The Trans Agenda #3 Go anti-woke, go broke
News you need, the perspective you won't find anywhere else. The trans community's guide to UK news and politics and our place in it.
The Trans Agenda #3 6 March 2024
[6 March 2024]
Welcome to The Trans Agenda, a newsletter that arrives in your inbox Monday to Friday at 10am if you are subscribed. You can also read it on Substack and on Trans Writes.
Publications known for taking an anti-trans stance are and will be referenced and linked. Often, these are the most comprehensive sources for these stories because of their obsession with trans people. I have tried to give a summary for those so you can make the choice if you want to click the link or seek out more information elsewhere.
With the budget taking place today, the usual trans-bothering journalists have clearly been busy with some actual journalism. So, it’s quiet out there in the UK at the minute, which is nice. Like that break you get in between bouts of the shits.
TRANS NEWS
Angry dad removes daughter, 8, from Doncaster school over "violent bullying" [Doncaster Free Press CW contains the T-slur]
A distressed father has taken his eight-year-old transgender daughter out of her Doncaster primary school following severe and persistent transphobic bullying. The child, who had socially transitioned was subjected to physical assaults and derogatory slurs by her peers, including the T-word. Despite the family's efforts to address the problem, the school's response was reportedly inadequate, with minimal action taken against the bullying. She is now being home-schooled by her father, who is also dealing with his own health challenges. This move, while protective, has left her isolated from her peers and highlights the urgent need for educational institutions to foster inclusive environments that safeguard all students, especially vulnerable trans children, from bullying and discrimination.
As things stand in the UK, the current Government are pushing guidance on schools that will, if enacted, make this sort of treatment of trans children the Government-approved norm.
MEDIA
Talk TV struggles [The TV Room]
Rupert Murdoch’s Talk TV will be removed from ordinary TV to focus on online content. In other words, they haven’t got enough viewers to sustain a proper TV channel. They lasted two years.
GB News loses millions [Telegraph]
Despite a rise in revenues, GB News has witnessed a substantial increase in losses, reaching £42.4m. The broadcaster's significant expenditures on high-profile Tory MP presenters reportedly contributed to shortfall. They pay the human haunted pencil, Jacob Rees-Mogg an average of £729-per-hour, 30p Lee Anderson £240, Esther McVey £380 and her husband Philip Davies £189. In 2023, the right-wing news channel experienced a further plunge into the red, with losses widening from £30.7m in the previous year. That’s a total loss of over £70m since its launch.
As GB News Spin Room put it, “For every £1 of revenue, GB News spent £7 buying political influence.”
Newsweek senior editor brands America 'the ‘wild west’ of trans surgery regulation [Josh Hammer]
The US approach to trans surgeries has been described as the "wild, wild west" of “no regulation” by Newsweek senior editor Josh Hammer. It is a statement that is clearly not true. “America is an interesting place politically, there are some so- called social issues where America is decidedly more conservative than most of our peer countries around the world,” he told Sky News Australia host Rita Panahi. “America is still the wild, wild west of essentially no regulation whatsoever, and the transgender issue is one of them. America is grossly, grossly unregulated when it comes to the transgender issue, even compared to countries in Europe, the UK, France, Sweden – so many of these countries are really starting to crack down on transgender so called surgeries even for minors.” Yawn.
Newsreader India Willoughby calls comments by Harry Potter author 'grotesque transphobia' [Sky News]
The argument began when Rowling dismissed a video of Willoughby, stating she was not a woman and instead was a man performing a misogynistic idea of womanhood [Trans Agenda #2]. Willoughby, Britain's first transgender newsreader, responded by accusing Rowling of "grotesque transphobia" and stated that she is as much a woman as Rowling. Willoughby also accused Rowling of "indisputable transphobic bullying," suggesting her rhetoric could contribute to violence against transgender people.
