Bristol council apologises to gender-critical women after meeting ban
Council admits process to exclude the pair from meetings was "inadequate"
A council has apologised to two gender-critical women who were banned from its offices following a row over the Supreme Court judgment on trans identity.
Wendy Stephenson and Dr Phoebe Beedell had been barred from attending any Bristol City Council meetings for six months, after questioning Green Party councillors about the court ruling.
The city council had alleged the questioning of two councillors in the public lobby of City Hall, after a heated council meeting in November last year, was carried out "in a way that they found intimidating".
A number of placards in support of trans rights were raised by Green councillors during last November's full council meeting, whenever a member of the public asked a question about women's safety following the Supreme Court ruling in the For Women Scotland case.
Ms Stephenson, chairwoman of the council's independent remuneration panel, and Dr Beedell, a retired academic researcher, then began legal action.
The council also told Ms Stephenson she had failed to "uphold the highest standards of behaviour" and terminated her appointment.
Bristol City Council has now apologised to the pair, and said the process to exclude them both from meetings for six months, and remove Ms Stephenson from the remuneration panel, was "inadequate".
"Before those decisions were taken, a proportionate investigation should have been conducted, Dr Beedell and Ms Stephenson should have been informed of the substance of the allegations and provided with the evidence or a summary of the evidence relied upon, and they should have been given a meaningful opportunity to respond," the council said in a statement.
"The council does not maintain, and will not repeat or rely upon, allegations that Dr Beedell or Ms Stephenson acted in a threatening, abusive, disorderly or intimidating manner towards councillors on November 4 2025," the statement said.
"The six-month exclusions have been rescinded and will not be relied upon in future as findings of misconduct," the council said.
"Ms Stephenson's removal from the Independent Remuneration Panel did not constitute or follow from an adverse finding about her integrity, objectivity, ability to comply with public standards or suitability for future civic roles," it said.
"The council apologises unreservedly to Ms Stephenson and Dr Beedell for the distress and any reputational harm caused," the statement said.
The council said it had revised its trans inclusion and gender identity policy, which states that "people who do hold gender-critical beliefs are protected from discrimination by the Equality Act 2010".