Andy Burnham built a reputation as a steadfast LGBTQ+ ally, but his recent cabinet choices have drawn fierce concern from trans activists who fear his promises of a political reset may fall short.
Cabinet retentions spark backlash
Burnham chose to keep Bridget Phillipson as Minister for Women and Equalities and Shabana Mahmood as Home Secretary. Trans organization Trans Actual said this ensures “the cruelty of Starmer’s government will continue.”
Phillipson faced backlash after the updated Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) code clarified that single-sex services must be accessed based on biological sex under the Equality Act. This affects toilets, changing rooms, hospital wards and refuges.
Burnham's track record on LGBTQ+ rights
Before politics, Burnham joined a march against Section 28 in 1988 as a student. He later voted to repeal Section 28 in 2003, supported the Civil Partnership Act (2004), outlawed sexual orientation discrimination in goods and services (2007), gave IVF rights to lesbian couples (2008), and backed same-sex marriage (2013).
During the 2015 leadership contest, he called on Pope Francis to support same-sex marriage. He also supported a review of blood donation rules for gay men, saying “sexuality really shouldn’t be the issue.”
As Mayor of Greater Manchester, he appointed Carl Austin-Behan as LGBTQ+ adviser in 2018 and launched the LGBTQ+ Equality Panel. In 2022, he supported ending conversion therapy and formally apologised for the “shameful” treatment of LGBTQ+ people by Greater Manchester Police.
Stance on trans rights
Burnham supported reforming the Gender Recognition Act in 2019 to simplify legal recognition for trans people. According to Pink News, he met with LGB Alliance but a statement said he had “made his support for the trans community very clear over the years.”
After the 2025 Supreme Court ruling, Burnham said EHRC guidance should be introduced “in the fairest and most compassionate way possible,” adding that single-sex spaces should be protected without “marginalising already marginalised communities.”
Trans Actual said Burnham should “begin by speaking with the trans community and rejecting the regressive anti-rights posturing of the government that came before. Otherwise all his talk of a reset in government will mean nothing at all.”
