Suzy Eddie Izzard accuses Tories of attempt to ‘divide and conquer’ with ‘culture war’
British comedian Suzy Eddie Izzard. (Justin Tallis/AFP/ Getty Images)
Trans comedian Suzy Eddie Izzard has said “there is no culture war”, and accused the Conservatives of attempting to “divide and conquer”.
Izzard, who is trans and genderfluid and began using she/her pronouns in 2020, was speaking at the Labour Party conference in Liverpool, on Wednesday (11 October).
The political hopeful, Labour’s candidate for Brighton Pavilion at the next general election, told PoliticsJoe: “It’s the Tories’ culture war. There is no culture war. It’s not there. As a trans person, it’s not there.”
She said her experience as a trans woman has been positive, with many congratulating her on “being your authentic self”.
Speaking about the Tory Party’s agenda, she said: “They’re trying to divide and conquer. They’ve always tried to do that.
“’Could we possibly get a culture war?’ You could hear the meeting in your mind of the Tories sitting down and saying: ‘We’ve got to stoke up people, keep saying culture war’.
“It’s not there. There are people who are out and proud and positive, LGBTQ people have been coming out for years. I came out almost 40 years ago, how much notice do people need?”
Izzard added that being trans doesn’t define her and she aims to try to help the people of Brighton and around the world if elected.
Tory MP and GB News presenter Lee Anderson has previously stated that the Tory government should focus on a “mix of culture wars and trans debate” in its general election campaign.
Izzard;s comments follow shadow equalities secretary Anneliese Dodds promising a “no loopholes”, trans-inclusive ban on conversion therapy, if Labour win power at the general election, which is due by 28 January, 2025 at the latest.
Labour have also promised to crackdown on anti-LGBTQ+ hate crimes, with those found guilty receiving the “tougher sentences they deserve”.
In contrast, during the Conservative Party conference, PM Rishi Sunak made anti-trans comments, claiming that misgendering transgender people is “common sense”. He has since stood by that claim, saying that he has no regrets and thinks “a man is a man, and a woman is a woman”.
His comments come amid fears that the long-awaited ban on conversion therapy has been dropped.
The government previously vowed to outline plans to MPs, who would then scrutinise and refine the bill, in time for the King’s Speech on 7 November. It’s unlikely that will happen now, with the House only returning from conference season recess on 16 October.
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