Philippa East (Author)
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philippaeast.bsky.social
Philippa East (Author)
@philippaeast.bsky.social
11K followers 6.6K following 7.9K posts
Novelist, rep’d by @vickyweberbooks.bsky.social. Thrillers: #LittleWhiteLies💛 #SafeAndSound❤️ #IllNeverTell💗 #AGuiltySecret🧡 Lives in Lincolnshire, has a cat. Clinical Psychologist by day.
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philippaeast.bsky.social
Worth a shot!
February 16, 2026 at 4:51 PM
philippaeast.bsky.social
Well done, Scotland! 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿#SixNationsRugby
Picture of members of the Scottish rugby team having a group hug
February 14, 2026 at 6:33 PM
philippaeast.bsky.social
I feel you, Charlie, I feel you 😆
A series of extracts from Charles Darwin’s letters and journals that reads: I hate every wave of the ocean. -Charles Darwin to W. D. Fox 15 Feb 1836 Oh my God how I do hate species & varieties. -Charles Darwin to J. D. Hooker, 11 Mar 1858 I am very tired, very stomachy & hate nearly the whole world. -Charles Darwin to Thomas Huxley, 10 Sep 1860 1 am very poorly today & very stupid & hate everybody & everything. -Charles Darwin to Charles Lyell, 1 Oct 1861 I hate myself, I hate clover, and I hate bees. -Charles Darwin to John Lubbock, 3 Sep 1862 1 am languid & bedeviled & hate writing & hate everybody. -Charles Darwin to J. D. Hooker 23 Jun 1863
February 14, 2026 at 10:35 AM
philippaeast.bsky.social
#Caturday!
My torby cat Mimi sitting on my writing desk on top of a load of colourful scene cards written on index cards, and next to a pretty terrarium
February 14, 2026 at 10:04 AM
philippaeast.bsky.social
😆😆😆
Screenshot of a Threads conversation that reads: @toddnotmitchell Is there a name for the condition where you can't sleep right because you have arms and they're in the way all the time? @natalierose Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and the tisms @melanielopezpilates + I love that band
February 12, 2026 at 9:32 PM
philippaeast.bsky.social
My #RecentRead*
#StoneYardDevotional by @charlottewood.bsky.social

*books I’ve really liked/loved
A picture of the book cover showing a dilapidated inside of a house, with the floor piled high with pale sand
February 12, 2026 at 9:08 PM
philippaeast.bsky.social
For the record, this is what the employment code of practice currently says.
That’s pretty much all we’ve got (and all we’ve ever had) about trans people using single-sex facilities in the workplace 🤣
p. 254

www.equalityhumanrights.com/sites/defaul...
17.55 If a worker is undergoing gender reassignment, it is good practice for the employer to consult with them sensitively about their needs in the workplace and whether there are any reasonable and practical steps the employer can take to help the worker as they undergo their gender reassignment process. For further information on gender reassignment, please refer to paragraphs 2.21 to 2.30 and 9.31 to 9.33. Example: A worker will soon be undergoing gender reassignment treatment and the employer has accepted that they want to continue working throughout the transition process. To avoid unresolved questions about which toilet facilities the worker should use, their uniform and communications with other members of staff, the employer should arrange to discuss the situation sympathetically with the worker. The discussion could cover setting a date for using different facilities and uniform; the timescale of the treatment; any impact this may have on the worker’s job and adjustments that could be made; and how the worker would like to address the issue of their transition with colleagues.
February 12, 2026 at 4:04 PM
philippaeast.bsky.social
They will be, they just haven’t started yet 🫠
This is pretty much the only part of the code of practice for employment is a potentially affected
17.55 If a worker is undergoing gender reassignment, it is good practice for the employer to consult with them sensitively about their needs in the workplace and whether there are any reasonable and practical steps the employer can take to help the worker as they undergo their gender reassignment process. For further information on gender reassignment, please refer to paragraphs 2.21 to 2.30 and 9.31 to 9.33. Example: A worker will soon be undergoing gender reassignment treatment and the employer has accepted that they want to continue working throughout the transition process. To avoid unresolved questions about which toilet facilities the worker should use, their uniform and communications with other members of staff, the employer should arrange to discuss the situation sympathetically with the worker. The discussion could cover setting a date for using different facilities and uniform; the timescale of the treatment; any impact this may have on the worker’s job and adjustments that could be made; and how the worker would like to address the issue of their transition with colleagues.
February 12, 2026 at 3:57 PM
philippaeast.bsky.social
Media don’t seem to know what the code of practice for services is.
This week the BBC managed to refer to it as a “code of conduct 🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️
The EHRC, which oversees equalities law in the UK, has to provide practical advice to businesses and services angut bow the Suprame Court ruling should be applied. Its proposed code of conduct, a 300-page document, is being considered by the government. In January, Equalities Minister Bridget Phillipson blamed delays in publishing the guidance on the watchdog's "slow response" to government requests for further information. The EHRC said the guidance was "both legally accurate and as clear as it is possible to be"
February 12, 2026 at 3:53 PM
philippaeast.bsky.social
Yes. And like the EHRC wanted the government to do if the original Supreme Court ruling *didn’t* go their way 😳

