TL;DR
- Labour MP Jonathan Hinder branded Ann Widdecombe “woke” after she defended trans prisoners’ safety.
- Widdecombe urged Kemi Badenoch to clarify Conservative policy on housing trans women in prisons.
- She argued trans women face serious assault risk in male prisons.
- Reform UK’s own justice adviser also opposed blanket bans on trans women in female prisons.
- The row exposes political confusion — with Widdecombe, of all people, sounding more pro-trans than Labour.
Labour MP Calls Ann Widdecombe “Woke” Over Trans Prisoner Safety
The UK’s political circus just added another clown car — and this time, it’s parked right on the debate over trans rights. Labour MP Jonathan Hinder managed to shock even seasoned Westminster watchers by slapping the “woke” label on none other than Ann Widdecombe — yes, that Ann Widdecombe — after she dared to defend the safety of trans women behind bars.
In a twist no one had on their bingo card, the 77-year-old Reform UK firebrand told Tory leader Kemi Badenoch to “grow up” and come clean about whether her party’s policy is to “put trans prisoners in danger.” She didn’t mince words: “We have a duty to ensure [trans female prisoners’] safety too… they would not be safe in a male prison but liable to serious sexual assault, including rape.”
Hinder’s reaction? A jaw-dropping “The ‘Woke Right’ not letting this drop. Incredible.” It was an apparent jab at Labour’s own stance, which lately feels closer to hard-right talking points than to protecting vulnerable people. The irony? This whole kerfuffle means Ann Widdecombe is suddenly — however briefly — outflanking Labour from the left on trans safety. Somewhere, a Pride flag just fluttered in disbelief.
Reform UK’s Own Rift on Trans Prison Policy
The drama didn’t stop there. Reform UK’s justice adviser, Vanessa Frake, recently made waves by telling the Telegraph that trans women shouldn’t automatically be banned from women’s prisons. Instead, she pushed for case-by-case assessments — a view that immediately clashed with her party’s official line.
While Frake stressed that sexual offenders should be placed in male facilities, she acknowledged, “There are equally vile women as there possibly are trans women… it’s all about the risk assessments for me.” But in true political fashion, a Reform UK spokesperson later clarified that her take “did not constitute party policy.”
Widdecombe, ever ready to clarify (and stir), doubled down: the party’s policy is that prisoners serve sentences in facilities matching their birth sex — except in the rare cases where trans women have undergone full gender-affirming surgery, hormone treatment, and lived as women for years. That tiny concession was enough to get her branded “woke” by Labour’s own ranks.
The Reality for Trans Prisoners
According to the Ministry of Justice, there were 268 transgender prisoners in March 2023. Of the 48 housed in female prisons, just five were trans women, with the vast majority being trans men. The data also confirms what advocates have been screaming for years: trans women placed in male prisons are at a significantly higher risk of sexual violence.
For the LGBTQ community, this bizarre political moment is both maddening and revealing. When Ann Widdecombe — whose résumé includes backing conversion therapy and opposing same-sex marriage — is suddenly the voice highlighting the vulnerability of trans women, it shows just how far mainstream politics has drifted toward hostility.
This isn’t a win for Widdecombe’s legacy, but it’s a grim sign for Labour. The party once known for fighting discrimination now risks becoming the one accused of ignoring — or even fuelling — the danger faced by trans people in state custody. And honey, if Ann Widdecombe is the one giving you your moral compass on LGBTQ rights, you might want to call for a parliamentary GPS.