JK Rowling praises Kemi Badenoch as the ‘only political leader offering solidarity to women’ with Keir Starmer STILL silent on Supreme Court ruling

JK Rowling praised Kemi Badenoch for ‘offering unequivocal solidarity to women’ today as Keir Starmer faces pressure to break his silence on the Supreme Court’s landmark gender ruling.

The Harry Potter author said it was ‘astounding’ that Ms Badenoch was the only UK political leader offering vocal backing for people ‘defending their rights’.

The comments came after the Tory chief condemned ‘death threats’ against women’s rights campaigners in the wake of the judges deciding last week that men who change gender are not legally women.

The PM has been facing calls to give public support to the ruling, amid signs Labour frontbenchers are gearing up to resist the implications for thousands of firms and public sector bodies.

The Government has welcomed last Wednesday’s judgment, but the PM – who was on holiday but is understood to have now returned home – is yet to comment directly.

Sir Keir – who has long been accused of a muddle stance on gender issues – is facing demands to make a statement to the Commons when it returns from the Easter recess tomorrow.

JK Rowling has praised Kemi Badenoch for ‘offering unequivocal solidarity to women’

Keir Starmer (pictured) has been facing calls to give public support to the ruling, amid signs Labour frontbenchers are gearing up to resist the implications for thousands of firms and public sector bodies

Last night Ms Badenoch took to the X social media site to highlight images of protest placards with messages such as ‘kill JK Rowling’

The Harry Potter author said it was ‘astounding’ that Ms Badenoch was the only UK political leader offering vocal backing

In WhatsApp messages published by The Mail on Sunday, sent on Thursday evening, culture minister Sir Chris Bryant joined an attack on Baroness Falkner, chairman of the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), which must draw up guidance for organisations to follow when enforcing the ruling.

Earlier that day, Baroness Falkner she said the ruling clearly meant that trans women could not use single-sex female facilities or compete in women’s sports.

After Steve Race, the Labour MP for Exeter, said Lady Falkner’s words were ‘pretty appalling’, Mr Bryant replied: ‘Agreeed [sic].’

Another MP on the WhatsApp group wrote that it was ‘sad to see some institutions choose to ignore the Supreme Court’s very strong line that trans people are protected by the Equality Act too’. 

Home Office minister Dame Angela Eagle replied: ‘They won’t be feeling that way now and we need to remember that and organise.’

Downing Street has refused to punish the ministers, arguing they are not trying to undermine the judgment. 

Last night Ms Badenoch took to the X social media site to highlight images of protest placards with messages such as ‘kill JK Rowling’.

‘A mob of trans-activists waving death threats at women isn’t protest—it’s criminal incitement,’ she wrote.

‘If the law isn’t enforced, we don’t have equality, we have two-tier justice. It’s time for Labour to stop being on the side of these extremists and start defending women.’

Re-posting Ms Badenoch’s message, Rowling added: ‘I knew what I was getting into when I entered this debate and compared to what others have suffered, I’ve got off lightly. 

‘Even so, it continues to astound that Kemi Badenoch remains the only UK political leader offering unequivocal solidarity to women defending their rights.’ 

Marion Calder, co-founder of For Women Scotland, which won the historic court victory, said it was ‘astonishing’ to see ministers discussing ways to ‘circumvent’ the ruling.

She told the Mail: ‘To see government ministers discussing how they can circumvent the ruling, rather than how they can ensure their departments are actually following the rule of law, is quite astonishing.

Ms Badenoch has made no secret of her support for the campaign spearheaded by prominent figures such as Rowling 

Rowling posted a picture last week of her celebrating the ruling by the Supreme Court

‘And it is disappointing that we haven’t heard anything from the Prime Minister yet. I understand it’s the holidays, but we had to give up our holidays for this case. We look forward to actually hearing from him.

‘There are a lot of people looking to him for direction. This has to come from Sir Keir – it shouldn’t be left to women like us or people on the frontlines in the likes of the NHS to interpret this and make sure it’s followed.’

Helen Joyce, of human rights charity Sex Matters, which submitted evidence in the Supreme Court case, said: ‘If neither the Prime Minister nor the Secretary of State for Women and Equalities makes a statement to this effect on the first day back after Parliamentary recess, something is seriously wrong.’