Devon

6 constituencies; 6/30 candidates in Devon replied to our emails.

Plymouth Sutton & Devonport constituency – 1/5 candidates replied.

Peter Gold, Reform, 1/4 Yes responses – he wrote, “I have to admit I do not know the full details of the pledges you have listed. However, I work as a volunteer for the Plymouth Soup Run and because of this, we do get to undertake training around issues such as trauma, substance use, abuse etc. As I’m sure you will be aware the impact on children at an early age or during their teenage years has a long-lasting effect, often with negative results. I am supportive of any work towards safeguarding children be that from physical or sexual abuse. I do NOT support “social transitioning” which I believe aligns with the guidance outlined in the pledge 2 in your list. I’m sorry I do not know all of the reports you have highlighted but hope I have given you a suitable reply.”

Plymouth Moor View – 0 candidates replied.

Torridge & Tavistock – 1 candidate replied.

Andrew Jackson, Reform, 4/4 Yes responses – Andrew wrote, 

“Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

If I am successful, I would be more than happy to meet & discuss further, as you can appreciate my time is currently very limited!”

South West Devon – 2 candidates replied.

Rebecca Smith, Conservative, 1/4 Yes responses – she wrote, “Thank you for reaching out and providing me with the opportunity to address the important issues raised by Protect and Teach. I share your concerns.

The Cass Review is a comprehensive investigation into the care and support of gender-questioning children. I completely support its final report and I believe it should be implemented in full. I believe it will help ensure that evidence-based, balanced, and compassionate guidelines are in place, safeguarding the interests of vulnerable children.

Young people questioning their gender must be protected from ideologically driven care. NHS services must also follow evidence-based best practice. The Government has already stopped the routine use by the NHS of puberty blockers for gender dysphoria and the future plans involve legislating to permanently prevent their private prescription and supply.

I hope this clarifies my stance on these important issues. I am committed to working towards the best outcomes for children and young people in our constituency. Thank you again for getting in touch and I look forward to working together to support this important work if I am elected on 4th July.

Stephen Horner, Reform, 1/4 Yes responses – he replied with, “YES, YES, YES, YES!

I am so pleased to have received your email.  Gender ID, along with Identity group ideology are extremely divisive and damaging to society, and especially to our children.  It is one the key reasons I have gone into politics, and why I have chosen Reform UK. 

I have written to two schools in SW Devon asking about what they teach children and promote on these topics. Below is my second message them, after the more gentle first one was blatantly ignored:

“I am writing to follow up my correspondence of the 1st March 2024, which raised concerns about your school equality and diversity agenda, and in particular issues surrounding gender identification. As you may remember a number of parents had contacted me with concerns regarding some ‘confusing’ and ‘disturbing’ messaging their children had been exposed to in school. 

We are sure that many parents send their children to school in the hope and trust that teachers are equipping them with practical skills and engendering a work-ready attitude. Though their highest concern would be, of course, that they can trust schools to keep their children safe. There seems to be a mounting body of evidence on both a national and local level which have put this into question.

Myself and my team have been working on this issue for some considerable time, as we have been deeply concerned with reports of curriculum content. We have had both national and local reports of an ‘ethos of Far-Woke ideology’ running through schools, where basic facts are set aside to push to the fore an almost religious dogma. This has manifested itself in the targeting of vulnerable pupils, around their race and potential psychological vulnerabilities.

I was deeply disappointed that after my last correspondence, rather than choosing to engage in these safeguarding concerns, you instead shut down the conversation by refusing to participate in discussions around what I felt was a matter of the most serious nature. 

It has been frustrating as we have so far not had a platform to raise the issues as widely as they should be. However we note that although we are aware our local political colleagues remain tacitly silent on these issues, there has clearly been a change in the wider national mood: at last there seems to be some desire to make those who have pushed potentially divisive and dangerous politics within our schools accountable.

This change in the national narrative, with regards to supporting young people with confusion around gender, has been aided by recent publications. You will no doubt be fully aware of the Cass Report. This wide-ranging review has definitively changed the prevailing narrative and has highlighted ethical and practical issues with the current ‘ideological approach’ to dealing with matters around a range of issues, including gender and identification. The publication of this review has far reaching implications for a range of sectors, with, we believe, education being at the forefront.

