Jeremy Corbyn tells Theresa May to scrap 'invasive' tests for trans people

The Labour leader said his party would support any government legislation on the matter, removing the need for DUP backing

Mr Corybn challenged Theresa May to introduce legislation to allow transgender people to self-identify (Reuters)

Jeremy Corbyn has said transgender people should be allowed to self-identify without facing medical checks, telling Theresa May Labour would support any law change proposed by the government.

The Labour leader was addressing an event held to honour the 50th anniversary of the legislation brought forward in 1967 that decriminalised certain aspects of homosexuality in England and Wales.

Mr Corbyn said: “Discrimination has gone on too long. The Gender Recognition Act does not allow trans people to self-identify their gender and forces them to undergo invasive medical tests. This is wrong,” he said.

“Labour recognised this in our manifesto, pledging to update the act. Theresa May told Pink News that ‘changes need to be made’ but failed to include anything on this in the Conservative manifesto.

“So, I say to her today, Labour will help you keep your promise. Bring forward a bill to update the act and improve trans rights and Labour will back you. You can give your MPs and the DUP a free vote and Labour will make it law.”

At the same event, held in Speaker's House within the Westminster parliamentary estate, Speaker John Bercow also said the Church of England should allow churches to perform gay marriage ceremonies.

“There’s always a balance to be struck – we don’t want to ‎behave as though it’s all over, that everything has been done ... Because that isn’t true I still feel that we can only really have equal marriage when you can bloody well get married in a church if you want to do so,” he said.

Earlier this year, Conservative backbencher and new Treasury Select Committee chair Nicky Morgan introduced a bill seeking to protect transgender people from the unintended public disclosure of their former names.