Kemi Badenoch Slams Claim Tories Are ‘Stoking Culture Wars’, Blames Media

Equalities Minister Kemi Badenoch slammed accusations she was fuelling “culture wars” while discussing public guidance on single-sex spaces, pointing instead at the media.

The fiery clash arose on Times Radio after Badenoch called on people to share real-world examples of how public bodies use guidance stating that people have a legal right to access single-sex spaces according to their self-identified gender. Host Aasmah Mir questioned the frequency of discussion around trans issues in public facilities, suggesting the problem might be exaggerated.

“What happens if there are very few examples? Is this just stoking the culture wars?” Mir asked.

Badenoch responded sharply: “I do take issue with you calling this culture wars. Four years ago, when I was alerting people to the danger of puberty blockers, and a lot of the issues that we had in clinics, people like you were accusing me of fighting culture wars.”

She continued: “And now we have the CASS review and the report that it is actually a medical scandal. So I think it’s really important that, especially when journalists talk about this, that you take the heat out. It’s not helpful. It is really unhelpful to call this culture wars. We’re trying to do the right thing by children and women, in particular.”

Mir replied: “But the two things, they’re very different, aren’t they? I mean, talking about puberty blockers is very different to toilets, isn’t it?”

Badenoch said: “Well, it’s all across the spectrum. But the point I’m making is that when politicians are trying to do the right thing, I think it’s important that you take it at face value rather than casting aspersions on the motivation. I’ll give you an example. There was a report, and this was confirmed by doctors, that there were girls who were not using the toilet in some schools and getting urinary tract infections because they didn’t want to share their toilets with boys. That’s a scandal. And that’s something that we should be looking at. Please don’t call it culture wars.”

The host said: “Okay. I mean, many… I’m not the only person who calls it a culture war.”

“Yes, but you’re the one I’m speaking to now,” the minister said.

The host replied: “Of course. We’ve got people getting in touch with us already this morning saying, you know, make sure that you, you know, don’t let the government get away with stoking culture wars.”

Watch above on Times Radio.

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