Professor of Philosophy @OU_Philosophy. Political philosophy and the ethics and metaphysics of sport. @OU_GCRN (RT ≠ endorsement, all views personal, obvs.)
Hove UK
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Update: Steve lost the byelection to the Greens.
The by-election was caused by the resignation of Milla Gauge.
pshebrighton.org/in-the-news…
As a member of @bhlabour I want to say clearly that I think Steve is wrong.
Being 'trans positive' is pretty meaningless, but the argument about sex and gender is not 'merely a political football'. Some of the local issues are:
1) The scandal of WellBN - harming teenagers in the city - but supported by the City Council.
2) The absence of same sex (women only) provision for victims of rape and sexual violence.
3) Implementation of the law, following the EHRC guidance including within council facilities
4) Female only sport in the city's schools: council policy deprives girls of the right to fair sport
5) Internally and procedurally, the undemocratic hostility shown to Cllrs Thompson and Gauge who raised criticism of the labour group's stance and were sidelined and ignored.
6) The likely illegal 'trans tool kit' which has been abandoned by many other councils.
7) Plans for mixed changing - a changing village - in the replacement for the King Alfred Centre, contrary to best practice and legal precedent.
These are concrete, serious issues with which the Council will have to grapple. You can't close them off with meaningless declarations of solidarity. I am disturbed by the lack of honesty and accountability in party circles about these matters.
In raising these concerns I am largely motivated by concerns for the Labour administration, which I otherwise support. We have lost all three councillors in Queens Park, and, even though peopel are whistling to keep our spiritis up, I'm not confident about the result of the byelection.
A failure to think through policy, and to have open and honest discussion of these matters is deeply damaging.
The background for the byelection is here: pshebrighton.org/in-the-news…
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Jon Pike retweeted
Good. It's disgraceful that unions and activists are protesting Labour's women's conference tomo because they are so aggrieved by the idea of women being able to meet without men present. Not to mention their preferred outcome - allowing men to self-ID in at will - is unlawful.
Well said @UKLabour:
"A spokesperson said: ‘Labour is committed to advancing women in politics & providing opportunities for members to network, debate & contribute.
Labour’s Women’s Conference reflects our wider commitment to addressing the underrepresentation of women in the Party & compliance with the law’"
metro.co.uk/2026/09/24/insid…
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Jon Pike retweeted
He sounds like a supporter of women's rights. A group of women prepared to forgo their right to meet separately without men can't consent on behalf of those women who want the women's conference to operate lawfully, on the basis of sex.
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Jon Pike retweeted
We are delighted at the judge’s decision to grant our petition for judicial review of @CommunityUnion equalities strategy. The trade union movement and @The_TUC have to start listening to members. Women should not have to go to court to argue for their rights.
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Jon Pike retweeted
WOMEN BETRAYED SHOULD WE SMASH THE UNIONS AND START AGAIN?
With Unite and Unison backing the Labour For Trans Rights rally, will unions ever again respect the rights and dignity of women defined by reference to biological sex?
W/ @RosieDuffield1, Bethany Hutchison of @DarlingtonUnion, @JimButcher2, @runthinkwrite, @Ella_M_Whelan
DETAILS - battleofideas.org.uk/session…
TICKETS - eventbrite.co.uk/e/battle-of…?
EXCL- The pro-trans protests that threatens to overshadow Burnham’s first Labour conference REVEALED…
A protest outside the Women’s Conference on Saturday will be joined my Labour politicians and trade unionists from across the UK.
The demo - against the ban on trans delegates - has been backed by the powerful trade unions council body in Liverpool.
Leaflets picturing Burnham - seen by Metro - and criticising Labour will be distributed to attendees.
Metro can also confirm that the Communication Workers Union is the fifth union to boycott the conference over the trans ban, following Unison, Aslef, Usdaw and Musicians Union.
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Jon Pike retweeted
In line with the law @unisontheunion now says that delegates to its 2027 Women's Conference must be women.
Yet it's still boycotting @UKLabour's Women's Conference this Sat, denying its nearly 1m women members representation because delegates must be women
Performative politics..
‘UNISON has made changes to the relevant eligibility criteria/These changes are necessary to ensure that our processes comply with our current legal obligations.
For the purposes of seats reserved for women…eligibility is determined by “biological sex”’
teddit.net/r/transgenderUK/c…
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In my experience - which is admittedly a bit out of date -plenty of trades council delegates are not members of the LP, but of smaller, harder, orgs. Nothing wrong with that, or TCs in themselves but Metro don't really understand these things.
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Jon Pike retweeted
Lads, the women are saying “NO”…
That’s your cue to sod off.
It’s really simple.
What kind of socialist protests against women organising collectively within their own political party?
