THE Communist Party agreed to “develop a strategy… to reverse gender identity policy capture in the trade union movement” at its weekend congress.

Mary Davis of Hackney & Tower Hamlets branch welcomed the Supreme Court ruling that references to women in the Equality Act refer to biological women, while also upholding the separate protected characteristic of gender reassignment.

There should be no contradiction in recognising specific protections for women and opposing discrimination against trans people.

But Ms Davis deplored the fact that trade unions had been in the vanguard of demands to subordinate sex-based rights to gender identity.

Many women were afraid to speak up for their rights in trade unions, and “women [do] not feel represented by the very organisations that are there to protect all workers.”

Vicky Knight of Merseyside branch warned that “we are witnessing the resurgence of anti-feminist ideology fuelled by the populist right and religious fundamentalism.

“If we don’t acknowledge biological women, then rape, sexual violence, domestic abuse, false marriage, female genital mutilation, honour killings, the gender pay gap and so on are not recognised as crimes against women.

“The labour and trade union movements have got this desperately wrong.”

Speakers including Helen O’Connor of Croydon branch and Martin Hall from Manchester discussed the ideological roots of gender identity theory in postmodernism and anti-Marxist idealism that elevates thoughts and feelings above material reality.

Opposing, Michael Nolan of South Devon branch said the party’s position was divisive and had hindered his branch’s ability to organise and recruit.

The party should seek to unify, not separate, women and trans people’s struggles against oppression, he argued.