Full Breakdown
Andy Burnham Faces Trans+ Lobby Over EHRC Code of Practice
By Drooid · · How we work
Mass Lobby Highlights Trans+ Concerns
- Who: The Trans+ Solidarity Alliance organized a mass lobby attended by roughly 1,000 trans + allies.
- What: Participants met their MPs in Westminster Hall to oppose the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s (EHRC) updated Code of Practice, which requires single-sex services and spaces to exclude trans + people or cease labeling them as “single-sex.”
- When: The event took place on Wednesday 9 September.
- Where: Westminster Hall, Palace of Westminster, London.
- How: Attendees queued for up to 500 feet along Abingdon Street Gardens, then entered the Hall to share personal stories of exclusion, isolation and harassment with MPs.
Background & Context
The EHRC’s revised Code of Practice is set to come into force, mandating that organisations providing single-sex services either exclude trans + people from those spaces or stop labeling them as “single-sex,” even when a Gender Recognition Certificate legally changes a person’s sex. The guidance effectively creates “third spaces” for trans + people and has been described as “segregating” them from mainstream services.
The mass lobby follows a similar event in June 2025, which responded to the UK Supreme Court’s decision in *For Women Scotland v Scottish Ministers* that defined the protected characteristic of “sex” as biological sex assigned at birth.
Internationally, the United Kingdom’s standing on LGBTQIA+ rights has slipped in the ILGA-Europe Rainbow Map, falling from 16th place in 2024 to 22nd place in 2026.
Key Figures & Groups
- Andy Burnham — Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Labour Party.
- Alfie Bailey-Bearfield — Advocacy lead, Trans+ Solidarity Alliance.
- Sophie Perry — Press officer, Trans+ Solidarity Alliance.
- Cabinet Office — Government department responding to media inquiries about trans + rights.
Timeline
- June 2025: First Trans+ Solidarity Alliance mass lobby after the Supreme Court ruling.
- 9 September (occurred): Second mass lobby focused on the EHRC Code of Practice.
- Post-lobby: Participants delivered a greeting card with messages to Prime Minister Burnham.
Data & Statistics
- Approximately 1,000 trans + people and allies signed up for the lobby; queues stretched about 500 feet along Abingdon Street Gardens.
- The UK’s ILGA-Europe Rainbow Map ranking dropped from 16th (2024) to 22nd (2026).
Official Statements & Responses
- Alfie Bailey-Bearfield (Trans+ Solidarity Alliance): Described the current situation for trans + people across the UK as “untenable” and urged Burnham to “break this pattern” of silence.
On-the-Ground Reports
Participants reported long queues extending roughly 500 feet and described sharing personal experiences of exclusion, isolation and harassment with MPs inside Westminster Hall. Dozens of MPs from across the political spectrum offered time to meet constituents, including some whose own MPs declined to meet them.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
All sources provide the same estimate of participant numbers and queue length; no alternative figures were presented. No direct response from Prime Minister Burnham himself was recorded in the available material.