Atkins ‘risks hypocrisy accusations’ over Stonewall

Victoria Atkins risks being accused of hypocrisy after meeting Stonewall in the past despite criticising it over its role in the puberty blockers controversy, a campaigner has suggested.

The Health Secretary met representatives of the LGBT+ charity in 2018, when she was equalities minister, and her team met them four times.

But earlier this week, she said those who refused to follow all the recommendations of the Cass Review into trans medicine were “following Stonewall”.

She tweeted: “Humza Yousaf only wants some of the Cass Review’s recommendations implemented: which ones? Rather than follow the detailed and damning evidence the Review cites, he’s following Stonewall. The same Stonewall that wanted to “shred” the evidence in 2018.”

Stonewall supported the use of the drugs on young people wanting to change gender, and told schools to shred a research pack from another charity pointing out the risks of using puberty blockers.

The Cass review found there was little evidence in favour of the use of puberty blockers in the treatment of children questioning their gender.

‘Risk the charge of hypocrisy’

The Telegraph can reveal that Ms Atkins previously cited Stonewall’s research in the Commons when she was a minister in the Home Office.

She said: “We are pleased to support a number of community projects focused on tackling LGBT+ hate crimes, including working with Barnardo’s, Stop Hate UK and the football initiative Kick It Out.

“We continue to take that and other work forward, working closely with the Government Equalities Office and a range of stakeholders, including Galop and Stonewall.”

Kate Coleman, of the campaign group Keep Prisons Single Sex, said: “I would say that those who are attacking Stonewall now, whilst not examining their prior relationship with them, risk the charge of hypocrisy.

“However, transparency and accountability must include critical examination of the role played by previous government inquiries, departments, ministers and MPs, and must extend to all sectors where gender identity ideology has become embedded.

“The role played by Stonewall in this utterly shameful and frankly catastrophic situation is unequivocal.”

Routine to have introductory meetings

Ms Atkins’ team also held a meeting with Mermaids, a controversial charity accused of pushing puberty blockers on children, and she had also previously referred to Stonewall research when discussing the prevalence of homophobia.

She referenced two MPs who had quoted statistics “including the terrible one highlighted in the Stonewall research that showed one in 10 people surveyed had experienced online homophobic, biphobic or transphobic abuse or behaviour in the past month”.

A spokesman for Ms Atkins said: “It is routine for government ministers to have introductory meetings with organisations related to their new departmental brief.”