Labour has mothballed plans [1] to make it easier to change the legal designation of one’s sex, the Times has reported.
They are now unlikely to adopt a self-id law, which has been in operation in Ireland since 2015.
It is believed that the step is partly meant to counter Reform UK’s surge in the polls.
During the election last summer Labour promised to change the process of requiring a panel of doctors and lawyers to approve gender recognition certificates. They alleged the process was “undignified”.
However, multiple sources said that the reforms were not a priority for ministers. They expect the plans to quietly “go away”.
Gender recognition and women’s rights have been a point of tension for Labour, but Sir Keir Starmer has strengthened his position on biological sex after previous struggles to define a woman.
On Sunday, Wes Streeting, the health secretary, bemoaned decisions taken by the NHS to remove the word “woman” from medical documents. He has also placed an indefinite ban on puberty blockers for children.