JK Rowling deliberately misgenders trans activist India Willoughby [Independent]
Guardian makes apology and payment to Dan Wootton after privacy complaint [Press Gazette]
The Guardian published a story stating Wooton was under police investigation when he had not been charged with an offence, breaching his right to privacy. They said in a published apology: “We apologise to Mr Wootton for the article. Last week, the Metropolitan Police and Police Scotland said they had concluded their investigations and are taking no further action. Mr Wootton has restated that the police inquiries have exonerated him of any criminal wrongdoing.” Other outlets are said to be facing the same legal threat.
Dan Wooton, meanwhile, has finally been “axed from GB News as Ofcom rules against channel in misogyny row.” [Byline Times][Trans Agenda #2]
WEDNESDAY’S PAPERS
Daily Mail
![A crime against our children that beggars belief A new report exposes how doctors, blinded by trans ideology, gave vulnerable teens life-changing surgery and drugs linked to cancer — and anyone who protested was branded a bigot . . . Daily Mail6 Mar 2024SarahVine sarah.vine@dailymail.co.uk @WestminsterWAG WHEN the case of Keira Bell, a teenage girl who had been prescribed puberty blockers by the NHS’s Gender Identity Development Service (GIDS), first hit the headlines a few years ago, I remember thinking: this could be the tip of a very nasty iceberg. Bell had begun her chemical transition from female to male at the age of 16 and underwent a double mastectomy at 20. As part of a wider case at the High Court on the question of whether children under the age of 16 should be prescribed puberty blockers, Bell, by then 23, expressed her regret at having transitioned. She argued that her dysphoria was a result of mental health problems that stemmed from her struggles with puberty and her own sexuality. Left with no breasts, a deep voice, body hair and a beard, as well as compromised sexual function and possibly infertile, Bell faces a lifetime of regret, not to mention permanent health issues. This week, the extent of cases such as Bell’s was laid bare in leaked messages from the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH). They reveal how medics advocating the use of puberty-blocking drugs were well aware of their potential long-term harms, including infertility and cancer, and that they also knew that in some cases patients were too young or too mentally ill to fully appreciate the consequences of their treatment. The importance of this cannot be underestimated. WPATH is widely considered to be the authority on the treatment and care of transgender and gender diverse people. And yet here we have clear evidence of its own experts openly acknowledging how patients developed tumours or died from cancer linked to hormone treatment. One 16-year- old girl suffered from liver tumours, having been prescribed testosterone after taking puberty blockers for several years. Other patients on testosterone experienced vaginal and pelvic pain, bowel problems or bleeding and pain during sex. Many of the cases in the U.S. involved children or young teenagers. And yet on the question of ‘informed consent’ for minors, one specialist is recorded telling colleagues: ‘It’s always a good theory that you talk about fertility preservation with a 14-year-old, but I know I’m talking to a blank wall. Most of the kids are nowhere in any kind of a brain space to talk about it in a serious way.’ Put bluntly, they knew the potential risks of these drugs and surgeries, and the negative effects they could have on very young, vulnerable patients. In one case, unbelievably, they even had to seek consent from all the different identities of a patient with a multiple personality disorder, which gives you a sense of the mental health issues that some of these patients faced. Yet they went ahead anyway. Why? There can be only one explanation: blind ideology. What these files — revealed by the American journalist Michael Shellenberger — show is that far from being an example of ‘ best practice’, these so- called professionals allowed their personal beliefs to cloud their clinical judgment. Quite simply, they turned a blind eye to the inconvenient truths about the treatments and drugs they were advocating because it did not suit them to acknowledge them. Giving children drugs that you know full well might harm them, and subjecting them to life- changing operations that could leave them infertile or needing permanent care? If that isn’t medical malpractice at its worst, I don’t know what is. Few would suggest that hormone therapies and gender reassignment surgery should not be made available to those who are experiencing genuine gender dysphoria. But that is not what we are seeing. Here, we have a situation where permanent and irreversible gender reassignment is being pushed as a solution to a variety of other psychological issues to the ultimate detriment of the patient. Meanwhile, the long- term repercussions of such treatments are being fudged for the sake of an ideological agenda. It seems so far- fetched, so utterly outrageous