Graham Linehan's Conviction Overturned; He Criticizes Labour's Delay on Single-Sex Spaces Guidance

Graham Linehan's conviction for damaging the mobile phone of transgender activist Sophia Brooks was overturned following an appeal hearing at Southwark Crown Court on Friday. The Father Ted co-creator accused the Labour Government of being too frightened of transgender activists to roll out guidance on single-sex spaces.

GB News reported that Linehan stated politicians are too frightened or too confused to stand up for the truth.

Calls to ban biological men who identify as women from female-only spaces, including toilets and changing rooms, have grown in the last 12 months to keep in line with the April 2025 ruling. The Supreme Court established over a year ago that under equality legislation, sex refers to biology rather than self-identification or possession of a gender recognition certificate.

The ruling, delivered a year ago, clarified the existing legal framework without establishing new legislation.

Linehan said: 'The simplest legislative fix is one the Government already has in front of it. Implement the Supreme Court ruling, without delay. He added that women would not see improvement without the Government taking steps to ensure that public bodies protect single-sex spaces.

The Labour Government has vowed to protect single-sex spaces in all public bodies, but implementation has been delayed. Currently, hospitals, businesses and other public facilities are not required to stop transgender women from using women-only spaces.

Linehan stated: 'We have a political class so terrified of being called bigots by the millennials in their staff that they’re prepared to look completely ridiculous in public.

Keir Starmer said it was wrong to claim that only women have a cervix. David Lammy said men could actually grow a cervix. Linehan referenced these statements in his criticism of the government's stance.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission sent updated guidance directly to Ms Phillipson. The current EHRC chair, Dr Mary-Ann Stephenson, confirmed that the EHRC revised portions of the guidance following ministerial feedback and returned an amended draft to Ms Phillipson in April. The EHRC has not yet begun updating its workplace code of practice, which has not been revised since 2011.

Ms Phillipson said the code will apply across Great Britain and, as the Government is currently in the pre-election period for the devolved administrations, the Government is unable to make further announcements on this matter at this time. The Education Secretary, Ms Phillipson, said the Government is pursuing urgent action to meet its goal of presenting the code to Parliament in May, pledging to do so as soon as practicable after the election period.