Overview
- The Daily Mail published a leaked 2022 recording in which Andy Burnham said protecting single-sex spaces was a 'minority view' and dismissed claims that women's safety would be put at risk by the presence of biological men.
- Businessman Duncan Bannatyne posted on X that he has withdrawn his recent support for Burnham, saying he 'can never support anyone' who allows trans women to use ladies' toilets and calling Burnham a 'cretin'.
- Campaign group Sex Matters and co‑founder Maya Forstater have demanded Burnham state whether his views have changed and cited polling they say shows broad public support for single‑sex provision.
- Burnham’s office had not provided a clarification by the time of these reports, leaving unresolved political fallout for his reported intention to seek the Labour leadership if he wins the Makerfield by‑election.
- The row builds on a recent Supreme Court ruling and interim Equality and Human Rights Commission guidance that have made access to women‑only spaces a contested legal and political issue.