JK Rowling says she'd 'love to know how Labour defines a woman' as author swipes that Keir Starmer's recent 'back-pedalling' on trans rights is insincere
JK Rowling made an explosive intervention in the general election debate today as she said she would 'love to know' how Labour defines 'a woman'.
The Harry Potter author took on the party's leadership as she suggested Sir Keir Starmer's recent 'back-pedalling' on transgender issues was insincere.
Rowling hit out at Sir Keir following claims that Labour MP Rosie Duffield - who is vocal on women's rights - was not invited to the party's campaign launch.
This was despite Sir Keir launching Labour's campaign in Gillingham, Kent, which is very near to Ms Duffield's Canterbury constituency.
Rowling posted on social media: 'It's hard not to conclude that in spite of recent attempts at back-pedalling, Keir Starmer's view on what Rosie Duffield and women in general are allowed to say about their own bodies hasn't changed since 2021.'
She also used her post to highlight how, in 2021, Sir Keir had claimed it was 'not right' to say that only women have a cervix.
JK Rowling made an explosive intervention in the general election debate today as she said she would 'love to know' how Labour defines 'a woman'
The Harry Potter author hit out at Sir Keir following claims that Labour MP Rosie Duffield - who is vocal on women's rights - was not invited to the party's campaign launch
Rowling took on Labour's leadership as she suggested Sir Keir's recent 'back-pedalling' on transgender issues was insincere
In a later post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Rowling also quizzed Labour chair Anneliese Dodds about the party's stance.
'Like a lot of people who'd very much like change and also believe women's rights must be protected, I'd love to know how Labour defines 'woman' in the context of a general election,' she wrote.
Rowling also highlighted an answer by Ms Dodds in 2022, when the Labour frontbencher was asked about her party's definition of a woman.
'I have to say that there are different definitions legally around what a woman actually is,' Ms Dodds said in a BBC interview at the time.
She added: 'I think it does depend what the context is surely. I mean surely that is important here.'
Last year, Sir Keir attempted to clarify his stance on transgender issues by stating that 99.9 per cent of women 'of course haven't got a penis' - in a suggestion he believed one in 1,000 women have male genitalia.
Months later, as he faced further scrutiny of his stance, the Labour leader then said the 'vast majority' of women 'of course don't have a penis'.
He told LBC: 'For the vast majority of women biology is what matters and it's very clear they don't have a penis.
'But there is a small minority of individuals who are born in a gender they don't now identify with.
'Some go through a process, others don't, and that is very traumatic for them and I, for one, respect and support them.'
Sir Keir has since admitted he has U-turned on his past support for self-identification for transgender people following the SNP's meltdown over new gender recognition laws in Scotland.
'Firstly, a woman is an adult female, so let's clear that one up,' the Labour leader told the BBC
He added: 'We don't think that self-identification is the right way forward. We've reflected on what happened in Scotland.'
It recently emerged how Labour wants to 'simplify' the process for changing gender by making it 'less medicalised'.
The party's plans, which are expected to go to consultation if they win power at the election, could include allowing a single doctor or gender specialist to sign off on a decision over a gender recognition certificate, according to The Times.
