Brighton's long standing LGBTQIA+ magazine Scene, as well as the Brighton service of community radio station Gaydio are both reporting on internal disputes on the political left, as TERFS (trans exclusionary radical feminists) attempt to stop the Labour Party Conference season from engaging with trans women.

A quartet of Labour's most prominent union benefactors has confirmed it will withdraw from this year's party women's conference, in protest at the decision to bar transgender women from the main proceedings.

Unison, Aslef, Usdaw and the Musicians' Union have all ruled out sending official delegations to the gathering in Liverpool this September. Each organisation has cited a fundamental clash between the party's new stance and its own established commitment to transgender equality.

The row centres on a ruling by Labour's National Executive Committee that trans women will be excluded from the formal elements of the event, such as address from the floor, policy discussion and ballots. They will, however, remain free to participate in fringe activities, which are open to all delegates irrespective of sex or gender identity.

Labour's decision follows legal counsel sought in the wake of the Supreme Court's judgment on how the Equality Act defines the term "woman". In the aftermath of that ruling, the party shelved its 2025 women's conference altogether before settling on the current set of restrictions.

Until that point, Labour's women's conference had permitted any member identifying as a woman to take part in official business, including those who are trans.

This development will be awkward for the party leadership given the scale of financial backing these organisations provide.

Unison, which counts over 1.3 million people as members and has contributed tens of millions of pounds to Labour over the last 25 years, stated that its absence derives from a direct contradiction between the party's access rules and the union's own equality policy.

A spokesperson for the union explained: "This is because the party's restrictions on access run counter to UNISON's policy on trans equality."

Usdaw, which represents more than 360,000 workers across the retail, distribution and manufacturing sectors, has taken an identical position. A spokesperson confirmed the union would not be present, adding: "This is because the party has excluded trans women, which runs counter to Usdaw's policy on trans equality."

Aslef, the train drivers' union, and the Musicians' Union have also declared they will steer clear of the event, with the latter citing a "long-standing position of trans inclusion".

The stance adopted by these unions has drawn praise from transgender rights advocates, who insist that trans women have historically been an integral part of Labour's internal democracy and ought not to be pushed aside.

Labour for Trans Rights, a campaign group, voiced its frustration at the party's approach. It noted that trans women members have long found a place within Labour structures and described the exclusion as "blatant".

The group went on to acknowledge the supportive role played by affiliated trade unions, expressing hope that their continuing influence within the party will encourage the new government to move towards a more welcoming and inclusive position.

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