It’s now been a few months since the Libdems admitted in court all parts of my claim and to discriminating against me for my GC views.

We had conference in the meantime and I had another battle to ensure my membership was back in place for me to attend in Brighton, for the first time Liberal Voice for women were also given a stall.

I then had a further battle on conference morning as concerns were raised that my ‘ adult human female ‘ top was deemed to provocative to wear in conference, when I requested additional security if my clothing was to prove such a risk my request was denied. I did receive many dirty looks and open mouthed gapes at my top, whilst those wearing the ‘trans rights’ t-shirts were not told not to wear them.

Fairness and consistency seems to be missing from the political discourse inside the party.

More widely the party still appears to be in denial about the fact that the Libdems have admitted all parts of my claim in court.

 Progress to change the internal culture is happening at a snail’s pace and many would still prefer to bury their heads in the sand.

I'm not convinced that the same individuals that have created the situation can now be the individuals to set the situation right. 

I believe there must be resignations and individuals removed from roles and individuals with a new vision put in their place instead.

After issuing my warning letter to the party around an Induction, after being told that although the Lib Dems had admitted to everything in court.

Then the damages and costs hearing put back till mid-December.

I was told by the highest levels of the party that my suspension from May 2020 remained in place and I wouldn't be able to attend conference.

After I threatened them with an injunction (asking a Judge to force them to allow me to attend) I have now been informed that my membership, my t-shirt and I can attend Lib Dem conference, the first conference I've been able to attend since 2018.

Apparently, my membership is now back in place and my tickets have been confirmed.

I'll see you in the conference hall!

So, although the Liberal Democrats admitted all parts of my claim in the Royal Courts Of Justice on 22nd July….. 

…..It appears that myself and my t-shirt wearing are such a threat to the other t-shirt wearing faction that party leadership are unwilling to put my membership back in place in time for Autumn conference on 14th September in Brighton.

In fact I'm helpfully told that as well as the suspension in 2020 remaining in place, and around 20 complaints including one around my original crowdfunder not being removed, that my membership doesn't exist at all and the highest levels of the party ( CEO level) can't put in back in place in time for conference.

I'm going to bring an injunction and once again seek your help in my quest for justice.

The costs hearing for the main part of my case has been adjourned until December 2024 and so I still do not have the money to pay my legal team. Unfortunately I have been forced to once again ask for money so I can obtain advice from counsel and then, if the advice is positive, to instruct my legal team to ask a Court to force the Liberal Democrats to honour my membership, make them appreciate that an admittance to my legal claim has consequences because they have admitted they wronged me and should allow me back in the party. 

Natalie Bird 02.09.2024

I've travelled to London in anticipation of tomorrow's hearing, only to be told that the hearing is no longer going ahead due to no judge.

I've been asked to provide other dates but it's now looking that this will be in September or October.

As the libdems still haven't confirmed whether I'm a member or not, after admitting all my claims and not readmitting me into the various groups. It's unclear if I will be able to attend libdem conference in Brighton in September.

It's now days to my damages hearing against the Libdems and within the party itself there is this rather weird silence, Party t leadership don't want to discuss my case and don't want their members or the general public finding out what has happened in the party to make my case necessary.

This rather strange communication was released immediately following my case, apparently signed off by the highest levels of the party.

https://www.libdems.org.uk/news/adlib-articles/supporting-and-protecting-trans-people

Apart from the first sentence that I believe mischaracterizes what happened my case the rest of the document seeks to desperately virtue signal and validate trans rights.

I also discussed this issue with the lovely Andrew Doyle on Free Speech Nation.

https://x.com/andrewdoyle_com/status/1820492370582139021?t=hp7EJOJWk_7slFV61sybSA&s=19

I call on the best investigative journalists in the UK to do some digging and analyse the libdems around all the points that should have come out at trial particularly around how a political party allowed itself to be captured by the Stonewall Transadvisory group who sought to use it as a vehicle to push forward a single issue.

We need to ask real questions as to why it has been so easy for Transactivists to capture our institutions and why the adults in the room haven't lead the conversations.

Since 2018 the transactivists created a culture of fear and there was a lack of sufficient grown ups with enough backbone to push back.

This has created wide ranging injustices against women in multiple industries.

When we finally sat before the judge for my pre trial review on the 22nd the first thing she questioned was whether the fact that the Libdems have made a judgement against itself was correct. The barrister from their side explained that it was their hadn't been enough time for the party to withdraw from the case so they had to put in a judgement against themselves for breaching my contract and breaching the Equality Act.

My legal team advise me this is very unusual and very rarely happens.

