Top Tory reported to police over 'man with wig' trans row vows to keep speaking up for women's rights as she says she 'refuses to deny reality'

A top Tory reported to police in a trans row has vowed to continue speaking up for women's rights and said she refuses to 'deny reality'.

Rachel Maclean, the Conservative Party's deputy chairman for women, found herself embroiled in a storm after sharing an online post about an aspiring Green MP who is transgender.

The post labelled the Green candidate as a 'man who wears a wig and calls himself a 'proud lesbian'.

In a social media backlash, Mrs Maclean was accused of transphobia, which she denies, and reported to the police, who saw no reason to get involved.

She apologised for any offence caused to the candidate, but refused to back down from saying what a woman is.

Writing in today's Daily Mail, the Redditch MP reveals she has previously been 'shouted down by men from within the Labour Party' for standing up for women.

But she says neither she nor the Tories will be cowed into stopping their defence of women. Mrs Maclean writes: 'God forbid a woman should say what a woman is, but as I found out on social media, apparently doing so is controversial these days.'

Vowing to continue to 'fight in the face of a barrage of criticism to stand up for women's rights', the former minister continues: 'Women and lesbians have fought for decades to have their rights respected. I will not stand idly by and see these erased.'

She said she would not be forced 'to deny reality' and say a trans woman was a biological woman, or that they are a lesbian. 'No matter how many times I am reported to the police, I will continue to make this stand.'

Mrs Maclean had responded to a video posted by Melissa Poulton, who is standing for the Green Party as a woman in Ms Maclean's neighbouring constituency – but stood for the Conservatives as a man at a previous election.

Mrs Maclean reposted the 'wig' retort from another social media user, adding her own comment: 'While the Greens don't know what a woman is, my Worcestershire neighbours, the people of Bromsgrove, certainly do.'

Ms Poulton, who was giving her support to the '50:50 Parliament' campaign, an initiative that aims to get more women in the Commons, accused her critics of 'dogwhistle' politics. In her online apology, which saw her delete the offending message, Mrs Maclean wrote: 'Everyone should be free to live their lives and fulfil their potential regardless of their sex, sexual orientation or gender identity.'

But she added: 'I did NOT apologise for my comments relating to the Green Party's extreme policies on gender and self ID ideology.

'As deputy chair for women, I am clear that the law allows me to say what a woman is and the difference between a woman and a trans woman.'

Mrs Maclean last night won backing from across the political divide. Rosie Duffield, a Labour MP who campaigns on women's rights, said: 'While it may be polite to use someone's preferred pronouns, encouraging women and girls to lie about facts and what they can see sets a very dangerous precedent.'

Caroline Ffiske, from Conservatives for Women said: 'We shouldn't be bullied into denying our senses, undermining basic science, and telling lies.'

Helen Joyce of feminist campaign group Sex Matters, said: 'Using ordinary, polite words to describe what everyone can see – for example 'a man in a wig' – is not bigotry.' Ms Poulton ran as a Tory candidate for Wyre Forest District Council as a man in 2019.

She is now standing for the Green Party in Bromsgrove. The prospective MP, a member of the Green Party's equality and diversity committee, began to transition last year.

She has said of the row: 'It is a transphobic comment. It's dogwhistling at the finest. I'm here for representation as a queer woman, as a woman with transgender experience. We'll see what happens at the ballot box.'

Campaigner Peter Tatchell told GB News: 'Melissa was actually trying to support women's rights and get more women MPs, which is a very honourable thing to do.'

Mrs Maclean was minister for safeguarding between 2021 and 2022. In November, she became a Tory deputy chairman.

West Mercia Police said the original post on X, formerly Twitter, had been reported, but the force was not treating it as a crime.

RACHEL MACLEAN: We Tories know what a woman is and will keep on saying so... Women and lesbians have fought for decades to have their rights respected and I will not stand idly by and see these erased 

BY RACHEL MACLEAN

God forbid a woman should say what a woman is, but as I found out on social media, apparently doing so is controversial these days.

It started when I sent a tweet highlighting the Green Party's extreme policies on gender and self ID ideology.

While I have apologised for any offence caused to the Green Party candidate, I will not apologise for exposing the Green Party's façade. Most people think the Greens represent policies for the environment and nature, but look behind this and you'll find their dangerous and damaging policies on sex and gender.

Of course, everyone should be free to live their lives and fulfil their potential regardless of their sex, sexual orientation, or gender identity and to have the confidence and the freedom to be themselves. We should always have conversations relating to these issues in a respectful way, but there is a clear difference between sex and gender and I will not shy away from speaking up about those differences.

The Conservative Party is the only party that understands what a woman is, and will fight to stand up for women's rights.

I've been shouted down by men from within the Labour Party for daring to say what a woman is.

Labour's position on this is confused, so is Sir Keir Starmer comfortable with men from his party telling me, a woman, that I can't say what a woman is? The truth is this. A biological man can not become a biological woman. Nor can he be a lesbian. The law allows me to say that, and it certainly allows me to say what a woman is and the difference between a biological woman and a trans woman. It is not transphobic to say this, it's reality.

Women and lesbians have fought for decades to have their rights respected. I will not stand idly by and see these erased.

A trans woman has the legal right to identify as a trans woman, and I will treat them with respect.But what they cannot do is force me to deny reality and agree that they are a biological woman, or that they are lesbian. No matter how often I am reported to the police, I will continue to make this stand.

There are many who are trying to shut down my voice, and that of many other women, but I will not run away from voicing their concerns.