Liz Truss: I would defend single-sex spaces

Liz Truss won applause at the Conservative leadership hustings in Perth when she vowed to "protect single-sex spaces".

The comment came as Truss laid out her pitch to Tory party members as she seeks to succeed Boris Johnson.

Truss told the audience she did not have "any truck with the identity politics of the left".

She said: "I believe that people should be valued on the basis of their character, on their talent and their hard work, not their external characteristics. And I also believe, and I am free to say, that a woman is a woman, and I will make sure we protect our single-sex spaces, including our domestic violence shelters."

The comments are in line with previous statements by Truss and she made the points again before an audience in Belfast as hustings continue.

Her opponent Rishi Sunak has condemned "woke nonsense" and said he will review the Equality Act, which is reserved to Westminster.

There has been protest in Scotland from critics of Scottish Government plans to bring in new rules which make it simpler and quicker for transgender people to legally transition into their preferred gender. Some women's groups have expressed concern that this will erode the provision of single-sex spaces, potentially compromising the safety and dignity of women and girls and compromising their participation in sports and other aspects of public life.