Political parties defunct for over 15 years were consulted on council trans guidance - but two Stormont parties weren't
Parties which haven’t existed for over fifteen years were “consulted” in 2023 on controversial guidance on the use of council facilities by transgender people, a public body has said.
The Local Government Staff Commission recently advised local authorities in Northern Ireland that people can use facilities – such as toilets and changing facilities – which align with their chosen gender.
That prompted the TUV to accuse the body of being “captured” by the trans lobby, and of giving “misleading” legal advice to councils. The LGSC now says it is waiting for guidance from the Equality Commission (ECNI) in light of the Supreme Court sex ruling which said sex is defined by biology not identity under the 2010 Equality Act.
The News Letter submitted a Freedom of Information request seeking a list of the groups that were consulted. LGSC provided what it described as a “full list of organisations that were invited to review the guidance and provide a formal response”.
This list included all of the main political parties at Stormont – with the exception of the TUV and People Before Profit. However, it also included a number of political parties which are now defunct.
These included the NI Unionist Party and UK Unionist Party (both dissolved in 2008) and the UDA-linked Ulster Democratic Party which became defunct in 2001.
The consultation and feedback period for the guidance document commenced in October 2023 and concluded in February 2024. That list – approved by the Equality Commission – has subsequently been reviewed and changed more than once since then.
TUV Party Chairman and Cusher Councillor Keith Ratcliffe has said there are “serious questions” to answer, given that three political parties haven’t even existed for over 15 years.
“This is not a minor oversight. The exclusion of TUV from this process is a disgrace and casts doubt over the entire legitimacy of the so-called consultation. If [LGSC] is claiming to have engaged with phantom parties, what confidence can anyone have in the rest of the process?” Mr Ratcliffe also said that at least one church listed as being consulted has “no record” of being contacted.