Cllr Chris Northwood writes to Lucy Powell following EHRC guidance

22 May 2026

Dear Lucy Powell MP,

I write to you the day after your colleague Bridget Phillipson laid the updated EHRC code of conduct in Parliament. As you will know, Parliament now has a time window in which to debate this code and choose to accept or reject it. But there is no guarantee that it will do so, and if it does, there will not be any trans voices directly heard in that debate.

In trying to interpret the Supreme Court judgement, the EHRC guidance has produced guidance that is muddled and hard to interpret. Legal commentators have argued that it is contradictory and in key cases provides no real guidance on how to act in a way that doesn’t cause discrimination. This is not a standard, uncontroversial statutory instrument legislating on a technical detail, it is one that will directly impact people’s lives. It deserves Parliamentary time.

But even if Parliament debates and rejects the guidance, trans people will still remain in limbo. Only new legislation that restores a definition of sex that matches how people actually live their life, rather than a hard to interpret and enforce technical one that erases people’s identity, will bring back common sense to equality law. A debate on this code of practice must be the start of a process to bring around this change, and this change must include trans voices at every opportunity.

You have previously provided reassurances that you support trans people here in Manchester. Now is the time to put those words in action, and to use your unique position as Deputy Leader of the Labour party to do so. The next few weeks risk enshrining harm for the trans community in statutory guidance. It must not happen silently, and deserves better than being lost in the noise of a proxy leadership battle happening in Makerfield. This must be the turning point to stop the rollback of trans rights in our country.

Although hope is in short supply today for trans people, I await your response with it.

Yours sincerely,

Cllr Chris Northwood (she/her)
Liberal Democrat councillor for Ancoats & Beswick
Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrat group on Manchester City Council

Dear Lucy Powell MP, I write to you the day after your colleague Bridget Phillipson laid the updated EHRC code of conduct in Parliament. As you will know, Parliament now has a time window in which to debate this code and choose to accept or reject it. But there is no guarantee that it will do so, and if it does, there will not be any trans voices directly heard in that debate. In trying to interpret the Supreme Court judgement, the EHRC guidance has produced guidance that is muddled and hard to interpret. Legal commentators have argued that it is contradictory and in key cases provides no real guidance on how to act in a way that doesn’t cause discrimination. This is not a standard, uncontroversial statutory instrument legislating on a technical detail, it is one that will directly impact people’s lives. It deserves Parliamentary time. But even if Parliament debates and rejects the guidance, trans people will still remain in limbo. Only new legislation that restores a definition of sex that matches how people actually live their life, rather than a hard to interpret and enforce technical one that erases people’s identity, will bring back common sense to equality law. A debate on this code of practice must be the start of a process to bring around this change, and this change must include trans voices at every opportunity. You have previously provided reassurances that you support trans people here in Manchester. Now is the time to put those words in action, and to use your unique position as Deputy Leader of the Labour party to do so. The next few weeks risk enshrining harm for the trans community in statutory guidance. It must not happen silently, and deserves better than being lost in the noise of a proxy leadership battle happening in Makerfield. This must be the turning point to stop the rollback of trans rights in our country. Although hope is in short supply today for trans people, I await your response with it. Yours sincerely, Cllr Chris Northwood (she/her) Liberal Democrat councillor for Ancoats & Beswick Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrat group on Manchester City Council