This has been compounded with reports in the media which have found that of 600 mainstream schools, 73 percent of those in Devon were incorrectly representing equality laws (with regards to gender-based ideology). We have reason to believe that your school may fall within these deeply concerning statistics.  As evidenced by the Cass Report, an ideological approach to these complex issues can have serious consequences to the long-term wellbeing of children, and as such we implore you to engage with us on this matter, and provide reassurance that you have been maintaining a ‘fact-based’ approach, which does not promote ‘gender ideology’ and which focuses on keeping children safe. 

Furthermore, we would request that you release into the public sphere all resources, connected to both staff training and classroom delivery, which form a part of your equality, diversity and inclusion delivery within your school. I feel parents would find it reassuring to be able to see for themselves exactly what their children are being told in your lessons. This would also help alleviate any concerns of ‘secrecy’ around your DEI agenda.

We hope, given the change in the national narrative, that on this occasion you will offer us a prompt response to this most concerning matter.

South North – 1 candidate replied.

Michael Bagley, Reform, 0/4 Yes responses – he wrote, “As a former teacher and as a father, I am very concerned at the way sex education and gender recognition is now taught in schools. But I don’t make pledges.”

Torbay – 0 candidates replied.

Newton Abbott – 1 candidate replied

Christopher Hilditch, Reform, 0/4 Yes responses – Christopher said, “We are anti woke, so rest assured, all this gender rubbish will be out of our classrooms!”

Central Devon – 2 candidates replied

Ollie Pearson, Labour, 0/4 Yes responses – his reply was, “I’m sure you’ll appreciate this is busy time and I’m not in a position to sign pledges before the election or to reply to you by any particular deadline. Nevertheless, I always will reply. I took a look at the Protect and Teach website and it seems your organisation starts from the position of a moral panic about a complex issue. That is not a good place to start.

Jeffrey Leeks, Reform, 0/4 Yes responses – he wrote, “Thank you for your email and raising such incredibly important points around Safeguarding.

As you will appreciate I can’t, at this point in time, give a straight yes or no, as our policies are still being formulated, however, let me give you some wider context.  I have been working in Safeguarding for over 25 years and in recent years I have grown concerned by new issues relating to activities that are born out of an ideology and was therefore pleased to read Dr Hilary Cass’ report, I’m in fact delivering a seminar tomorrow where this will be included.

You may also be aware of ‘our contract to you’, which is a draft document from Reform, which I have provided a link to below, and you will see it presents a number of pledges to protect our children.

Children must be allowed to have their childhood and be safeguarded from the elements of our society that present challenges to this, and that I’m sure we totally agree on.”

North Devon – 1 candidate replied

Nigel James, Reform, 0/4 Yes responses – Nigel replied, “this is our education policy and I think we’re on a similar wave length.

Too many children and young people are being badly let down. Discipline, disruption and violence are huge issues in class. Teachers are drowning in bureaucracy. Woke ideology is spreading through our schools and universities. We want an education system that ensures young people learn the skills, character and values to succeed in life. Critical reforms needed in the first 100 days:

Education tick – Ban Transgender Ideology in Primary and Secondary Schools. There are 2 sexes and 2 genders. It is a dangerous safeguarding issue to confuse children by suggesting otherwise. No gender questioning, social transitioning or pronoun swapping. Inform parents of under 16s about their children’s life decisions. Schools must have single sex facilities.

Ban Critical Race Theory in Primary and Secondary Schools. It is unacceptable to divide children on grounds of race and teach them to be ashamed of their country.

Tax relief of 20% on all Independent Education. No VAT on Fees: If parents can afford to pay a bit more, we should incentivise them to choose independent schools. This will significantly ease pressure on state schools, so improve education for all. Independent education capacity will grow rapidly, providing competition and reducing cost

Scrap Interest on Student Loans. Extend loan capital repayment periods to 45 years. Restrict undergraduate numbers well below current levels, too many courses are simply not good enough and students are being ripped off. Enforce minimum entry standards. Stop backdoor route to immigration through use of low quality degree courses.

