Trans row continues to tease Penny Mordaunt’s bid for top job as she is accused of changing her views to gain support
- Mordaunt said Westminster tied himself up over the trans-driving problem
- She once called for ‘full solidarity’ with the transgender community
- But when asked yesterday, she came back to the statement that trans women were women
The trans row kept chasing Penny Mordauntleadership campaign yesterday, when she criticized her ‘woke up‘ by emphasizing that her position was ‘simple and clear’.
Miss Mordaunt said Westminster was “messed up” over the issue, as she was accused of changing her views in order to gain support.
It turns out that Ms. Mordaunt once called for ‘full solidarity’ with the… transgender community – now comments that jar with its point of view.
Asked yesterday if trans women were women – as she has previously stated – she said: ‘Some people who are born male will go through a process of transitioning to another. sex and they get a legal document in their new gender. They are not biological women like me, but the law recognizes them in their new gender and that is very simple and clear. And Westminster is tying itself to it.’
The trans row continued to haunt Penny Mordaunt’s leadership campaign yesterday, as she dismissed criticism of her “awake” views by insisting her stance was “simple and clear.”
When asked if trans women can legally be women, she replied, “Legal but not biologically. And we are not equal in that regard. People should look at my file on this. For example, years ago I talked about the issue of transgender people competing against women in sports.’
Miss Mordaunt suggested the matter be used against her, adding: ‘It will not affect my campaign and it will not affect my parliamentary campaign. And I think the reason for that is that people recognize it for what it is. I understand why people are trying to prevent me from making it to the last two, but I remain focused on the things that matter to the public and the people we are here to serve.”
The Commerce Secretary was also asked about her brother’s views on the Conservative Party’s relationship with the LGBTQ community. James Mordaunt has claimed the Tories are “accomplices” in community hatred. Miss Mordaunt said, ‘I am a conservative in a small state. The government should not tell pubs and clubs what their toilet policy is. We should focus on the major issues that disturb and in some cases terrify the public.”
Yesterday it emerged that Ms Mordaunt had said she was “completely in solidarity with the trans community” when women and equality ministry preached in 2018.
She has been criticized for an apparent shift in stance after declaring in recent days that trans women are not biological women. She had previously insisted on the shipping box in parliament that trans women were women. Former leadership candidate Suella Braverman has accused the Commerce Secretary of refusing to “stand up for women.” She claimed that Miss Mordaunt opposed the use of the words “wife” and “mother” in legislation allowing her to take maternity leave from her role as Attorney General.
It came as scientists expressed concern that Ms Mordaunt is a staunch supporter of the ‘fake’ treatment of homeopathy in the NHS. Supporters of the so-called treatment claim it can cure disease using highly diluted substances — but critics deride it as quackery and a belief in “magic water.”
Michael Marshall, of the scientific charity Good Thinking Society, said: “It is alarming to think that a leading candidate for the highest office has such a poor appreciation of the importance of evidence when it comes to health care and science, and that they feels confident publicly going against the conclusions of medical experts.”