and unbelievable, that it could almost be the plot of a Netflix thriller. Indeed, what has been described as the ‘pseudoscientific surgical destruction of healthy genitals in vulnerable people’ has already been compared with the use of lobotomies in the 20th century. As for the surgeries, they’re also big business. Physicians at one U.S. clinic recently described how gender-reassignment operations have become ‘huge money-makers’ and that, in some cases, an ‘entire clinic is supported just by the phalloplasty [plastic surgery performed to construct a penis]’. And if you think this stuff is confined to the U.S., think again. Last year the number of underage children being prescribed puberty blockers in the UK doubled — despite the independent Cass Review of gender identity services for children and young people casting doubt on their use. Where America leads, we follow. What is even more galling is the fact that, for several years now, any attempt to raise even a bat-squeak of concern about the use of these drugs in underage children has been met with an absolute barrage of hate from trans-advocates. But is it really transphobic to suggest that a 14- year- old suffering from anxiety and unsure of their sexuality might need to take a bit of extra time to understand the consequences of undergoing irreversible treatment that could lead to a lifetime on medication? Is it really transphobic to ask whether someone who is not old enough to vote, drive a car or get a tattoo should undergo an operation such as a vaginoplasty, which involves repositioning tissue from the male genitals to create a pseudo-vagina, which then requires daily dilation, for If that isn’t medical malpractice, I don’t know what is So outrageous, it could be a Netf lix thriller ever? Thankfully in the UK you have to be at least 18 to undergo such a procedure, but that is not the case in some U.S. states. Either way, I would argue that exercising caution in the face of such life- changing decisions is not only wise but, given what we now know about those advocating these treatments, might also save lives. And yet, quite soon, if (when) Keir Starmer becomes Prime Minister, any attempt on the part of a parent, teacher or doctor to question a child’s desire to transition could see them ending up in court, accused of abuse. Starmer has said he will outlaw all forms of conversion therapy, emphasising that such a ban would be ‘trans-inclusive’. That would mean parents facing a stark choice: acquiesce to their child undergoing irreversible treatment that even the experts know to be potentially harmful. Or face jail. I know which one I would choose. Article Name:A crime against our children that beggars belief Publication:Daily Mail Author:SarahVine sarah.vine@dailymail.co.uk @WestminsterWAG Start Page:15 End Page:15](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fce4dff48-50b0-4181-a472-59be0dbc61e1_543x708.png "A crime against our children that beggars belief A new report exposes how doctors, blinded by trans ideology, gave vulnerable teens life-changing surgery and drugs linked to cancer — and anyone who protested was branded a bigot . . . Daily Mail6 Mar 2024SarahVine sarah.vine@dailymail.co.uk @WestminsterWAG WHEN the case of Keira Bell, a teenage girl who had been prescribed puberty blockers by the NHS’s Gender Identity Development Service (GIDS), first hit the headlines a few years ago, I remember thinking: this could be the tip of a very nasty iceberg. Bell had begun her chemical transition from female to male at the age of 16 and underwent a double mastectomy at 20. As part of a wider case at the High Court on the question of whether children under the age of 16 should be prescribed puberty blockers, Bell, by then 23, expressed her regret at having transitioned. She argued that her dysphoria was a result of mental health problems that stemmed from her struggles with puberty and her own sexuality. Left with no breasts, a deep voice, body hair and a beard, as well as compromised sexual function and possibly infertile, Bell faces a lifetime of regret, not to mention permanent health issues. This week, the extent of cases such as Bell’s was laid bare in leaked messages from the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH). They reveal how medics advocating the use of puberty-blocking drugs were well aware of their potential long-term harms, including infertility and cancer, and that they also knew that in some cases patients were too young or too mentally ill to fully appreciate the consequences of their treatment. The importance of this cannot be underestimated. WPATH is widely considered to be the authority on the treatment and care of transgender and gender diverse people. And yet here we have clear evidence of its own experts openly acknowledging how patients developed tumours or died from cancer linked to hormone treatment. One 16-year- old girl suffered from liver tumours, having been prescribed testosterone after taking puberty blockers for several years. Other patients on testosterone experienced vaginal and pelvic pain, bowel problems or bleeding and pain during sex. Many of the cases in the U.S. involved children or young teenagers. And yet on the question of ‘informed consent’ for minors, one specialist is recorded telling colleagues: ‘It’s always a good theory that you talk about fertility preservation with a 14-year-old, but I know I’m talking to a blank wall. Most of the kids are nowhere in any kind of a brain space to talk about it in a serious way.’ Put bluntly, they knew the potential risks of these drugs and surgeries, and the negative effects they could have on very young, vulnerable patients. In one case, unbelievably, they even had to seek consent from all the different identities of a patient with a multiple personality disorder, which gives you a sense of the mental health issues that some of these patients faced. Yet they went ahead anyway. Why? There can be only one explanation: blind ideology. What these files — revealed by the American journalist Michael Shellenberger — show is that far from being an example of ‘ best practice’, these so- called professionals allowed their personal beliefs to cloud their clinical judgment. Quite simply, they turned a blind eye to the inconvenient truths about the treatments and drugs they were advocating because it did not suit them to acknowledge them. Giving children drugs that you know full well might harm them, and subjecting them to life- changing operations that could leave them infertile or needing permanent care? If that isn’t medical malpractice at its worst, I don’t know what is. Few would suggest that hormone therapies and gender reassignment surgery should not be made available to those who are experiencing genuine gender dysphoria. But that is not what we are seeing. Here, we have a situation where permanent and irreversible gender reassignment is being pushed as a solution to a variety of other psychological issues to the ultimate detriment of the patient. Meanwhile, the long- term repercussions of such treatments are being fudged for the sake of an ideological agenda. It seems so far- fetched, so utterly outrageous and unbelievable, that it could almost be the plot of a Netflix thriller. Indeed, what has been described as the ‘pseudoscientific surgical destruction of healthy genitals in vulnerable people’ has already been compared with the use of lobotomies in the 20th century. As for the surgeries, they’re also big business. Physicians at one U.S. clinic recently described how gender-reassignment operations have become ‘huge money-makers’ and that, in some cases, an ‘entire clinic is supported just by the phalloplasty [plastic surgery performed to construct a penis]’. And if you think this stuff is confined to the U.S., think again. Last year the number of underage children being prescribed puberty blockers in the UK doubled — despite the independent Cass Review of gender identity services for children and young people casting doubt on their use. Where America leads, we follow. What is even more galling is the fact that, for several years now, any attempt to raise even a bat-squeak of concern about the use of these drugs in underage children has been met with an absolute barrage of hate from trans-advocates. But is it really transphobic to suggest that a 14- year- old suffering from anxiety and unsure of their sexuality might need to take a bit of extra time to understand the consequences of undergoing irreversible treatment that could lead to a lifetime on medication? Is it really transphobic to ask whether someone who is not old enough to vote, drive a car or get a tattoo should undergo an operation such as a vaginoplasty, which involves repositioning tissue from the male genitals to create a pseudo-vagina, which then requires daily dilation, for If that isn’t medical malpractice, I don’t know what is So outrageous, it could be a Netf lix thriller ever? Thankfully in the UK you have to be at least 18 to undergo such a procedure, but that is not the case in some U.S. states. Either way, I would argue that exercising caution in the face of such life- changing decisions is not only wise but, given what we now know about those advocating these treatments, might also save lives. And yet, quite soon, if (when) Keir Starmer becomes Prime Minister, any attempt on the part of a parent, teacher or doctor to question a child’s desire to transition could see them ending up in court, accused of abuse. Starmer has said he will outlaw all forms of conversion therapy, emphasising that such a ban would be ‘trans-inclusive’. That would mean parents facing a stark choice: acquiesce to their child undergoing irreversible treatment that even the experts know to be potentially harmful. Or face jail. I know which one I would choose. Article Name:A crime against our children that beggars belief Publication:Daily Mail Author:SarahVine sarah.vine@dailymail.co.uk @WestminsterWAG Start Page:15 End Page:15")
Needless to say, this ‘report’ has serious and fundamental issues. Due to the huge nature of the claims they are making, most of which are erroneous at best, I’ll be covering the WPATH leak in an upcoming edition when a clearer picture of what has happened emerges.