The thing is this should never have been dragged out so long by the party, once Maya’s judgement came out the party should have sought to resolve the case and conduct a through internal review as to how exactly my case had happened and how to prevent it happening to others.

Although the party has admitted every part of my claim in full, it is still not holding itself or the activists that caused this accountable.

The party internal structures which have been completely overtaken by the trans activists are not working as they should.

My case however is not yet finished.

I would like to credit Kelly Jay Keen for her marketing genius because this case would never have happened if I hadn't had worn her t-shirt to an internal meeting.

There is still a damages and costs hearing to be undertaken scheduled for the 20th and 21st August.

There is still an immense amount of work to do in leading the party to sanity and good, strong governance within its internal structures. There are many unresolved questions and things that need to set right internally.

What an interesting election that was, we now have a Labour government and the Libdems have their biggest parliamentary party in a hundred years since the days of Lloyd George.

I wonder how long it will take these new MP’s to openly speak their mind of the ‘gender’ issue ,as there are many within the party still reluctant to speak their truth to the party activists, even though they are now safe for the next 5 years.Yet they are happy for me to be the fall guy for them on this topic, for many years now the whole weight of the party has tried to silence me.

We are rapidly heading towards my trial and I have a pre trial review at the Royal Courts on the 22nd July. My witness statement has now been prepared for trial.

In an interesting development, the Libdems have put in an application against themselves stating that they have breached my contract and admitting to breaching the Equality Act, some may think this is tactical to cap their losses.

They haven't provided any details with regard to how they have breached the Equality act, for how long or how they intend to rectify it so this seems to me to be an exercise in trying to minimise my wider claims around discrimination, victimisation and harassment by party officials as and activists.

This seems to me to be an exercise in entirely avoiding active scrutiny and accountability around the culture in the party that allowed discrimination against GC individuals to happen within the party, and that is still continuing within the party to date.

Thanks to all the supporters to the recent boost to my crowdfunder.

We are now days away from what could potentially be the most interesting election that we will see in a generation, if we want real change though how we choose to vote and who for will be key.

This election like most women I feel entirely disillusioned by our political class, and the fact that they aren't listening to Women's concerns. There are many brave women in Libdem voice for women and the other party declaration groups who have been fighting for change internally for years, this election has demonstrated that party leadership don't want to listen to to our concerns, and Labour has said it wants to simplify the GRA process, making it easier for men to enter women's spaces. The Libdem manifesto focuses on collecting data around non binary individuals and fighting for legal charges for them. I'm intrigued as to what legal charges non binary individuals need as they are men and women and whilst we do need accurate data in all areas, the data needs to be collected on the basis of sex.

The political establishment are relying on the fact that women will always put themselves last, this election is our biggest opportunity to do things differently and create real change.

The only way we can change politics long term is via proportional representation and this can only be fought for if enough of the independent candidates and smaller parties can make a real impact.

This election don't vote for the party,  vote instead for the individual who listens to your concerns and is aligned with your values. Candidates that are prepared to stand up for sex realist beliefs need our support and if you have a candidate standing for the Party Of Women or as independent please support to them.

We can see the downside of the party system in the way that Labour and Liberal candidates will dance around the simple question of ‘what is a woman?’ and tie themselves up in knots around which toilet a trans woman should use, it's really painful to hear the labour leadership team  tying themselves up in knots and unable to provide a clear and simple answer, they have clearly learnt nothing from Jo Swindon and Ed Davey on this topic.

On Thursday let's head to the polls and protest till we get the changes we need.

Another election is here and its another general election where I'll be stopped from running as a candidate or having a chance to be an MP.

My crimes were wearing a Tshirt to an internal party meeting, to question why women's rights weren't central to the LibDems agenda and why trans rights were put over and above the rights and needs of all other groups.

Unfortunately following the wins by Lynne Featherstone around same sex marriage,  the LibDems have allowed the LGBT faction to bully, harass and discriminate and target other members, the wider party are emboldening them instrad of holding them to account and the Libdems are currently suffering from overconfidence believing that they will gain so many seats in the election they eill not have to deal with these issues publicly or personally.

I've been in ongoing discussions with the party for many months and one of my asks have been for adequate training around the Equality act to be rolled out at all levels within the party and for all Libdem run councils, the Libdems are currently unable or unwilling to put this reasonable requests in place even thought it would benefit the women in the consistency, and would be helpful to the wider party and have no personal benefit for me personally.

I also believe a wide ranging review needs to be undertaken around the discrimination against GC people within the party and the culture that has enabled and created it, again the party are unwilling to hold a mirror up to the behaviour that has been comdoned by the highest levels of the party.

