Labour accused of 'ripping up' plans to ban schools from teaching gender ideology as JK Rowling swipes at Keir Starmer again over women's rights

Labour was accused of 'ripping up' plans to ban schools from teaching gender ideology today - as JK Rowling renewed her attack on Keir Starmer.

Shadow education secretary Bridget Phillipson indicated that she will review proposed guidance on how the controversial issues should be addressed in schools.

Asked if she would ditch the proposed restriction on lessons about gender theories, Ms Phillipson said trans people's 'existence should be recognised'.

She acknowledged the importance of the guidance, adding teachers want 'clarity on how to manage what is a sensitive and difficult area for them'.

Education Secretary Gillian Keegan said the comments 'confirmed that a Labour Government would play politics with the lives of our children by ripping up guidance on Gender Questioning Children, effectively allowing contested gender ideology to be taught in the classroom'. 

Meanwhile, JK Rowling stepped up the pressure on Sir Keir over the party's approach to women. 

In an excoriating article yesterday, Ms Rowling slammed him for a 'dismissive and often offensive' approach to women's rights.

The Harry Potter author, who donated £1million to Labour under Gordon Brown, said she would struggle to vote for the party and lambasted its 'embrace of gender identity ideology'.

Sir Keir responded by telling reporters on the campaign trail that he was 'very proud of the progress' of past Labour governments, arguing they had made a 'material difference' to women's lives.

Posting a link to a story about the row on X this afternoon, Rowling said: 'Labour giving the same energy as a man who's been shagging a woman from work but thinks his wife should be cool about it because he's always put the bins out.' 

On the schools guidance, Ms Phillipson told the BBC's Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg: 'We absolutely do need to see guidance, the Labour government – if we win the trust of the British people – will make sure that happens, but let's make sure children's wellbeing is at the heart of this.

'Let's stop this being a political football. This is our children's lives, their wellbeing, it's too important to make this a culture wars issue on the front pages of newspapers. Let's take a more responsible approach, give schools the clear guidance that they need and make sure our young people are supported as well.'

On what Labour believes teachers should be advised to do, Ms Phillipson said: 'Many aspects of the draft (guidance) had good and straightforward principles in it, other elements of it I think drifted far too much into partisan and unnecessary language that I think makes it harder for schools to navigate this.

'So if I were education secretary, I'd want to look at all of the responses we've received to the consultation.'

Ms Phillipson said school leaders have flagged areas they feel are 'still outstanding' within the draft guidance, adding: 'We would want to look at that, do it responsibly, work with parents, with young people and with the profession to get this right.

'Ministers have been rowing about this for months and months. That is not the way to deal with such a sensitive issue.'

On whether she would drop the proposed ban on teaching about the concept of gender identity, Ms Phillipson said: 'There are trans people within society and their existence should be recognised.

'This drifts sometimes into a slightly bizarre conversation. There are trans people, they have a right for their existence to be recognised, many trans people are vulnerable and are deserving of support.

'Alongside that we've got to make sure that schools have got clear guidance about how best to support children and young people that are experiencing distress and issues around their wellbeing.

'That is not well served by ministers picking fights, seeking headlines.

'Let's take a more responsible approach, let's take the heat out of it, let's do this properly and seriously.'

The draft statutory guidance for England published last month states that sex education should be taught no earlier than year five, when pupils are aged nine, and that what is described as the 'contested topic of gender identity' should not be taught at all.

However, it was subject to a nine-week consultation ending on July 11 - which was interrupted by the snap election.