Labour MP Rosie Duffield embroiled in transphobia row after cervical cancer tweet

Labour MP Rosie Duffield has become embroiled in a transphobia row sparked by a tweet about cervical cancer.

The controversy erupted after the Canterbury MP commented on a CNN tweet sharing the new American Cancer Society guidelines.

CNN's post said: “Individuals with a cervix are now recommended to start cervical cancers screening at 25 and continue through age 65, with HPV testing every five years.”

But Ms Duffield was flooded with complaints after she liked Piers Morgan's reply to the tweet which read: "Do you mean women?"

She then hit back at critics, tweeting: "I'm a 'transphobe' for knowing that only women have a cervix...?!"

Ms Duffield, who quit as party whip and resigned from the shadow front bench in May after it emerged she had broken lockdown, has now locked her Twitter account.

On Saturday, she dismissed allegations that she was transphobic as “just this week’s tedious ‘Communist’ pile on…”

One user said: "I’ve just submitted a complaint to the Labour party about Rosie Duffield’s transphobic twitter content."

Labour Campaign for Trans Rights wrote: "We are shocked and saddened at the inaccurate, transphobic comments of Rosie Duffield MP.

"We are calling on our party to take action on this incident, and firmly oppose the climate of transphobia which has helped to cause it."

One user told Ms Duffield she was “wrong” and linked to NHS guidance stating that “trans men with a cervix should have cervical screening to help prevent cervical cancer”.

Ms Duffield said: “Of course this applies to some people, they’ll know who they are and this advice is great.”

She added: “But the implication that one cannot describe oneself as a woman without inviting a pile-on is beyond ridiculous.”

Several people shared a tweet from her that read: “I can’t wait to get voted out so I can take a cushy media job and not have to “represent” such sh**ty people. Logging off now.”

The Evening Standard has contacted the Labour Party and Ms Duffield for comment.

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