Keir Starmer says '99.9pc of women don't have a penis'

Sir Keir Starmer has said he should know what his children are learning about transgender issues in schools, as he promised Labour’s offering to trans people would not override women’s rights.

The Labour leader said that “of course” he should know about the sex-education curriculum in his children’s schools, after Rishi Sunak ordered a review because of concerns about inappropriate resources such as “gender unicorn” diagrams.

Sir Keir and his shadow cabinet have often been reluctant to discuss transgender issues, which divide his party and have led to public infighting, and he rarely mentions his own children.

But he told The Sunday Times he sympathises with parents who are keen to find out what their children are taught.

“Look, of course I’d want to know – I say that as a parent,” he said.

“I would want to know and I think the vast majority of parents would want to know.

“That’s why we have to have national guidance on it and they should try to make it cross-party, because it’s not helpful to parents or schools to have this as just a toxic divide when what’s needed is practical, common-sense advice.”

‘No rolling back’ of women’s rights

The Labour leader also promised there would be “no rolling back” of women’s rights if he was elected prime minister and stressed that “99.9 per cent of women… haven’t got a penis”.

Labour MPs were whipped to vote for Nicola Sturgeon’s controversial gender Bill in Scotland earlier this year, but allowed a free vote on whether it should be blocked by the UK Government.

Sir Keir said: “The lesson from Scotland is that if you can’t take the public with you on a journey of reform, then you’re probably not on the right journey.

“And that’s why I think that collectively there ought to be a reset in Scotland.”