I have had ongoing targeting since 2016, with a disciplinary panel in 2018 banning me from any party role for 10 years a punishment double that of electoral fraud and akin to me actually undertaking a criminal activity, on top of this I was further targeted by the Stonewall transactivists within the party in 2021, who again used the complaints system to target and harass me and to put a suspension without a end date in place, this behaviour was condoned by the outgoing party president and peer Sal Brinton.

It is unacceptable for a working class mother to be targeted and treated in this manner and its important that Justice is served.

I hate to ask for money particularly when so many of us are struggling but yhe reality is that I need to raise over £30k to pay counsel to get the justice needed, discrimination against GC individuals must not be allowed to continue in the party and change is urgently needed. This won't happen unless the party are held to account in a public trial.

My case will be heard at the Royal Courts of Justice from the 19th till 26th August.

Thanks for your continuing support.

This week the Scottish government enacted a new form of Orwellian legislation, one that seems deliberately designed to cause outrage amongst the public.

The Hate Bill will ensure that anyone with the protected characteristics of  age, disability, race, religion, sexual orientation and transgender identity, despite being at a time when our political elites struggle to define what a woman is, the protected characteristic of sex is missing entirely from the bill affording women no protection from crimes based on misogyny, which is clearly a factor in the domestic abuse aimed at women.

Thankfully we now have the Party Of Women in place to focus our councils and politicians around the issues that are important to women.

If you can stand in either the local elections or the national elections I would encourage you to stand with whichever party most aligns with you and make a change from inside that party.

It has also been suggested that more hate crimes will come from deprived areas, this seems deliberately insulting to the working class.

This legislation, just like the GRA before it, seems ill thought out, likely to be unenforceable and unworkable. Our police forces will be divulged in paperwork at a time when real resources need to be focused on real issues within the country that we need very real solutions to tackle.

Once again it seems our politicians prefer virtue signaling to an extremely loud minority group rather than finding solutions to the many significant issues we face within our country.

Its vital we resolve them and  become a great Britain once again.

The most explosive news this week has to be the WPATH files.

 We have to ask ourselves what kind of darkness has overtaken this world when those who take a oath to "do no harm" are then placing our most vulnerable children on unevidenced medicines, without a control group and with no understanding of how these medications will effect the children's developing bodies and minds.

The children will have no understanding of the potential risks and the parents have no real understanding of the risks either.

 As a mother of two children on the autism spectrum this makes me distressed and angry. When Joseph Mengele undertook experiments on children in the camps the whole world was horrified. We appear to be so apathetic and disassociated that I do wonder what it will take for the anger at what has occurred here to be felt. There will now be court cases but many children have now lost their childhoods, how can this ever be compensated?

 What we are seeing at a global level is institutional capture,  that has made individuals forget their principles and common sense and agree to things out of coercive pressure from their peers that they would never otherwise go along with.

 Similar has happened in the UK, and the question now is how these institutions now bring themselves back from the brink, when the individuals that created these situations still remain in the committees and institutions. 

 How do our institutions hold up a mirror to themselves and their behaviour and take stock of their behaviour to create real change.

 The Reindorf review conducted by the university of Essex following the targeting of prof. Jo Phoenix and Rosa Freedman proved incredibly useful as a tool for helping the university take stock of what has happened and make the start towards eider cultural changes that needs go occur within the institution.

 When i first brought my legal case I had the view that internal, cultural changes occurring within the institution where just as important as winning a very public court case.

 I feel if a similar review by a known KC were to be undertaken within the Lib Dems this may start the process of cultural change within the party so that a stronger and more balanced party, that is internally in a more effective place in time for the next election.

I won't hold my breathe, as the groupthink at the top level of the party remains in place and they do not want accountability for their actions.

First of all many congratulations to Jo Phoenix and her win against the Open University (OU), listening to her interview on BBC’s women's hour it struck me that culturally the OU has many similarities with the Lib Dems with regard to this issue particularly around the 'whispering ' campaigns,  the smear campaigns,  the ostracism. From reading the judgement there is much that applies to the libdems directly and I hope senior party members will be reading through the detail of the judgement.

I would like to hope appropriate changes will be made but as an excessive amount has been spent on numerous legal opinions, the groupthink at the centre of the party persists and they do not seem able to accept that they may not be the 'good' guys on this occasion.

I feel like my case being heard within the Royal Courts Of Justice is the only chance of real change and any kind of justice. Unfortunately the libdems have a culture of avoidance rather than acceptance and making real cultural changes within the party structures.

Unfortunately our institutions have allowed a culture to develop where only one viewpoint can be discussed, and where there is bullying and toxicity should an individual not agree.