Thereafter: Cut Funding to Universities that Undermine Free Speech. The government’s Free Speech Act is toothless. Allowing political bias or cancel culture must face heavy financial penalties. Permanent Exclusions for Violent and Disruptive Students. Double the number of Pupil Referral Units so schools can function safely. Disruptive children must also get support. Universities Must Provide 2 Year Graduate Courses. The option of 2 year courses would reduce student debt and allow earlier entry into employment to help pay it off. Increase Technical Courses and Apprenticeships. Value young people with vocational talents. Britain needs skilled workers in engineering, construction, IT and high demand sectors. Life Skills Classes at School. Subjects such as home economics and social media risk should be part of the school curriculum. No smartphones or social media in schools under 16. Education Pledges Costs = £5 billion pa”

Exeter – 0 candidates replied

Exmouth & Exeter East – 1 candidate replied

Gary Sutherland, Reform, 1/4 Yes responses – He wrote, “I am a candidate in this election because the adults in the room were not listening to me and other parents when we raised our concerns at what we perceived as the sexualisation of our primary aged children at our village school. My wife and I had no option but to withdraw our children from some PSHE lessons. Since raising our objections some topics have been removed. However, we remain vigilant.

I haven’t read all of the reports you refer to so I’m not in a position to comment on the contents. Suffice to say I applaud your efforts to protect and safeguard our children 100%. I would be delighted to meet with your members in Exmouth and Exeter East.”

Tiverton & Minehead – 1 candidate replied

Rachel Gilmour, Labour, 0/4 Yes responses – Rachel wrote and then a member of her team followed up her email with, “Thank you for getting in touch. Rachel misspoke in her email. 

Having had a quick glance at Protect and Teach’s social media output, we cannot engage any further. As a Liberal, Rachel engages in a level of debate that reflects the importance of the issues at hand and is respectful, we do not feel this is reflected by the Protect and Teach organisation. 

Additionally, Rachel has four children, two of whom are members of the LGBTQ+ community. If two men kissing on TV constitutes “indoctrination” you are most welcome to take your vote elsewhere. 

Many thanks, Tom”

Honiton & Sidmouth – 2 candidates replied.

Jake Bonetta, Labour, 0/0 Yes responses – Jake wrote, “When discussing issues around transgender and non-binary rights, I am always acutely aware of the need to treat all people in our society as we would like to be treated ourselves. Dignity, respect and freedom are key tenets of our modern, diverse society, and I am proud of our communities for demonstrating this, for example through COVID. I am of the view that it is not my role, nor the role of the Government, to mandate how people should live, love, dress or address themselves, and this view also follows me through my views on the importance of protecting our transgender and non-binary communities.

Myself and the Labour Party are committed to enacting the socio-economic duty in the Equality Act 2010. Delivering opportunities for all means that everyone must be treated with respect and dignity, and that’s why Labour will protect all LGBT+ people by making all existing strands of hate crime an aggravated offence.

I’m proud that Labour will deliver a full trans-inclusive ban on abusive conversion practices, while protecting the freedom for people to explore their sexual orientation and gender identity. We will modernise, simplify and reform the intrusive and outdated gender recognition law to a new process, removing indignities for trans people who deserve recognition and acceptance in all sectors of our society.

As a candidate, I am committed to ensuring these policies are seen into legislation in the next Parliament. I have been vocal in my support for our transgender and non-binary communities, championing policy changes at East Devon District Council to improve the visibility, support and access available to trans and non-binary staff and residents across the District. I am proud that my policies directly led to the first trans and non-binary Councillors in East Devon’s history being elected in 2023, including my own sister.

On a more personal note, as a brother, friend and colleague to many transgender and non-binary people in our community, I will always work to protect their right to exist in our society. Current Government policies surrounding workplace rights, education and mental health support are serving to irreparably damage the mental health of many young people facing gender dysphoria, with much of the discourse against people facing these issues directly leading to suicide. Transgender people commonly find themselves the victim of housing insecurity and serious violence, leading to substance use, physical and sexual victimisation by partners and people in positions of trust, and difficulty in securing employment. Studies have shown that LGBT+ people are more likely to be sexually assaulted in childhood than heterosexual and non-transgender children. I’ve seen far too many of my transgender and non-binary friends and colleagues face these issues, and even consider suicide because of the way the debate is handled, and if elected I will champion their cause in Parliament. Trans people have existed for centuries and even millennia in various forms and places around the world – both female to male and male to female. As with any other human being, they have an inalienable right to be protected from hate speech, abuse, conversion therapies, or any attempts to stop their ability to live, love, dress and address themselves in whichever way they choose.

I am comfortable that transgender and non-binary rights do not conflict with women’s rights. Labour is proud of our Equality Act and the rights and protections it affords women, and I will continue to support the implementation of its single-sex exceptions.”

Paul Quickenden, Reform, 0/4 Yes responses – Paul wrote, “As I have not read the cass review so I am not in a position to comment on this, however I do support safeguarding of children at all times.”

Taunton & Wellington – 0 candidates replied.