Daily Telegraph
On their front page, they lead with more anti-trans nonsense:
To reiterate NOBODY is changing their gender for ‘perks’.
POLITICS
2 prominent Alba party members quit in ‘gender’ row [Times][The National]
Two prominent Alba members, whose names I couldn’t even be annoyed remembering, have quit the party after their 'women's convener' wasn’t nasty about trans women when she said 'Trans women have a female gender identity and may experience gender dysphoria' in a now deleted tweet.
Gender critical extremism loophole [Politico]
Downing Street has said that "lawful expressions of belief" will remain unaffected under a new definition of extremism, anticipated to be unveiled in the next few weeks. This comes amid ‘concerns’ from Cabinet ministers, whispered in their ear by Tufton Street-affiliated charlatans, that the revision could potentially criminalise conservative Christian groups and those with ‘gender critical beliefs’ leaving many asking why they get a free pass to be extremists? Oh yes, it’s because the government agree with them.
Peterborough City Council’s average gender pay gap increased from 71p per hour to £1.27, the highest level in real terms for five years [BBC]
Junior doctors in Northern Ireland start 24 hours of strike action from 8am over pay [Various].
HOUSE OF COMMONS
Health Minister Maria Caulfield and Employment Minister Jo Churchill will be interrogated by the Women and Equalities Committee on the cost of living’s impact on women (9.50 a.m.)
The Budget will take place in the House from 12.30pm [more below].
HOUSE OF LORDS
Main business is the second day at report stage of the Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill.
AROUND THE WORLD
Ghana's President Nana Akufo-Addo has said he will not assent to an anti-LGBTQ+ bill until the Supreme Court rules on its constitutionality [BBC]
Ghana's President Nana Akufo-Addo is withholding approval of the anti-LGBTQ+ bill pending a Supreme Court decision on its constitutionality. The Ghana finance ministry has indicated that the law could result in Ghana losing billions in World Bank funding. It is also claimed that the minimum threshold of 50%+ of Ghana’s 275 MPs needed to vote in order for a bill to pass was not met. [Trans Agenda #1]
Tehran advises transgender people to avoid 'busy' areas [Radio Free Europe]
In Tehran, authorities have advised transgender people to avoid crowded places like the Valiasr Intersection, suggesting they meet in more 'inclusive' areas of the city instead. This guidance highlights the broader challenges faced by Iran's LGBTQ+ community, who often conceal their identities due to widespread persecution and societal stigma. The remarks from Tehran City Council's spokesman, Alireza Nadali, come amid a backdrop of increased homophobic violence and discrimination, including a recent case where a father killed his son over perceived 'feminine' behaviour. "We're not sweeping the issue under the rug. There should be an inclusive space for them, just not in this busy area," Nadali said. ‘Them’.
Despite Iran's complex legal stance on sex-reassignment surgery, the country's LGBTQ+ individuals continue to face harsh realities, with many resorting to fleeing the nation.
NIH awards $200,000 grant for transgender voice training study using generic and transgender-specific software [Fox News]
The National Institutes of Health is allocating $214,000 to three researchers for the development of a "transgender voice training" app, aimed at addressing voice dysphoria. The study will involve coaching 40 trans women to modify the pitch and resonance of their voice, with participants meeting weekly with a speech-language pathologist. Half of the participants will use a generic voice training software, while the other half will use the specially designed app for transgender individuals.
