Reform UK has vowed to strip funding from councils that refuse to uphold the Supreme Court’s ruling on single-sex spaces, with Shadow Chancellor Robert Jenrick warning defiant town halls they can “wave goodbye to taxpayers’ money”.
Under a Reform government, councils would have to implement the ruling - which says that sex-based services should be provided on the basis of biological sex - to receive central-government funding.
Jenrick told the Mail on Sunday: “A Reform UK government won’t tolerate this nonsense. If councils won’t abide by the law and respect women-only spaces, they can wave goodbye to taxpayers’ money.”
The 2025 Supreme Court ruling affects services and facilities reserved for women or men, including changing rooms, toilets and domestic-abuse shelters. Lambeth Council has confirmed that it intends to defy the new rules, while leaders of five other London boroughs have pledged to keep their services “inclusive” - meaning in practice that they will let biological men use facilities meant for women.
Jenrick said Reform would ensure that women’s legal protections are upheld. “Women and girls across the country must know their rights under the law will always be protected”, he said. “We will stop at nothing to ensure our agenda is delivered.”
Reform UK would make compliance a condition of councils receiving money through Local Government Finance Settlement – the roughly £90 billion system through which central government distributes grants, tax revenue and business-rates funding.
Reform UK has also pledged to withhold funding from councils that refuse to co-operate with Home Office immigration raids. A party source said Reform expects more resistance from “Lefty councils trying to subvert the stuff we care about”.
Under a Reform government, councils would have to implement the ruling - which says that sex-based services should be provided on the basis of biological sex - to receive central-government funding.
Jenrick told the Mail on Sunday: “A Reform UK government won’t tolerate this nonsense. If councils won’t abide by the law and respect women-only spaces, they can wave goodbye to taxpayers’ money.”
The 2025 Supreme Court ruling affects services and facilities reserved for women or men, including changing rooms, toilets and domestic-abuse shelters. Lambeth Council has confirmed that it intends to defy the new rules, while leaders of five other London boroughs have pledged to keep their services “inclusive” - meaning in practice that they will let biological men use facilities meant for women.
Jenrick said Reform would ensure that women’s legal protections are upheld. “Women and girls across the country must know their rights under the law will always be protected”, he said. “We will stop at nothing to ensure our agenda is delivered.”
Reform UK would make compliance a condition of councils receiving money through Local Government Finance Settlement – the roughly £90 billion system through which central government distributes grants, tax revenue and business-rates funding.
Reform UK has also pledged to withhold funding from councils that refuse to co-operate with Home Office immigration raids. A party source said Reform expects more resistance from “Lefty councils trying to subvert the stuff we care about”.
Photo by: ev.
