Labour deputy leadership-hopeful Angela Rayner 'pretty upset' at Tony Blair's transgender comments
A highly-charged debate in recent days saw a small minority in the hustings audience heckle the MPs.
Friday 21 February 2020 11:27, UK
Tony Blair's plea for Labour not to start a "culture war" over transgender people's rights has sparked fury from one of the party's deputy leadership candidates.
The former prime minister intervened after days of internal debate over whether to change the law to make it easier for people to select their own gender.
Giving a speech to mark 120 years since Labour was formed, he included an urge for Labour not to become a "pressure group" by making trans rights "our big thing".
Several candidates running to be the party's leader and deputy leader have signed a pledge to expel those who "express bigoted, transphobic views".
Among them was Angela Rayner, the shadow education secretary, who took on Mr Blair's comments at an LGBT+ hustings in Manchester on Thursday night.
"I'm pretty upset about what Tony Blair said today," she said.
"There were a number of things that were wrong with it.
"First of all for me it was like 'leadership shouldn't talk about this' - you don't choose your battles, transgender woman haven't chosen to be in the middle of a battle.
"It's not about a political football, it's people's lives."
Ms Rayner said she was "absolutely petrified" that there were party members who "think somehow some elements of our Labour Party do not think they are valid or somehow there is a question about who they should be".
She added: "Trans rights are human rights and we have an absolute obligation as the Labour Party to lead that fight."
Her comments were applauded by fellow deputy leadership candidates, including Rosena Allin-Khan.
Lisa Nandy, one of the three final contenders to be Labour leader, at a later event vowed to redouble her support for trans rights after being targeted by a barrage of "hate and anger".
Throughout both hustings there were heckles from a small minority of the audience.
One person accused the candidates of not knowing "what the definition of woman is" and said that "women's voices are being shut down" during the debate.