Labour backbencher Rosie Duffield has complained that Sir Keir Starmer offered her “no apology” when the two finally spoke after she claimed to have been cold-shouldered for years over her views on trans women.
The Canterbury MP said she had a conversation with the party leader after telling a whip she had not been talked to in two-and-a-half years and that he had not said sorry for her having been “briefed against” in the media.
The Daily Express had reported that Sir Keir, who previously criticised Ms Duffield’s remarks on gender issues, had called her in for “peace talks”, with a source telling the paper: “The best way to deal with Rosie is to love-bomb her.”
But the backbencher said: “Not quite true. I told a whip that I had not been spoken to for two-and-a-half years, when Natalie Elphicke was welcomed with open arms. I got 17 minutes and still no apology for being briefed against by head of comms or investigated for 12 months.”
Ms Duffield, who believes that self-identification threatens women’s rights to female-only spaces, has previously claimed she has been given the cold shoulder by Labour leadership over her views on trans issues.
Sir Keir previously criticised the MP’s claim that “only women have a cervix”, but last month told ITV’s Good Morning Britain that “biologically, she of course is right about that” and called for an end to “toxic” debates on gender.
The remarks drew the ire of JK Rowling, who accused him of having “brass neck” for calling for an end to “toxic” debates about transgender issues.
Sir Keir suggested Labour would “treat everybody with respect and dignity” when questioned about how he would respond to transgender women who did not want to go on to male hospital wards.
He added: “Where we need to make accommodations, we can make accommodations … As a country, we’re a pretty reasonable, tolerant bunch and most people know that there are a small number of individuals who do not identify with the gender that they were born into.
“Many of them suffer great distress and trauma. And for my part, I’m perfectly happy to say I would treat them, as I would treat anybody, with respect.”
The Labour Party has been contacted for comment.