I finally now have dates for trial which will be 19th until 26th August.

My case started in late 2017, and I was removed from roles in early 2018 by Paddy Ashdown,  who whilst being a hero to many was unable to recognise the dangers of the Gender Recognition Act and Self-ID and who unfortunately was unable to stand up to the party’s 'gender extremists ' on my behalf.

I find it remarkable that all this started when my youngest was one and who is now eight and I'm still nowhere near achieving justice either within the party or outside,  there has been no significant cultural change,  the key players haven't been held to account within the party and as we can see from the way that Helen Belcher is being promoted,  they are instead being celebrated when the party is still doing the minimum to stay within the law but making it almost impossible for Gender Critical voices to be heard.

Change must come before the next election. The next election in my eyes will be around those of us fighting for truth and reality and against the parties and individuals standing against those things whilst denying women fundamental rights.

Natalie Bird

24.01.2024

Finally we had our debate in parliament, we watched this play out for years with women being ostracised, demonised and pushed out from their jobs for questioning 'gender' and stating that sex is real.

I was removed from numerous roles with the libdems for the crime of wearing a slogan t-shirt to internal party meetings, although the libdems have a whole party faction (lead by the LGBT group) that make and sell slogan t-shirts to the party membership!

Monday's debate focussed on two petitions one seeking to make changes to the wording in the Equality Act, and the other brought by Stonewall asking that no changes are made, personally ( unpopular opinion here) but I think they are both wrong and both focusing on the wrong thing.

It is clear that the original architects of the Equality Act never meant for sex to be anything other than 'biological sex'.

The fundamental legislative flaw is with the drafting and wording of the Gender Recognition Act (GRA), and the creation of the legal 'fiction' that men can be something other than men.

The wording and the interpretation of gender reassignment within the Equality Act also creates problems, although none of us would wish for transpeople who have undergone surgery ( and those who haven')t to be treated unfavourably or discriminated against in the workplace or any other environment.

The problem we have is a moral one and one around societal boundaries and how these should be respected, as well as flaws with the way the policies and Stonewall's interpretation has found its way into every key institution.

If Trans activists and transpeople respected women's reasonable boundaries, and also respected the fact that they are unable to change sex no matter what cosmetic, hormonal or superficial changes are made, there would simply be no issues within society on the trans topic.

Women already have a right to single sex spaces within the legislation but what we have is a small group of people who, much like Boris Johnson, seem to think that much of society laws and social rules simply do not apply to them.

The law does not need to be changed but how we treat those who choose to ignore societies rules must change, the legislation must be able to be no longer interpreted that men have any rights or entitlements to those spaces and there must be strong penalties for those that think they can override societal boundaries.

The Equality Act has never been the problem, the GRA is the fundamental source of the conflict and until this is reviewed and redefined conflicts will keep reoccurring.

To: My Crowd Funders 

Things are starting to become very real in my case against the Lib Dems. 

Wednesday 12 April 2023 was my cost management hearing to determine the costs and length of trial against the Lib Dems. 

The judge has decided that this will be a 6 day trial at the Royal Courts of Justice. We will be advised of the actual dates shortly and I will update you. 

As ever the court process is slow and unwieldy. My claim was originally issued in March 2021 and covers continuing acts of discrimination up until now.

I'm still currently suspended, I still cannot hold any party role for 10 years either internally or externally.

My crime was wearing a T-shirt stating the extremely bland fact that women are adult human females.

This fact sent transwomen into meltdown who tried to force my expulsion from the party.

Those who wish for tolerance for themselves are intolerant of others, it's vital that candidates within political parties are able to speak out on issues they are passionate about and able to challenge party policy positions where these create conflicts and harms to other groups.

Thank you for your continuing support with regard to my case. 

Justice will prevail.

Natalie Bird 13/04/2023

To: My Crowdfunders

This weekend was libdem conference, something I couldn't take part in due to being suspended and denied full membership rights.

I’ve been to previous conferences and they are inspirational for the party activists as well as providing training and connection with the wider party.

It was strange this weekend to watch the speeches from the main auditorium, via the publicly available YouTube feed available here.

https://www.youtube.com/live/a0lqj30lTi4?feature=share

Conference is unfortunately still only attended by the most ardent party hardliners and the top levels of the party. It’s clear from watching the youtube feed ( and observing the amount of 'trans rights' party approved libdem slogan t shirts that the party hierarchy is still captured and controlled by the party activists, who are intent on pushing policies and agendas that are toxic to the wider public.

The gap between the political elite and the public is growing wider and is it any surprise that politics is failing the general public and women more generally.

