Labour MP Alex Sobel has issued an apology following remarks in which he suggested a fellow party member should consider leaving Labour over differing views on gender-related policies.

Sobel, who represents Leeds Central and Headingley, made the comments during a conversation with the campaign group Act! For Trans Liberation. In the recorded exchange viewed by media outlets, he criticized Labour MP Jonathan Hinder, who had delivered a speech advocating for women’s rights, which Sobel described as “hard-Right.” Although Sobel stopped short of calling for Hinder's expulsion from the party, he expressed doubts about Hinder’s perspectives aligning with the Labour Party’s future direction, stating that “those who believe in biological sex come from other worlds,” implying these views were brought into the party from outside cultural influences.

The remarks sparked backlash from some within the Labour community. Rosie Duffield, a former Labour MP who resigned over the party’s stance on gender issues, condemned Sobel’s comments, asserting that the party’s focus on transgender rights undermines the protection of women’s rights. Duffield praised Hinder and other Labour MPs who she said bravely defend what she describes as “basic biological reality” and the preservation of single-sex spaces. She argued that women face discrimination in employment for holding these views.

Following the controversy, Sobel apologized and said he intended to reach out to Hinder directly. “I recognise that I should not have referred to a Labour colleague in this way. It is important that we always engage in debate in a collegiate and constructive way,” he said.

The incident highlights ongoing divisions within Labour over gender policy debates, reflecting broader tensions about balancing transgender rights with women’s rights within the party’s ranks.