Liz Truss accused Labour MPs of running down the clock to prevent her proposed trans law change from being debated in the Commons today.
The former prime minister’s draft legislation, which would ban transgender women from female-only spaces and prevent them from competing in women’s sports, was third on the list to be discussed.
But lengthy speeches in earlier debates meant MPs did not reach Ms Truss’s private members’ bill before the end of Friday’s sitting.
Ms Truss said: “I’m furious that Labour MPs have filibustered in Parliament today to prevent debate of my private members’ bill.
“Concerned parents will want to know why Labour don’t even want to discuss how to protect children and single-sex spaces, let alone put those protections into law.
“Labour care more about ideology than the protection of children.
“It is vital that we legislate to safeguard single-sex spaces and prevent children from making irreversible decisions about their bodies.
“These policies have popular support – and legislation is required in this area because non-statutory guidance gives too much latitude to extremist ideologues determined to use any loopholes available to promote their dangerous agenda.
“I encourage the public to write to their MPs to back the bill so that we can build up pressure to get these much-needed proposals put onto the statute book.”
Equalities minister Kemi Badenoch said Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer was “terrified” of debating Ms Truss’s bill.
She said: “Just now Labour MPs prevented debate on a new law to protect children and single-sex spaces.
“Instead they used parliamentary time to discuss ferret name choices. Keir Starmer is terrified of debate on safeguarding and his MPs actively work to ignore the concerns of constituents.”
Ms Truss’s bill will now rescheduled to another day and fall to the bottom of the priority list, meaning it is almost certain not to become law.
Labour was contacted for comment.
