the conservatives say they want to update equality laws to define sex as someone s biological sex. they say current confusion over definitions cannot be allowed to continue, and updating the law would make biological sex a protected characteristic. that means it would be easier to create protected spaces for women and girls. labour say they wouldn t amend the law, and accuse the conservatives of stoking a culture war. here s alex forsyth. flanked by young footballers, the prime minister claimed today he was tackling an issue to improve the safety of women and girls. the conservatives want to change the equality act so sex would mean biological sex. they say that would make it clearer that single sex spaces, from public toilets to refuges, can be for biological women and girls only, not those born male, even they have legally changed their sex on their birth certificate. the equalities minister claims this is necessary because there has been confusion and legal challenges over
to frontline politics and will run as a candidate in the general election for the reform uk party, which he will now also lead. he s to contest the seat of clacton in essex, his eighth attempt to become an mp, having previously said he wouldn t run in this election. but he s changed his mind because he said he didn t want to let millions of people down. he also predicted that labour would win the election, and that as a member of parliament, he could provide more of an opposition to sir keir starmer than the conservatives, whom he claims are incapable. lucy manning has all the details. mr farag, are you standing? we will find out in the mr farag, are you standing? we will find out in the moment, mr farag, are you standing? we will find out in the moment, won t - mr farag, are you standing? we will find out in the moment, won t we? | find out in the moment, won t we? why have you changed your mind? who says why have you changed your mind? who says i why have you ch
the british iranian woman, nazanin zaghari ratcliffe, has appeared in court to face a new allegation of anti government propaganda, a week after her five year sentence for spying ended. coronavirus cases increase in many european union countries as a third wave of the pandemic gathers speed. and it s the music industry s biggest awards night of the year the grammys this year it ll be a virtual ceremony in los angelese because of the pandemic. hello and welcome to bbc news. there are calls for london s metropolitan police commissioner, dame cressida dick, to resign after firerce criticism over how her force handled a vigil in memory of sarah everard the 33 year old woman whose body was found in woodland days after she disappeared. police were seen scuffling, handcuffing and leading women away from the event on clapham common, close to where sarah was last seen alive. the met has defended its actions, but the home secretary priti patel has asked for a full report. simonjo