EXCLUSIVE: Labour women’s conference plan and locals campaign priorities revealed

The Labour party women’s conference will be revived next year with only biological women allowed to vote, but a fringe programme and reception will be open to all regardless of gender and sex, LabourList can reveal.

The compromise decision following the Supreme Court verdict on the Equality Act was agreed at a Labour governing body meeting this week – where it was also revealed the 2026 local elections campaign will focus on families, the NHS and Pride in Place.

Compromise plan for women’s conference 2026

The plan for women’s conference in Liverpool September 2026 comes after the event was postponed last year over fears of legal action and security risks if it went ahead on the previous basis of attendee self-identification.

Labour’s national executive committee (NEC) approved plans on Tuesday to limit the main conference hall to biological women delegates, according to two sources present.

It means trans women will be unable to hear the major speeches or participate and vote on formal policy debates, motions and national women’s committee elections.

However, events on the fringe will be open to attendees regardless of sex. A planned evening reception will also no longer be a women-only event, and exhibition spaces will be open to all too.

Party’s balancing act

Other alternatives were reportedly considered, including limiting the whole conference to biological women, and scrapping the conference altogether. It takes place the day before the main Labour conference in Liverpool. The cancellation of this year’s women’s conference sparked anger from trans and gender-critical activists alike.

Subscribe here to our daily newsletter roundup of Labour news, analysis and comment– and follow us on Bluesky, WhatsApp, X and Facebook.

LabourList understands the party received legal advice before the proposal was presented to NEC members. The plan is seen as the best way of ensuring the party adheres to the law and its own rulebook, while still giving trans women some way to participate and contribute to debate.

A Labour for Trans Rights group spokesperson called trans women’s exclusion “terrible”, urging the NEC to reconsider. “Trans members are being cut out of the democratic processes of the Labour Party when many have given years of service, knocking doors and standing as candidates.”

A spokesperson for gender-critical group Labour Women’s Declaration welcomed the party deciding to “follow the law”, but said any single-sex or specifically women-focused workshops should also be organised in line with the Equality Act.

They also said allowing men to attend fringe meetings should be evaluated post-conference, and vowed to keep campaigning for a return to the two-day women’s conference after it was shortened to one day.

Local elections 2026: Three key messages revealed

Three policy areas will be prioritised for upcoming local and devolved parliament elections: the NHS, families and Pride in Place.

Health is often a Labour priority given its salience with voters and Labour’s typical poll lead on the issue, whereas the family focus suggests the party seems likely to foreground its child- and parent-focused policies alongside its emphasis on workers in recent years.

Meanwhile the inclusion of Pride in Place underlines just how much Labour is staking its political capital on the programme to beat Reform, which allows communities to help shape how £20m is spent in their areas. It will be weaved into the wider “Listen Change Win” campaign strategy.

Number 10 chief of staff Morgan McSweeney is widely seen to be driving Pride in Place, and notably his deputy Vidyha Alakeson previously ran a community power think tank.

READ MORE: Deborah Mattinson Column: Putting ‘local’ at the heart of Labour’s plan for government

Locals campaign packs include ones on improved workers’ rights, the NHS and family hubs.

Ones already available to supporters include NHS leaflets highlighting extra appointments and neighbourhood centres, contrasted with Tory failures and Nigel Farage’s comments on an insurance-based system.

Meanwhile the campaign will reportedly focus on portraying Reform is on the side of the wealthy rather than workers, and going for its perceived weak spots over Russia and being “recycled Tories”.

The party is apparently conducting a review of different Constituency Labour Parties’ preparedness, too, and a source on the NEC suggested the meeting was told new technology and better data would be key to winning.

A Labour Party spokesperson said: “National Women’s Conference will be held in 2026 after a comprehensive legal review. This reflects our commitment to addressing the underrepresentation of women in the Party and compliance with the law.”

Share your thoughts. Contribute on this story or tell your own by writing to our Editor. The best letters every week will be published on the site. Find out how to get your letter published.

• • SHARE: If you have anything to share that we should be looking into or publishing about this story – or any other topic involving Labour– contact us (strictly anonymously if you wish) at [email protected].
  • SUBSCRIBE: Sign up to LabourList’s morning email here for the best briefing on everything Labour, every weekday morning.
  • DONATE: If you value our work, please chip in a few pounds a week and become one of our supporters, helping sustain and expand our coverage.
  • PARTNER: If you or your organisation might be interested in partnering with us on sponsored events or projects, email [email protected].
  • ADVERTISE: If your organisation would like to advertise or run sponsored pieces on LabourList‘s daily newsletter or website, contact our exclusive ad partners Total Politics at [email protected].