'Unholy alliance' of Left-wing parties are accused of plotting to 'undermine' hard-won women's rights - as Lib Dems vote to rip up single-sex space guidance and Greens could grant 'gender neutral' people new legal protections

An 'unholy alliance' of Left-wing parties has been accused of plotting to undermine hard-won women's rights.The Liberal Democrats on Monday adopted a party policy of 'restoring trans rights' at its annual conference after it was backed by leader Ed Davey.And next week the Green Party could pass a motion to push to amend the Equality Act to give 'gender-fluid' people special legal status – while 'nullifying' protections for women.It comes after Labour MPs earlier this summer led an attempt at Westminster to block the latest Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) guidance on single-sex spaces.Women's rights campaigners had heralded April 2025's Supreme Court ruling on biological sex for drawing a line under attempts to erode protections for women-only spaces.But now they have accused trans activists in a 'rainbow alliance' of Left-wing parties of plotting to undermine the ruling and EHRC guidance that sets out how it should be followed.Shadow women and equalities minister Joy Morrissey said: 'Labour, the Lib Dems and the Greens may be trying to pretend they have nothing in common, but when it comes to undermining women's rights, they are increasingly working hand in hand.'This unholy alliance is determined to erode the principle of single-sex spaces and ignore the legitimate concerns of women.Sir Ed Davey said he backed activists who have forced a party conference vote tonight on scrapping 'discriminatory and unworkable' gender guidance Members of Zack Polanski's Green Party want to amend the Equality Act to give 'non-binary' and 'gender-fluid' people special legal status - while 'nullifying' protections for biological women'The Conservatives will continue to stand up for women's rights, whatever this coalition throws at them.' On Monday the Lib Dems adopted a party policy of demanding 'discriminatory and unworkable' EHRC guidance is scrapped.The code, which came into force last month, set out that single-sex toilets, changing rooms, hospital wards and refuges must be used based on a person's birth sex, not the gender with which they identify, following the Supreme Court ruling.But Lib Dem members overwhelmingly backed replacing it with a new pro-trans code 'that is inclusive, workable and ensures everybody can safely access public facilities'.The policy adds that 'trans women are women' and 'trans men are men', and that 'the rights of women and of trans people are not in competition'.Two speakers at the Lib Dem's conference in Brighton yesterday said they wanted the party to go further too – and one member even said they support no women-only spaces at all.It came after Sir Ed gave his backing to the proposals. Two members left the party following the vote, with one describing the Lib Dems as a 'horrible party full of deranged extremists'.Dr Zoe Hollowood, chair of Liberal Voice for Women, said she was 'deeply disappointed' that the party had adopted a policy that will 'treat women as second-class citizens'.'A small vocal minority in the Lib Dems just voted to send the party to electoral oblivion - cheered on by Ed Davey,' she said, adding: 'This is on Ed.'It comes as the Green Party wants to amend the Equality Act to give 'non-binary' and 'gender-fluid' people special legal status – while 'nullifying' protections for biological women.Zack Polanski's party also wants to change the protected characteristic of marriage to elevate 'polyamorous' and 'non-monogamous' relationships to the same level.Proposals put forward by members for a vote at the Green's conference next week obtained by the Daily Mail show the party wants to 'strengthen' the Equality Act 2010.The motion says Mr Polanski's party should 'lobby' for its preferred changes to equality laws or 'enact these changes as part of a future Green government'.The Greens would 'modify' the protected characteristic of biological sex to 'recognise sex as bimodal rather than binary' and so that a person's sex 'can be changed' at will.Members will vote on a motion that would: 'Introduce the protected characteristic of 'Gender Identity' (to compliment not replace the protected characteristic Gender Reassignment) and include non-binary, gender-fluid, and other gender diverse identities.'At the same time, Equality Act protections for women would be 'specifically worded to nullify the harm caused' to transgender people by the Supreme Court ruling.Ms Morrissey slammed the proposals as 'an absurd attempt to give everybody some sort of victim status' and said Mr Polanski's party is 'desperate to take us to a whole new level of divisive identity politics'.Among other proposals in the motion are to give 'protected-characteristic advocacy groups' a veto in the appointment of senior EHRC officials.It adds that radical trans rights campaigners or hardline Muslim groups should be given a 'mechanism' to object to the appointment of EHRC officials if they have a 'history of prejudice'.Helen Joyce, director of advocacy at sex-based rights charity Sex Matters, warned such a move would give non-binary and gender-fluid people new legal protections while taking them away from women.She said: 'It's extremely worrying that any party in a liberal democracy would wish to pursue policies that destroy women's hard-won rights.'Ms Joyce added: 'If this weren't bad enough, next week Green Party members may go even further in the wrong direction by voting for a motion that would grant privileges to trans-identifying people, including those who identify as 'non-binary' and 'gender fluid', while at the same time taking protections away from women.'A Green Party spokesman said: 'Members bring a range of motions: only a small number are debated. They only become policy if passed by conference.'