If successful, the software will be released to the public for free. The researchers, including a professor from the University of Cincinnati and two speech scientists from New York University, have previously received taxpayer funding for similar studies. This new grant from the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders has, naturally, sparked criticism from the permanently-enraged.
Lucy Sante comes out as transgender in her mid-60s in her memoir [NPR]
Transgender judges missing in CA court demographic report [The Bay Area Reporter]
California's 2024 judicial demographic report omits transgender trial court judges Victoria Kolakowski and Andi Mudryk, despite their presence being acknowledged in previous reports. Kolakowski expressed confusion over their exclusion and indicated she would investigate the matter. The Judicial Council of California attributed the omission to potential changes in the judges' responses to demographic questions. This year's report introduced a new category for judges providing multiple responses to such questions. The report also inaccurately counts LGBTQ judges, with discrepancies noted in the total number of out justices.
Ban on treatment for trans kids in Wyoming close to becoming law [Cowboy State Daily]
A bill in Wyoming that would prevent doctors from treating trans minors is progressing towards becoming law. Initially named Chloe's Law after a Californian activist who regretted transitioning, the bill is now titled Children Gender Change Prohibition. Despite concerns raised by members of the medical community and opposition from LGBTQ+ advocates, the bill passed through the House Judiciary Committee with a 7-2 vote. The legislation's sponsor, Sen. Anthony Bouchard, views changes to the bill's name and content as attempts to weaken it. The bill will proceed to the House for further consideration before potentially becoming law.
Employee suing Boeing for harassment, unsafe work environment [MyNorthwest CW sexual violence]
CW sexual violence. Boeing employee, Rachel Rasmussen, is suing the company for fostering a hostile work environment that not only failed to address harassment following her transition but also allegedly led to the loss of her job in retaliation. According to the lawsuit, Rasmussen, who had a 20-year incident-free career at Boeing as a crane mechanic, reported suffering from alleged discrimination and physical threats, including a severe incident involving a sexual assault with a broomstick by a colleague. Despite using Boeing's internal reporting systems, she claims the company inadequately responded, merely providing the offending employee with training and a day off. Rasmussen's experiences highlight significant concerns regarding workplace safety and inclusivity for transgender people, as she seeks justice for the damages and emotional distress caused by the alleged discriminatory environment at Boeing.
CULT WATCH
What are they angry about today?
Anti-LGBTQ+ Westboro Baptist Church to stage protest at Nex Benedict’s school [Pink News]
The protest is set to take place today, 6 March 2024. Are they protesting that Nex isn’t dead enough? Who can tell.
Hollyoaks trans youth storyline sparks fury from bigots [Pink News]
Yes, once again, they’re angry at a fictional character.
Doritos ambassador fired after just two days [Rolling Stone]
In The Trans Agenda #2, I brought you the story of the gender critical cult losing their minds over a trans woman being hired by Doritos. At the time, all I had to rely on were the claims of some of the worst people on Twitter being reported in some of the most transphobic media outlets and I wasn’t too keen on believing what they were claiming. It seems that Samantha Hudson did indeed send the most offensive tweet reported, when she was 15, and has since apologised. She is 24 now. As the Rolling Stone article linked above notes, there are many issues with Hudson’s hiring, none of which concern her gender, yet that was of course what the cult focussed on. Let’s not fool ourselves that if this was a cis woman or man we would even be talking about Spanish Doritos.
ANY OTHER BUSINESS
CVS and Walgreens to begin selling abortion pill for first time this month in five states [Health Care Dive]
CVS and Walgreens announced plans to offer the abortion pill for the first time in select states this month. Walgreens will dispense the medication in New York, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, California, and Illinois starting this week. Meanwhile, CVS will make mifepristone available at its pharmacies in Massachusetts and Rhode Island in the upcoming weeks, with intentions to gradually extend the service to more states.