Following conference the activists are calling for all of those with gender critical views to be removed from the party.

https://www.libdemvoice.org/its-time-for-gender-critical-people-to-leave-72820

It seems to mere mention of the words 'trans' and 'non binary' by GC's send the activists into meltdown and they are unable to critically think through proposals.

This morning has seen news that the democrats in Australia plan to expel Moira Deeming for attending the standing for women rally in Australia, more info is here.

https://youtu.be/VmFDjUTLChk

My next hearing will be in a few weeks in the Royal Courts of Justice, its vital we fight this to ensure that politics is a safe place for women no matter what they choose to believe, and to ensure women can stand as candidates without being made to spout lies and take positions they don't believe in.

Thanks for you continuing support for my case.

Natalie Bird

20.03.2023

Conference season is here again 

In a few weeks it will be the Liberal Democrat spring conference.

In 2020, in the middle of the pandemic, the Lib Dems held their first virtual online Autumn conference.

I bought tickets for the conference using my usual email address, and was open, upfront and honest with the party when buying them. I bought the tickets and logged in, obviously virtual conferences can't compete on many levels with actual in-person conferences but I was looking forward to the virtual connections and motion debates.

I joined on the Saturday and posted about it in my twitter feed, suddenly there was a pile on of complaints from activists up and down the country, my mere virtual presence was enough to make them 'unsafe'.

More concerningly there were complaints from individuals in very senior party positions, trying to say I had lied and created a fictitious email to get tickets to conference.

Rather than creating fictions about me I suggest that the party should improve and enhance its internal systems.

When I questioned why I had been removed after I’d been sold tickets a he/him membership officer told me I was still suspended and access couldn’t be granted.

It then took Lib Dem party HQ a further 6 months to refund the ticket price for my tickets, which I thought was particularly appalling especially as I’m a single mum and times are financially tough.

This time as conference season comes around they'll be a sizeable Lib Dem contingent looking to make changes to the constitution.

I may not be able to join them in the conference hall but I'll be there in spirit as we fight back against the insidious gender ideology.

Being removed from conference I believe is unfortunately just a further act of discrimination, amongst many acts of discrimination I’ve suffered from the Lib Dems for being an ordinary woman with strong opinions around the protections women need in life and law.

Thanks for your continuing support of my case.

Natalie Bird

06.03.2023

To: My Crowd Funders

What a fallout we’ve seen this week!

Nicola Sturgeon has lost her position due to not being able to state that Isla Bryson was a rapist and a man. Her decision was career defining and ultimately career ending, after all why should the public trust anyone who doesn't know the simple truth that men who rape cannot then become women.

The Lib Dems aren't faring much better. Ed Davey was taken to task this week by Iain Dale, around how conflicts around the trans issues are causing problems internally yet still Ed refused to address it, couldn’t articulate a coherent position and only when pushed claim accepted he knew about my case (even though he's a member of the party’s Federal Board).

The link is here so you can enjoy Ed squirming for yourselves - My case starts around 41:30. 

If you can, please donate to my crowd funder but only give what you can easily afford. If not, then please do help by sharing it on social media or simply talking about the case with your friends. 

https://www.youtube.com/live/3BMXlTPMMHg?feature=share

To: My Crowd Funders

I have been deeply upset watching a particular video from one of the Scottish Green MSPs discussing the GRR bill, as I have been throughout the whole Gender Recognition bill fracas.

I’m worried that we have a breed of politicians that are rushing through legislation without giving it adequate thought nor considering evidence presented to the Scottish Government.

MSPs are rushing to remove the period of reflection around GRCs and for GRCs to be available for under 16s.

I'm concerned that teenagers and young adults could be rushed or pressured down unsuitable routes because they are unable to stand up to their peers or groupthink.

More tellingly we also saw certain MSPs vote to give sexual offenders the right to a GRC, even though this poses safeguarding risks and ensures that previous offences won't show up on a DBS check.

Common sense should have ensured that anyone who had caused harm to women and children was excluded from the GRC process.

We must do all we can to ensure this can't happen in the UK and I call on our PM to review the impact that the current GRA is having upon the Equality Act 2010 as soon as possible.

Lady Haldane's December 2022 judgment in Scotland has ruled that a Gender Recognition Certificate allows biological males to be protected in law from sex discrimination as a woman and protected from discrimination due to gender reassignment. The definition of sex is therefore now conclusively stripped of its anchor in biology. With the Scottish Government’s new GRR bill, that means any man who wishes can in law obtain 2 protected characteristics within a short period of time, that of the protections afforded to the female sex and also protection due to him undergoing gender reassignment.

