JK Rowling blasts Alastair Campbell and accuses Labour of 'indifference' towards women
JK Rowling, who is a staunch campaigner for women's rights, questioned how many men would be branded "spiteful".
Author JK Rowling has accused Labour of having “complacency and indifference” towards women’s rights as she defended Tory Kemi Badenoch.
Ms Rowling, who is a staunch campaigner for women’s rights, questioned how many men would be branded “spiteful”.
Equalities minister Kemi Badenoch was branded “spiteful, toxic political personality” as she outlined the Conservatives’ plan to rewrite equality laws.
Sharing the post, Rowling said: “Kemi Badenoch and I might not agree on a lot, but how often are male politicians called ‘spiteful’? And what’s the issue with her manner? Did she fail in womanly sweetness, kindness and deference?”
The Harry Potter author also blasted former Labour spin doctor Alastair Campbell’s criticism of Ms Badenoch for not focusing on her role as Business and Trade minister.
She said: “Badenoch is also minister for women and equalities. Thanks once again for highlighting Labour’s complacency and indifference towards the rights of half the electorate.”
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has promised to rewrite equality laws to protect women by making it easier to bar trans people from female sports and single-sex spaces.
He will change the wording of the Act to specify that it protects “biological sex” rather than “sex” if the Conservatives win next month’s general election.
It comes days after the Daily Express exclusively revealed that Olympian Sharron Davies was challenging party leaders to come clean about their plans to protect women's sport and single-sex spaces.
Labour has refused to back the Conservatives’ election pledge to protect single-sex spaces by changing the Equality Act.
Shadow defence secretary John Healey insisted that legislation already existed to provide the necessary safeguards for biological women.
Mr Healey said: “We will not want to amend the Act, it’s not needed. The Act, incidentally, was a Labour Act in 2010, that was opposed by the Tories, but it already provides protections for single-sex spaces for biological women.
“It already provides a definition of a woman, and sex and gender are different. What is needed is clearer guidance for service providers, from the NHS to sports bodies, and in prisons, on what single-sex exemptions need to be, and the best way to be able to do that is in guidance, not primary legislation.”
Sir Keir has faced criticism from feminist groups and Labour MP Rosie Duffield who previously claimed the party has a "woman problem".
He said in 2023 that 99.9% of women "haven't got a penis" and declared that a “woman is an adult female”.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has denied stoking a culture war with his pledge to overhaul equality laws.
Asked about the accusations, the Prime Minister told broadcasters: "No. It builds on our track record of treating these issues sensitively and with compassion, as of course we should, but ensuring that our laws are right, our guidance is right to protect the safety and security of women and girls and the wellbeing of our children.
"And I think that's paramount in all of our minds."
Pressed on why the Tories have not acted in the 14 years they have been in power, Mr Sunak blamed the SNP's gender recognition legislation.
"We were also of course dealing with the SNP's aims to try and make gender recognition on a self-ID basis, which wasn't right," he said.
