New Health Minister's Controversial Past Statements

Sir Keir Starmer's new health minister, Ashley Dalton, has made controversial statements in the past regarding transgender issues, health, and Brexit.

In 2023, Dalton opposed Labour's official policy of using the private sector to bring down waiting lists. She argued that private sector profits had soared while patients were "left behind" under supposed Tory NHS privatisation.

Before becoming an MP in 2016, Dalton criticized Brexit as "short-sighted and stupid" and labeled the UK and US as "fascist" countries.

Dalton is a vocal proponent for transgender people and has advocated for the complete abolition of gendered bathrooms. In 2016, she argued that if someone identifies as a llama, people should "take them seriously" and "treat [them] with dignity and respect." She also argued in favor of people being able to "define their own gender and that society should be set up to support not hinder that."

"Trans women are women. Don't assume you know anything about their bodies or anyone else's." She later argued in favor of abolishing gendered bathrooms altogether, which would force women to always use the lavatory alongside men.

Just last year, Dalton filibustered a debate on a new law to protect children and single-sex women by spending 30 minutes talking about ferret name choices in the preceding debate.

Reform UK's Lee Anderson criticized Dalton's statements, saying that Labour's "biggest strength is their ability to consistently embarrass themselves." He added that Dalton's "backwards ideology not only disrespects and undermines science, but it does a tremendous disservice to natural born women.