It’s vital our Westminster government considers the implications of this on women's day to day lives, and with regard to data collected by our institutions within the UK. The GRA was meant to achieve fairness for trans individuals but this was not meant to come at the price of women being removed from boards and replaced by Transwomen, when women have been fighting for centuries for an equality that has never been achieved.

There is currently no data and evidence around puberty blockers, yet still Lib Dem policy is to put children on a medicalised pathway, without adequately considering the potential harms of the medication.

We are seeing this insanity in the UK with prominent Transactivists pushing children down a medical pathway when they themselves have transitioned later in life.

It’s vital that we have SMPs (and MPs for that matter) who act with integrity and who are prepared to put the safeguarding of women and children at the forefront, and who can build sensible legislation that protects all groups without leaving dangerous loopholes.

I believe in the UK that its vital that the impact of the GRR is reviewed against the Equality Act as soon as possible as it is currently blasting holes into the sex-based rights for women supposedly enshrined in the Equality Act.

https://ukconstitutionallaw.org/2022/12/21/michael-foran-sex-gender-and-the-scotland-act/

My initial court date was in late December 2022. We are looking at a multi-day trial against the Lib Dems.

Currently this issue cannot be discussed by councillors and MPs. If our elected officials cannot gather their own thoughts on these issues, it becomes an impossible task for them to build legislation that works to protect those who most need it.

This is why the fight within the Lib Dems is vital for all our political parties.

Thanks for you continued support around my case.

Natalie Bird

03.01.2023

To:   My Crowd Funders

The Central London County Court has now set down a Directions hearing in December for my case against the Lib Dems. At this hearing the Court will set down a date for trial and also dates for the evidence in this case to be exchanged, called disclosure and witness statements. After we have this evidence, I can then report back on how my legal team consider prospects of success. 

I didn’t realise when I issued my claim in March 2021 that it would take so long but I am determined to ensure that women’s rights are protected in political parties.

The Lib Dems are still very much burying their head in the sand on the hard won rights of women, and are refusing to comply with their Equality Act obligations.

The Lib Dems internal elections complete next week and I remain hopeful that this may bring some changes to the internal structures and promote a liberalism focused on freedom of thought, speech and belief and less focused on 'groupthink' and identity politics.

I'm disappointed that the Lib Dems are unable to accept that there may need to be changes within the party structures and that the only way this can be achieved is by the courts, as there are still to many individuals within the party structures wishing to retain personal influence rather than acting for the greater good of the party and the electorate..

I know that times are very hard right now and I would not want you to give any financial help that will cause any further hardship. Simply sharing this or even talking about my case would be a great help.

I am always grateful for any help received. 

Natalie Bird

10.11.2022

To: My Crowd Funders

I was dismayed to read last week in one of our national newspapers that Keir Starmer, leader of the Labour party and aspiring PM-in-waiting believes that 'Transwomen are women', which to me showed a staggering inability to 'read the room ' and notice just how far the gender wars have progressed since I first spoke out in early  2018.

He then tried to placate women by stating he also believed women are entitled to safe spaces and that the Equality Act would remain unchanged.

As Mr Starmer is a prominent lawyer it seems striking that he seems to have little knowledge of the Gender Reform Act (“GRA 2004”) and is trying to play the electorate for fools for trying to ride two horses at the same time.

Anyone who has looked into the legislation surrounding the original GRA 2004 will immediately have discomfort around the 'legal fiction' that was created by the Act, and the fact our government is supplying 'false' birth certificates for any individual wishing to be 'seen' as the opposite gender.

This strikes me as a particularly short-sighted way to deal with helping, supporting and protecting Transpeople in our society, many of whom feel deeply uncomfortable with their bodies and their gender.

I’m sure you'll agree a new birth certificate offers a transperson no means of protection and instead opens the door to a whole host of unintended consequences, leading to issues like Karen White been placed in the mother and baby unit at New Hall (although Karen did not have a Gender Recognition Certificate ) and skews the data both on the census and more widely around the data gathered around women.

Life has moved on since 2004, and it is high time this government reviewed the GRA 2004 and ask whether it really is fit for purpose or whether it is creating more problems than it solves.

For Keir to apply his legal mind to this point rather than just 'virtue signaling' to a small minority of his party would be a better use of everyone's time and resources.

I believe that our next government needs to be a Labour/ Liberal alliance, but I cannot and will not support any party that refuses to speak for women and is not making policy based on rationality and evidence.

