A new YouGov survey commissioned by the Good Law Project has revealed a severe breakdown of trust between the UK’s transgender community and the Labour Party. Conducted between 23 July and 11 August 2025, the poll found that 91 percent of trans, non-binary and intersex people distrust Labour on trans rights — rating the party only slightly better than the Conservatives at 96 percent.
For a party that once claimed to champion equality and inclusion, the findings mark a major political turning point. By comparison, just 62 percent of the wider UK population view Labour as “untrustworthy”, according to YouGov’s national tracker. Among trans respondents, however, distrust has hardened into disillusionment and, for many, despair.
Policy reversals fuel disillusionment
At the centre of the fallout is a series of policy decisions that have alienated key sections of the LGBTQ+ community. Equality minister Bridget Phillipson has faced backlash for endorsing a Supreme Court ruling that defined “woman” according to biological sex. In Parliament, she said Labour was “working to protect single-sex spaces based on biological sex” — language that campaigners argue echoes Conservative rhetoric.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting’s decision to make the ban on puberty blockers permanent, coupled with Labour’s abandonment of its 2024 manifesto pledge to simplify gender recognition, has only deepened this sense of betrayal. Good Law Project executive director Jo Maugham KC accused Labour of “lining up alongside the Tories and Reform UK at the cruelty Olympics,” arguing that the party has turned its back on the very people it once promised to protect.
Falling trust in institutions
The poll highlights a broader erosion of confidence in British institutions. Only 25 percent of trans respondents said they trust the police, and 31 percent said they trust the legal system. Trust in the Equality and Human Rights Commission has fallen sharply, with 60 percent of respondents expressing doubt after it released — and later withdrew — guidance perceived as undermining trans inclusion.
The NHS remains the only major institution maintaining majority trust, with 72 percent of respondents viewing it positively. Yet even here, 59 percent reported difficulties accessing appropriate healthcare, particularly gender-affirming services. Research by QueerAF earlier this month revealed that many trans people wait more than a third of their adult life for an NHS gender clinic appointment, with some never receiving care at all.
The workplace impact
Beyond politics, this crisis of confidence has real consequences in workplaces, recruitment, and everyday life. When trans and non-binary people feel abandoned by national institutions, it affects how they experience safety, belonging, and fairness — values that employers must now work harder to uphold.
For inclusive employers and recruitment partners listed on LGBTIJobs.co.uk, these findings are a reminder that inclusion goes far beyond policy statements. It demands ongoing action, empathy, and advocacy that recognises the lived realities of trans professionals in Britain today. Building genuine trust means connecting company culture to wider social change.
What happens next
The poll was released during Labour’s deputy leadership contest, now narrowing between Lucy Powell and Bridget Phillipson, both under pressure to clarify their stance on equality. Meanwhile, the Good Law Project’s legal challenge to the Equality and Human Rights Commission — centred on its interpretation of the Supreme Court ruling — will be heard in November.
For a community already enduring years of delays, cuts, and policy reversals, the question remains whether Labour can rebuild trust or whether that trust is gone for good.
Survey details
Commissioned by: Good Law Project
Conducted by: YouGov Plc
Sample: 457 trans, non-binary, and intersex adults across Great Britain
Fieldwork: 23 July – 11 August 2025
Methodology: Online survey, weighted to represent trans adults aged 18+
Kim Cockayne