"No child is born in the wrong body," says Doncaster MP as he backs transgender ban

Don Valley MP Mr Fletcher, who once described being trans as “just a phase” and has long been an outspoken critic of the transgender community, has given his support to former Prime Minister Liz Truss who is campaigning for the changes to be introduced.

He said: “No child is born in the wrong body.

"I support this bill from Liz Truss.

“We must stop twisting our language, denying science, undermining child safeguarding, and eroding the safety, dignity, privacy of women. Enough is enough.

“Help protect our children from harm.

“No child should be affirmed as being a 'gender' different to their sex, at school.”

The former Tory leader’s attempt to change the law could be debated by MPs on Friday and she said the Conservatives should back it to draw a clear dividing line with Labour in election year.

Her backbench Bill, which stands little chance of becoming law unless she secures government support, offers “common sense measures which enjoy widespread support”, she claimed.

She said: “My bill will for the first time define sex in law as biological sex, thereby ending the absurd and dangerous situation where biological males self-defining as females can access girls’ and women’s toilets and so on – as well as sports competitions.

“It will provide protection for vulnerable children and teenagers who otherwise could be led down a path of making body-altering decisions that they may come to regret, while giving essential legal clarity to parents and teachers.”

Draft guidance for schools and colleges on how best to support pupils questioning their gender was published by the Department for Education (DfE) in December.

It stated that “parents should not be excluded” from decisions taken by a school or college relating to requests for a child to “socially transition”, such as wishes to change names, pronouns and clothing.

It added that schools and colleges should make parents aware if their child requests a change – except in the “very rare situation” where parental involvement may raise a “significant risk of harm” to the child.