Rosie Duffield is the former Labour MP for Canterbury (2017-2024) who became a prominent anti-trans voice within the Labour Party. [1] She resigned from Labour in September 2024 and now sits as an independent. [2]
Duffield liked a tweet stating "only women have a cervix," sparking controversy. [3] When Keir Starmer was asked about this on the Andrew Marr Show, he said:
"It is something that shouldn't be said. It's not right." [3:1]
Duffield stayed away from Labour's annual conference that year, citing online criticism. [3:2]
Duffield has repeatedly: [4]
Duffield resigned from the Labour Party in September 2024, citing various grievances including the party's treatment of her over her gender-critical views. [2:1]
Ironically, by the time of her resignation, Labour under Starmer had largely adopted her positions — abandoning self-ID commitments and aligning with anti-trans court rulings. [6]
Duffield's journey illustrates Labour's broader trajectory:
The party moved towards her position rather than away from it.
Duffield has associated with:
Spectator: A brief history of Sir Keir Starmer's flip-flopping on trans rights ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎
Various media reports and social media documentation ↩︎
Scene Magazine: Emily Thornberry says Keir Starmer 'in the wrong place' on trans rights (archived March 2026) ↩︎ ↩︎