Although I have been unable to attend the Liberal Democrats spring conference once again, I’m aware my case has triggered a crisis of conscience in many senior liberals and campaigners, many of whom have contacted me privately around this matter. I was therefore extremely pleased to see that conference has voted unanimously to add 'sex' back into the party constitution. It’s a very small step in the scheme of things but a giant leap for the libdems.

For me achieving real 'cultural ' change within the libdems has always been as important to me as winning my case at court.

I would hope that Keir Starmer will also start to see outside of his party echo chambers and listen to the voters and the majority of the country this topic.

Keir Starmer cannot expect our vote if he is not prepared to respect our sex.

-End-

Natalie Bird

14.03.2022

Dear Crowd Funders

I hope that you and yours are well. 

A short update, just to highlight that my article in The Critic was launched today. Hopefully it sets out clearer some of my political thoughts and views.

https://thecritic.co.uk/whats-so-controversial-about-woman-adult-human-female/

I hope you enjoy reading it. If you can, I would be grateful if you could please share it on your social media channels. 

Best

Natalie Bird

31.01.2022

Happy New Year to my Crowd Funders! I wish you all the best for 2022.

A short update in relation to the case – the plan is to serve my claim with Particulars of Claim on the defendants shortly and I will update you when I do.  

In the meantime, I want to thank you all for the comments which are an immeasurable source of support during this very difficult time. I can’t believe how stressful litigation is and I have barely started down the road. As I have said before, I can only carry on this litigation with the financial support through Crowd Funding, but I appreciate that it is a really difficult time, especially with the cost of living, and people should only give if they can afford it.  

Since starting this litigation, I have been struck by how many current and former members of the Liberal Democrats have reached out to support me.  Many want to remain anonymous for fear of reprisal and have asked to remain confidential. Some have had complaints made against them for supporting me. For those who wish to remain anonymous, private messages of support are a great comfort.

However, some are very content to be well known in their support for me and my case. One particular “heavy hitter” in the party who wants to support me is Chris Davies, Former Member of Parliament for Littleborough & Saddleworth (1995 – 97) and Member of the European Parliament (1999 – 2014 and 2019-2020).  He has kindly provided a very generous donation and has invited me to share his reasons with you.

Chris Davies writes

“I have been an active member of the party since 1974, and a Liberal Democrat parliamentarian for more than 17 years. We Liberals always used to support the right of people to protest though non-violent direct action, so I was outraged to learn of the way in which Natalie Bird has been treated. How can a serious political party condemn someone for silently stating that a woman is an adult, human female? In the party of J.S. Mill, the author of ‘On Liberty’ who advocated the right of every individual to express their views, is objective science now to be dismissed because it doesn’t fit with the latest political ideas? Science should not be swept aside by glib slogans claiming that trans-women are women without qualification of any kind at all.

“As Liberal Democrats we seek to build a society in which no individual shall experience discrimination, and it should go without saying that trans rights are human rights, but with rights go responsibilities and the need for balance. Women have the right to feel safe, and they may feel less safe if males are allowed to declare themselves female without any medical justification and without safeguards that have yet to be specified. Women athletes surely have the right to compete against women who have not gained the muscular advantage of male puberty. Young people should be encouraged to exercise the right to explore their own sexuality without pressure from those who encourage them to seek medical intervention. A lesbian woman, Keira Bell, has had the courage to speak up against the hormone treatment and mastectomy she underwent; how many other young women/men have undergone surgery and been sterilised only now to regret it?

“These are not easy issues, and I know that the views of feminists are deeply divided, but a political party that seeks to frame legislation should be prepared to listen to all views and explore how best to calm concerns and resolve conflicts. This is not what our party is doing. It has determined that the concerns of women should be dismissed. It seeks to silence dissenters within the party and crush opposition. I hate to say this of the party that I have served and supported for so long, but in this respect it has become intolerant and illiberal.

“I am supporting Natalie Bird’s case because I want once again to be proud, and not ashamed, of the way in which our party behaves. I hope her legal action is successful, and that the Liberal Democrats are forced to think afresh.” 

-END-

Natalie Bird

07.01.2021

We have issued my Claim!

Once again I can only say how grateful I am that so many people have generously donated to my Crowd Funder. The messages of support have been so helpful and they really do help me to keep up the fight.

I am very happy to report that my solicitors have now issued my claim in the County Court Money Claims Centre. This Crowd Funder is now for a claim that will be heard in Court.

My claims have been issued against the Liberal Democrats and The Liberal Democrats in England (amongst others). The entry in “brief details of claim” on the Claim Form are:

i) Breaches of my membership contract;

ii) Direct Discrimination contrary to philosophical belief and also sex;

iii) Indirect Discrimination contrary to philosophical belief and also sex;

iv) Harassment related to philosophical belief and also sex;

v) Victimisation

My philosophical beliefs are my Gender Critical beliefs: “that biological sex is immutable and should not be conflated with gender identity”. Further, that I do not believe in “Gender Identity. That I do not believe that every person has a gender which may be different to their sex at birth”. I claim I have suffered as a result of holding those beliefs.

