Bristol City Council has apologised ‘unreservedly’ to two gender critical campaigners it banned from public meetings, admitting the process it followed was ‘inadequate’.
Phoebe Beedell and Wendy Stephenson were excluded from the chamber for six months after the council said their conduct left some councillors feeling intimidated.
Both belong to the Women of Wessex group, which holds gender critical views and has repeatedly challenged the council over its approach to trans rights.
The women launched a legal challenge, and the council has now settled out of court and agreed to pay some legal costs.
In a public statement, the council said a proportionate investigation should have taken place first, and that the women should have been told the allegations and given a chance to respond. It withdrew its claims and rescinded the bans.
Ms Stephenson said she was ‘relieved’ but ‘furious’, while Dr Beedell called the episode a ‘tragic waste of money’.
