A heated debate erupted on GB News between presenter Will Kingston and panellist Cai Wilshaw over Staffordshire Police's gender identity policy. The policy states that "detainees may be placed in accommodation consistent with their gender identity," though its strip-search policy requires an officer of the same biological sex. Critics argue the force has defied a Supreme Court ruling that defines sex under equality law as biological sex at birth.
Wilshaw Defends Police Approach
Wilshaw argued the ruling allows organisations to make specific arrangements: "The explanation, Will, is that actually what that ruling showed is that in certain services, like the police, like in rape shelters and so on, those organisations are the right places to make the specific arrangements. I think, actually, based on this – we’re talking about intimate body searches and we’re talking about the accommodation in custody – on those two things, this police force is taking the right approach, which frankly looks like a case by case approach."
Kingston interrupted, but Wilshaw countered: "Should we give some context to the viewers? Because at the minute you’re making out that this is some sort of madness, but actually it makes total sense!"
Kingston Fires Back
Kingston retorted: "But it’s misleading, because it’s not up to them to make that decision! The Supreme Court said that they need to treat sex as a matter of biological reality, not a matter of their particular gender opinion or gender personality!"
Wilshaw insisted the ruling gives "licence for organisations to release guidance that is in line with what works for them in whatever sector they operate in!" Kingston questioned: "Then what was the point of the court ruling?"
Wilshaw then argued that "a judge, or indeed a television commentator, is not the right person to be deciding what guidance a police force should be using! This police force has decided that on their own, that is their purview, and frankly it’s none of your business!"
Kingston shifted the topic to DEI spending, prompting Wilshaw to accuse him of not wanting to discuss the article's detail.
