Dr David Starkey has reacted to Sir Keir Starmer's remarks on trans rights, after the leader of the Labour Party refused to discuss whether a woman can have a penis.
The historian told GB News' Colin Brazier: "Here is a man [Keir Starmer] who isn’t quite sure whether women have penises or not."
Dr Starkey said the Labour leader had "a curious distance from reality" and "wants break, rupture and inversion which is why he is so uncertain as to whether men and women can be distinguished from each other."
This comes after Sir Keir told The Times “trans women are women” according to statute in the UK, and called for a more “considered, respectful, tolerant debate” about gender.
He insisted he and his party have been defending the rights of women for a “long, long time”.
Dr David Starkey spoke to GB News about his views of the Labour leader
GB News
“I spent a lot of my working life dealing with violence against women and girls first-hand, and I know from that experience just how important it is to fight for women and fight for equality,” he said.
“We have had legislation in this country which makes it clear that, in some circumstances, particularly at the moment under the law when you’ve gone through a process, you can be recognised in the gender of your choosing – that’s been the position for over a decade now.”
Sir Keir said the law needs “reform” but added: “But I equally – I want to be really clear about this – I am an advocate of safe spaces for women.”
Asked if a woman can have a penis, Sir Keir said: “I’m not… I don’t think we can conduct this debate with… I don’t think that discussing this issue in this way helps anyone in the long run.
“What I want to see is a reform of the law as it is, but I am also an advocate of safe spaces for women and I want to have a discussion that is… Anybody who genuinely wants to find a way through this, I want to discuss that with, and I do find that too many people – in my view – retreat or hold a position of which is intolerant of others.
“And that’s not picking on any individual at all, but I don’t like intolerance, I like open discussion.”
Angela Rayner, Labour's deputy leader, said it was not acceptable to ask people about their genitalia in the discussion on trans rights.