Man who 'preyed on gay community' jailed [Met Police]
Reda Zahri, 22, from Haverstock Road, NW5, has been sentenced to 11 years and six months in prison at Southwark Crown Court for crimes including three counts of burglary, one of false imprisonment, and one of attempted robbery against members of the gay community. Zahri would feign interest in gay men, sometimes engaging in sexual activities, to gain their trust before stealing from them. In one instance, he stole over £25,000. He was apprehended after a victim, who had obtained Zahri's Instagram handle, reported him to the police following a theft. Initially claiming to be 17, detectives confirmed his actual age through links to Germany. The police have urged anyone else who may have been targeted by Zahri to come forward.
UK launches project to support survivors of gender-based violence in Somalia [UK Govt]
The UK has initiated the Gaashaan project in Somalia to aid survivors of gender-based violence, coinciding with International Women's Day celebrations. Launched in Mogadishu by Sir Philip Barton and Somali Minister Amina Hassan Ali, the project aims to support victims, address child protection issues, and enhance local women's rights groups' efforts in combating gender-based violence amid humanitarian crises. The initiative, backed by £15 million from the UK, is set to impact over 117,000 individuals, improving access to protection services and empowering communities against the backdrop of ongoing conflict and climate challenges in Somalia.
Ron DeSantis suffers humiliating defeat in his war on “woke” businesses [LGBTQNation]
“This is not the first era in which Americans have held widely divergent views on important areas of morality, ethics, law, and public policy,” a three-judge panel of the federal appeals court wrote. “And it is not the first time that these disagreements have seemed so important, and their airing so dangerous, that something had to be done. But now, as before, the First Amendment keeps the government from putting its thumb on the scale.”
COMING UP
Jeremy Hunt will deliver what is expected to be the Tories last budget in government today. Desperate to give even more tax cuts while hammering vapes and tobacco to make up for lost revenue from people who have quit nicotine, expect it to be a populist budget aimed at winning votes rather than improving either the country or your life. A 2p reduction in National Insurance, equal to around £450-a-year for an average worker, is the headline figure expected, at a cost of £10 billion. Overall, the tax burden is still rising while public services crumble, something the likely incoming Labour government will have to deal with. Alcohol and fuel duty will be frozen while VAT and business rates for pubs and restaurants could also be cut. There have also been reports that Hunt will cut 1p off income tax, as well. It being referred to as a ‘scorched-earth’ budget ahead of the expected Labour government.
Kemi Badenoch, who is Secretary of State for Business and Trade, will not take part in the budget debates, with her office saying she was asked but is too busy. When Politico tried to find out if this was true, they report that no-one in government would confirm she was even asked. Until her fight with Henry Staunton, former Post Office chair, Badenoch was viewed as the favourite to replace Rishi Sunak as Conservative leader. It is not clear if that is still the case.
The Budget statement will follow Prime Minister’s Questions at 12pm at around 12.30pm.
AND FINALLY…
Won’t anybody spare a thought for Helen Joyce? After a challenging week, she has revealed that devoting your time to excluding trans people from life makes people think you’d be a bit of a downer at parties. Replying to someone on Twitter, she lamented, “Nobody invites me to anything non GC any more. Honestly if I tried to attend they would turn me away. Not even kidding.” If only you could work out why, Helen…
TRANS WRITES YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED
A Trans Man Walks Into a Gay Bar “is sweet, heartfelt, insightful, a seriously useful and novel resource for both cis and trans people,” by Elia Cugini.
This article was originally about a trans rights protest – but now it’s about trans joy instead… mostly, by Owen Hurcum.
Have we got it wrong on dysphoria? Abigail Thorn discusses trans healthcare.
Sex Matters Advisory Group member named Chair of Parliament’s Human Rights Committee, by Lee Hurley.
UK Labour is outright lying about public support for GRA reform, by Gemma Stone.
RECOMMENDED READING
‘How you can make bathrooms safer for trans and nonbinary people’ by Kate Sosin for The 19th, also reproduced in Teen Vogue.
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