The Scottish Conservative candidate in Rutherglen and Hamilton West has accused his opponents of risking the safety of women and girls by backing self-ID.
The attack came after Labour’s hopeful in the upcoming by-election distanced himself from Sir Keir Starmer’s recent u-turn on reforming the Gender Recognition Act.
Thomas Kerr, who leads the Tory group on Glasgow City Council, said the teacher’s position was confused.
READ MORE: Labour rules out self-id in U-turn on gender recognition reform
Labour’s split emerged last month when Anneliese Dodds, the party’s shadow secretary of state for women and equalities, set out the new position in a column for the Guardian.
She said the party would not make the same “mistakes” as MSPs did and would keep “the requirement to obtain a medical diagnosis of gender dysphoria.”
That was backed by Sir Keir who said there needed to be some form of gatekeeping for anyone looking to have their acquired gender legally recognised with a gender recognition certificate.
Scottish Labour, who backed the Gender Recognition Reform Bill in Holyrood, disagreed. They said they continue to “support the de-medicalisation of the process in Scotland.”
At his campaign launch on Wednesday, Michael Shanks said he supported that decision.
He said it was perfectly reasonable for Scottish and UK Labour to have separate policies on gender recognition reform as well as on the two-child benefit cap, which Sir Keir has said he will keep.
“We have differences of opinion on certain things,” Mr Shanks said. “That’s the maturity of devolution into its third decade. The reality is we should have different policy positions in Scotland than the rest of the UK, because that’s why we created the Scottish Parliament in the first place.”
READ MORE: Scottish Labour faces 'nightmare scenario' over gender law court fight
Councillor Kerr, said: “Voters in Rutherglen and Hamilton West have heard it loud and clear. Labour’s candidate wholeheartedly backs the SNP’s reckless gender reform bill.
“Despite the screeching U-turn from Keir Starmer, it is clear that Michael Shanks – like Scottish Labour did in the Scottish Parliament – is all too happy to back the SNP’s plans that clearly put the safety of women and girls at risk.
“For all their spin, Scottish Labour unashamedly row in behind the SNP on a whole host of issues. Even when their own voters are opposed to them doing so on gender reform, they won’t listen.
“Only the Scottish Conservatives are standing up to protect the safety and rights of women and girls in Rutherglen and Hamilton West.
“The question for Labour is whether they are fielding a candidate who backs Keir Starmer’s policies or the SNP’s.”
Ellie Gomersall, the president of NUS Scotland said the Tory had “some brass neck” given that he had taken part in a photo op for Glasgow’s pride with fellow councillors in August. She accused him of spreading “transphobic lies.”
Labour councillor Keiran O'Neill tweeted: "It wasn’t that long ago Thomas stood in solidarity (quite literally) with LGBT+ people… now he is just doing gutter politics because the Tories literally have nothing positive to say. So disappointing."
Friday saw Labour frontbencher Wes Streeting in the constituency campaigning alongside Mr Shanks.
Last week he apologised to fellow MP, Rosie Duffield, who has said she felt ostracised because of her opposition to self-id.
READ MORE: Humza Yousaf faces byelection 'thumping' as SNP support evaporates
In other by-election news, it has emerged that Scottish Labour has been given £1 million by the UK party to target between 20 and 25 seats in Scotland at the next General Election, according to reports.
According to reports in the Times, the “backroom communications and campaigns staff” of Scottish and UK Labour have been “integrated” with the party’s efforts in Rutherglen and Hamilton West a dry run ahead of the election expected next year.
Meanwhile, the Lib Dems have a selection battle after two activists put their names forward to stand for the party at the vote.
Local members are currently being balloted, with the winner likely to be announced next Thursday.
The Scottish Greens are still to decide if they will stand or not.
Alba has called for a single “Scotland United” candidate, with just one pro-independence name on the ballot paper.
They said this could be the SNP’s Katy Loudon but it is dependent on Humza Yousaf backing the principle, put forward by former first minister Alex Salmond, of only having one pro-independence candidate in each constituency at the next general election.
Alba has given the First Minister until the end of August to back the plan. If he chooses not to do they could then stand.
The Scottish Socialist Party has named Bill Bonnar as their hopeful, while the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition (TUSC) have selected Unison shop steward Chris Sermanni.
Volt UK has announced that Ewan Hoyle will be their candidate, and Nigel Farage’s former party Reform UK has announced climate change sceptic David Stark as their man.
The Independence For Scotland Party has also said they will stand a candidate, but on “an abstention ticket.” That means if their candidate wins, they will not take their seat in the Commons.
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