PM says law should follow sex assigned at birth

The prime minister spoke to female British Olympians at the Leander Rowing Club Club

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has said the sex of a person at birth "should define whether the law sees them as male or female".

Mr Sunak visited the Leander Club in Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, as part of his campaign trail.

Labour's deputy leader Angela Rayner said "once again" the Conservatives' policies and announcements were "unravelling".

Liberal Democrat Deputy Leader Daisy Cooper, who photobombed the prime minister in a campaign boat, filled with Lib Dem campaigners, said they were concerned with river pollution.

The prime minister's visit was photobombed by Lib Dem campaigners

The prime minister said a new gender identity policy would ensure providers of single-sex bases, such as healthcare settings, domestic abuse shelters, "have the ability... to ensure that sex means biological sex so that they can protect the safety and security of women and girls".

He said: "Someone's sex at birth should define whether the law sees them as male or female."

When asked if he was prepared for backlash from transgender people, Mr Sunak said the Conservatives were approaching the matter "in a proportionate, pragmatic, sensitive way".

Daisy Cooper said the Lib Dems were "happy" to issue further guidance on a public service if it was needed

Holding her press conference on the other bank of the River Thames, Ms Cooper called the prime minister's statement "a cynical distraction" and said the Conservatives had tried to "stoke up a phony culture war".

She said her party was "happy" to issue further guidance on a public service if it was needed.

"But let's not pick apart legislation that reflects the hard-fought and hard-won protections given to women, to trans women and to all sorts of people from protected characteristics," she added.

Angela Rayner said the Conservatives' policies were "unravelling"

Ms Rayner, who was also visited Bournemouth primary school while on her campaign trail, said the Conservatives knew "full well" that Labour had introduced the Equality Act, which "stood the test of time".

"There are exemptions and safeguards for women-only spaces," she said.

"I just think that, once again, their policies and announcements are unravelling."

Mr Sunak was speaking to people in Henley-on-Thames when Ms Cooper sailed past with campaigners holding signs.

A Lib Dem source said: "This is just another small boat Rishi Sunak can't deal with."

The prime minister later posted a message on social media that read: "Classic Lib Dems, always selling voters down the river."