Politics latest: Starmer’s wife ‘intimidated’ by protest at family home – as Labour

The conversation moves on to the Cass review into gender identity and young people. 

Mr Norris is asked if he thinks it has drawn any kind of line under this issue.

The Labour MP says today is a really “significant moment” and some colleagues have described it as a “watershed” moment. 

“I’d share that. This is an important review,” he says.

“It’s clearly been done very well. We should thank the review team for doing that and it has pointed us to some very difficult questions around young people and how we meet their needs.”

Asked if the review was potentially kicking the can down the road by calling for long-term research, he says: “The review has highlighted there is a lack of evidence which is fair. It is right for them to say that.”

He adds the review has “been very clear about things that we’ve got to get on with now”.

“I think that’s found that balance and I’d hope people wouldn’t be upset by this,” he says.

Mr Norris is then asked how much weight he would put on protecting minority communities, particularly the trans community, after the murder of Brianna Ghey.

“We have people who are vulnerable and who have some of the worst educational outcomes and we should send support and have a desire to look after them,” he says.

He adds: “We need to dial down that kind of tribal style rhetoric”.

“We’re all people, we’re all together and we have a responsibility to each other,” he says.

“I know that sounds like quite an old-fashioned approach, but it’s certainly mine.”

The Cass report, which was published today, found “remarkably weak evidence” to support gender treatments for children and made 32 recommendations.

Led by Dr Hilary Cass, it was launched in 2020 after a sharp rise in referrals to the Gender Identity Development Service, which was the only specialised service in England for young people experiencing difficulties in the development of their gender identity.