We have not yet served the Claim Form or Particulars of Claim on the Defendants (there can be a period of 4 months or more before we have to serve) but my legal team are starting to put together the whole factual matrix of my claim which starts way back in 2017 and I believe is still ongoing. This will be my Particulars of Claim. We will then serve the Claim Form and Particulars on the Defendants. They will then have to file and serve their Defence. The Defence will be very difficult to read. The normal Court timetable will then be set in motion, with disclosure, witness statements and eventually a trial.

All this is thanks to you, my Crowd Funders, as I am totally reliant on Crowd Funding to bring my legal claim to Court. My mental health has suffered immeasurably since 2017 and I would rather be concentrating on bringing up my 2 children rather than having to fight this litigation, especially as I have other battles to fight in the family courts with my children’s’ father. However, I am committed to this task as I believe it is the right thing to do.

This means the hard work starts for me and my legal team.

Any help you can offer will always be gratefully received.

All the best and I will keep you updated.

Somehow within our political parties the word 'woman' has become forbidden, verboten, not needed, with those that dare to utter it burned at a metaphorical stake by party activists.

A few weeks ago Andrew Marr asked Ed Davey about why the word woman was a forbidden word within the libdems. Ed coughed and spluttered, evaded the question numerous times and then tried to move the conversation to the 'culture wars' and to discuss Trans.

The problem is that there is an inherent conflict between women's rights and trans rights, and we as a society need to tackle this by having uncomfortable and difficult conversations.

Unfortunately we are seeing that anyone who raises the word 'woman' and the conflicts, is being targeted in the manner that we have seen with Kathleen Stock this week.

I first spoke out in 2018, raising concerns on this issue. I'd recently left an abusive relationship and found appalling the fact that male bodied trans identified men could access women's refuges and spaces without any safeguarding for women utterly. I still haven't changed my mind on this.

We are seeing with trans ideology excuses made for inexcusable things. We are seeing Transwomen put in prison with our country's most vulnerable women but nobody is speaking up and protecting women.

We are seeing the data being skewed and statistics about women disappearing, replaced instead by a nebulous 'gender identity' that is having real world effects on single sex wards, and rape victims been unable to request a female doctor.

For speaking up in 2018, I lost numerous party positions including chair of the Lib Dem “Radical Association” and was forbidden to stand as a candidate in the 2019 election. That election saw Jo Swinson lose her seat. I believe a part of that was because she failed to be clear about what a woman is https://youtu.be/6yfXtkjMgAE

This is a turning point; we need more from our politicians: instead of lies we need truth, courage and integrity.

Thank you for all your support into my Crowdfunder. So far, two pre-action letters have been sent to the Lib Dems to which there has been no substantive response. My case is likely to be heard at some point next year.

The ongoing persecution for those of us who speak out is exhausting. We must continue to fight, the tide is slowly turning and this is a fight we can and will win.

Thank you for your ongoing support

Many thanks to all of you who have been very generous to my Crowd Funding efforts so far.

I write to update my case given the last few weeks have sparked intense debate both within our political parties and outside,  with Andrew Marr leading the questioning to Ed Davey on 'what is a woman'.

Andrew Marr went on to specifically mention my legal case (and my T-Shirt “woman: noun, adult human female") and my treatment by the Lib Dems along with the sanctions I’ve received which were a 10 year ban from standing in any party role internally and externally.

The link to Ed Davey being questioned by Marr as to what a woman is, here:

https://twitter.com/BBCPolitics/status/1439512987220553730?s=19

The link to Daisy cooper being questioned on this same topic on BBC politics here:

https://twitter.com/BBCPolitics/status/1439927358945902599?s=19

The sane question was also posed by Emma Barnett on BBC women's hour on radio 4. You can listen here:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m000zsdl

Separately to this a second pre-action letter has been sent to the Lib Dems. We are awaiting a response.

My case is strong and winnable, focusing on the issues of Freedom of speech as well as direct discrimination, indirect discrimination more widely towards women in the Lib Dems and harassment.

Sometimes in these debates we lose focus on who the real 'victims' are. I've been targeted for speaking out on this topic since 2018. I will continue to stand up for women and ask the Lib Dems to find 'moral courage' to stand up and do the right thing for women.

I will not stand down in my convictions and feel that justice is urgently needed in my case.