services for women while providing clear, alternative provisions - such as individual gender-neutral facilities - that trans people could access.
Aligning with our Liberal Democrat Principles
The publication of this Code is a major victory for clarity, safety, and fairness. It aligns with the Liberal Voice for Women Manifesto, published in 2024, in which we called for the protection of single-sex services and spaces on the basis of biological sex.
Furthermore, the Liberal Democrat 2024 General Election Manifesto explicitly committed our party to upholding the Equality Act 2010. Upholding the Act means respecting the balance it strikes, which explicitly relies on these single-sex exceptions to protect the rights of women, whilst also protecting the rights of LGB and trans people.
Liberal Democrats should be leading the charge to implement the Act correctly, not seeking to undermine it or calling to rewrite the law to strip away protections that are critical for women’s dignity and safety.
The Equality Act and the EHRC code are about everybody’s rights. The Act and the Code cover all nine protected characteristics. This is the foundation legislation that protects all of us at some point in our lives against discrimination.
As analysis from Sex Matters highlights, this updated Code provides critical, practical ground rules for local government and service providers. It makes clear that if a provider admits individuals of the opposite biological sex into a single-sex space, it can no longer legally rely on the single-sex exceptions - meaning mixed-sex policies in areas where women are in a state of undress or vulnerable are highly likely to face legal challenge. For Liberal Democrat councillors and local authorities, this guidance is an invaluable tool to ensure that local facilities - such as leisure centres, public toilets, and domestic violence support services - are legally compliant and safe for women and girls.
Deep Disappointment in the Liberal Democrat Leadership Response
While we celebrate this milestone for women’s rights, Liberal Voice for Women must express our deep disappointment and frustration with the initial response from the Liberal Democrat leadership.
We are profoundly concerned by comments from Marie Goldman MP, the Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Women and Equalities, who has come out against this much-needed guidance saying it is a “huge step backwards for human rights”. Liberal Voice for Women fundamentally disagrees with her stance.
We’re even more disappointed with the response from leader Ed Davey. In 2025, Ed rightly stated that he accepted the Supreme Court judgment in the For Women Scotland case. Yet, by reposting Marie Goldman’s criticisms of the new guidance on social media, he appears to be backsliding on that commitment.
This reaction reflects a broader, systemic issue within our party. As detailed in the recent article "Access Denied" there is a growing and painful disconnect between the party leadership and its grassroots membership. The views of women who speak up for biological reality and sex-based protections are routinely sidelined, ignored, or dismissed by the leadership.
The Evidence: Members, Voters, and the Call to Lib Dem Women
The leadership’s opposition to this guidance is out of step with both our membership and our voters:
● Our Membership: A YouGov poll commissioned by Liberal Voice for Women showed overwhelming support among Liberal Democrat members for single-sex spaces for women.
● Our Voters: Wider YouGov polling demonstrates that the vast majority of Lib Dem voters firmly support the provision of separate, single-sex spaces for men and women
Hence, we call directly upon Lib Dem Women - the official Affiliated Organisation for women within the party - to formally support this new guidance. The clear majority of women, both within our membership and across the country, want and need the safety of single-sex spaces. Standing against the guidance, or remaining silent, would be a failure to represent the very constituency they exist to champion.
A Call to Action for Liberal Democrats
Liberal Voice for Women urges all Liberal Democrat MPs, peers, councillors, and members to look at the substance of this updated Code of Practice. It is a pragmatic, and proportionate framework that helps protect everyone’s rights under the Equality Act 2010 - including ensuring women have single-sex spaces while encouraging providers to offer appropriate alternative provisions for trans people, like gender-neutral facilities, where needed.
It is time for the Liberal Democrat leadership to stop fighting biological reality, stop sidelining women within our own ranks and stand behind the Equality Act 2010 as it was intended to be