EXCL- The pro-trans protests that threatens to overshadow Burnham’s first Labour conference REVEALED…
A protest outside the Women’s Conference on Saturday will be joined my Labour politicians and trade unionists from across the UK.
The demo - against the ban on trans delegates - has been backed by the powerful trade unions council body in Liverpool.
Leaflets picturing Burnham - seen by Metro - and criticising Labour will be distributed to attendees.
Metro can also confirm that the Communication Workers Union is the fifth union to boycott the conference over the trans ban, following Unison, Aslef, Usdaw and Musicians Union.
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A detail here: seasoned lefties will know that, often, Trades Councils are largely composed of self selected activists, often with very nice banners.
But not the same as the TUC or a union national executive.
The 'powerful' Liverpool Trades Council is unlikely to be a thing.
EXCL- The pro-trans protests that threatens to overshadow Burnham’s first Labour conference REVEALED…
A protest outside the Women’s Conference on Saturday will be joined my Labour politicians and trade unionists from across the UK.
The demo - against the ban on trans delegates - has been backed by the powerful trade unions council body in Liverpool.
Leaflets picturing Burnham - seen by Metro - and criticising Labour will be distributed to attendees.
Metro can also confirm that the Communication Workers Union is the fifth union to boycott the conference over the trans ban, following Unison, Aslef, Usdaw and Musicians Union.
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Jon Pike retweeted
Hi Luke. You've posted articles provided by @PompeySteph before. Is this going to be a regular thing? We're here for it.
First, the women's conf is separate from the main conference. Steph should have told you that.
2nd, well may the 'ban' [more on that later] have been by the powerful TUC but, as @unisontheunion and @andreaegangs have found out with their own Women's Conference, they've have to exclude the trans-id men too. Something to do with the EA2010, @forwomenscot and 2025. Maybe you need to bone up on that. Is this a case of do as I say, not as I do?
3rd, Steph isn't banned. Steph is allowed to mingle outside the conference floor handing out all the leaflets that Steph wants.
Finally, unions can boycott the conference this year, next year and even the year after that but it can't change Labour's,or their own union's stance on Women's Conferences because they are for women only as defined by law.
But while we've got you Luke, why not come to our In person meet: 14:00-1500, Monday, 28 September at the LWD Stall at K6, Exhibition Hall? Be a great chance to catch up. See you there!
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Jon Pike retweeted
There is no ban on trans delegates @LukeAlsford please don't promote misinformation.
If a female person identified as trans she would still be welcome to attend.
The ban is on male delegates, which considering it's a conference for women, is no brainer really.
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Jon Pike retweeted
Going to the Conferences? Please come along to the Women's Conference Fringe Meeting and then our own In person meet: 14:00-1500, Monday, 28 September at the LWD Stall at K6, Exhibition Hall. We'd love to meet you! @oliviabaileymp @ms_alex_baker @antoniabance @paulabarkermp @johannabaxter @beaverslorraine @apsanabegum @_oliviablake @elsieblundell @JadeBotterill @Sureena4WNE @MaureenBurkeMP @dawnbutlerbrent
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Jon Pike retweeted
This is going to be a great discussion about why we need to stand up for the Equality Act, with the awesome @AudreySuffolk and Prof Mary Davis
Great news – Akua Reindorf KC has joined as Chair on our next #webinar: In Defence of the Equality Act.
Join @akuareindorf, Prof Mary Davis & @AudreySuffolkMBE as they discuss the Equality Act, its importance to women's rights & why we must be proactive in using it, defending it & extending it.
📆Thursday 22nd October 6.30PM BST
🌐 Online via Zoom
🎫 bit.ly/FiLiAEqualityAct
#FiLiAEqualityAct
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By the way, anyone holding that the trans gender/trans racial analogy doesn't hold up, needs to take a look at this, by James Dyer (Disclosure: I was the External Examiner for the excellent PhD from which this paper is taken):
journalofcontroversialideas.…
... Consider the analogous position with respect to trans-racialism or trans-ableism:
"We will legally endorse the claim that white people who identify as black are black, and that able-bodied people who identify as disabled, are disabled *because we are committed to liberal equality*"...
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... I think we would recognise these claims as inegalitarian, illiberal, and, respectively, as racist and ableist, pretty quickly.
J.S.Mill and Harriet Taylor will be turning in their grave in Avignon.
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... Consider the analogous position with respect to trans-racialism or trans-ableism:
"We will legally endorse the claim that white people who identify as black are black, and that able-bodied people who identify as disabled, are disabled *because we are committed to liberal equality*"...
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... or a Rawlsian position that prioritises wide but *equal* rights over the state pursuing a conception of the Good. As @garylfrancione and others have shown, there is something deeply illiberal about the trans political agenda (as opposed to trans metaphysical beliefs) ...
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