www.equalityhumanrights.com/media-centre...
Addressing the difficulties created by the definition of ‘legal sex’, set out in the EHRC’s submission, Baroness Falkner continued: “We believe there are far reaching problems with the practical application of the Equality Act in relation to this definition. “It creates significant inconsistencies, which impair the proper functioning of the Equality Act and jeopardise the rights and interests of women and same-sex attracted people. These difficulties include the challenges faced by those seeking to maintain single sex spaces, and in the rights of same-sex attracted persons to form associations. We think clarity is important to everybody affected by these issues properly understanding and exercising their rights. “It is unlikely that Parliament appreciated these consequences when it passed the Equality Act, and they have become more serious with societal change since that time. “As the equality regulator, we deem this to be a wholly unsatisfactory situation, which Parliament should address with urgency. “In April last year we provided advice on clarifying the definition of ‘sex’, in response to a request from the then Minister for Women and Equalities. It is our view that the arguments at the heart of this case once again highlight the importance of Parliament giving careful consideration to amending the Equality Act 2010 and the current balance of rights under the Act.”
February 12, 2026 at 3:48 PM
philippaeast.bsky.social
Currently reading: #DanseMacabre by @stephenking.bsky.social
Picture of the book, showing a blurred out photo of strange shapes in red and black
February 11, 2026 at 8:40 PM
philippaeast.bsky.social
For the record, Tim Allan was — until very recently — on the board of anti-trans campaign group Sex Matters.
See here: yorkshirebylines.co.uk/opinion/what...
#ListenToTransPeople
Power and influence You might think that this increasingly ‘masks-off’ extremism would make those with influence and authority more wary of engaging with a group like Sex Matters – especially given that it has recently been revealed that Sex Matters is currently under investigation by the Charity Commission. And yet, last September, Keir Starmer was happy enough to appoint Sex Matters (ex-) trustee Tim Allan as his new executive director of communications. And barely a week after the new chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), Dr Mary-Ann Stephenson, took up her post on 1 December, she reached out to Sex Matters for a meeting to discuss their “mutual priorities”. This appears, at best, to indicate a shocking lack of due diligence and, at worst, an indication that Starmer or Stephenson take little issue with the extremes of Sex Matters’ agenda.
February 9, 2026 at 12:40 PM
philippaeast.bsky.social
All trans people 🤗
Screenshot of relevant survey questions: How do you identify? Woman Man Non-binary person Other: Do you identify as a trans person? Yes No
February 9, 2026 at 10:12 AM
philippaeast.bsky.social
Arg I’m going in 🫣🫣🫣
Photo of the opening page of my printed manuscript, with a pencil lying on top. The visible text reads: The Summoning Philippa East Fairley Chambers Temple, London October 2026 On the morning of our second day together, I give Anna the file, laying it softly on her desk just before she comes in: a weighty thing. Something of a beast. Normally, this tome lives with me at home, squatting in my downstairs office in a cubbyhole beneath bookshelves lined with weighty legal texts. But I'm interested in Anna - as I'm interested in all my trainees - and once again I'm curious to know what she thinks •What's this?' she says, shrugging har coat. It's a dismal, damp October day outside. •A case.' I tell her. From a year or so ago. aht have seen it covered in the news.' Cautiously, Anna sits down at her desk. The file D A ith pages that are
February 8, 2026 at 1:32 PM
philippaeast.bsky.social
Yeah, he HOT
Picture of a young Anton Chekhov sitting at a table staring dreamingly into the camera
February 8, 2026 at 12:47 PM
philippaeast.bsky.social
Well, quite.
yorkshirebylines.co.uk/opinion/what...
This ruling was initially welcomed by many, including Keir Starmer, the prime minister, and women and equalities minister Bridget Phillipson. Many of those who supported the court’s decision appeared to believe it would draw a line under “toxic” debates, and settle disputes, not escalate them. And why wouldn’t they? After all, Sex Matters had explained that defining sex in this way would “make clear that single-sex services, accommodation, associations, charities and sports are allowed”, while “not remov[ing] protection against discrimination for transgender people, because ‘gender reassignment’ is a separate protected characteristic from sex”. Who would argue against that? Inclusivity changes have followed Yet, fast forward nine months, and we have seen trans people banned overnight from the trans-inclusive services, facilities and organisations they have used without harm for decades. After years of inclusion, the Women’s Institute and Girlguiding announced that they would no longer be able to accept trans women or girls as members. Trans women are to be newly banned from the main 2026 Labour Women’s Conference, while Kenwood ladies’ pond, whose members voted democratically in 2024 to remain trans-inclusive with recent overwhelming support from the public, has faced legal threats (from Sex Matters) to exclude all trans women. In other words, providers and organisations are being told they can no longer be trans-inclusive, even if they and their members want to. This post-ruling interpretation sits uneasily with the statements of Lord Hodge, the supreme court justice who presided over the case, who “pointed out that the case before the court had nothing to do with
February 7, 2026 at 5:31 PM
philippaeast.bsky.social
#Caturday!
Picture of my torby cat Mimi lying in a white cat basket with one paw dangling lazily over the side
February 7, 2026 at 9:23 AM
philippaeast.bsky.social
And this:
yorkshirebylines.co.uk/opinion/what...
Misapplication of terms There has been a surge in the terms “biological man” (or “biological woman”) being shoehorned into media reporting about trans women or trans men respectively. This is despite the supreme court explicitly noting (para 2) that: “It is not the role of the court to adjudicate on the arguments in the public domain on the meaning of gender or sex, nor is it to define the meaning of the word ‘woman’ other than when it is used in the provisions of the EA 2010.” Where does this come from? Where has this transphobic media terminology bubbled up from? Perhaps this letter from Sex Matters to the BBC can shed some light, as it rails (incorrectly) that “The law recognises that men can never become women. No-one needs to say, write or pretend that they can.” It’s worth noting that Sex Matters’ denial of personal, legal and social identities is extended in this letter not just to trans people, but also to those with intersex variations or even just women with elevated testosterone profiles, as Sex Matters summarily dismisses athletes Caster Semenya and Barbra Banda as “men”. Reading Sex Matters’ letter to the BBC in full gives a sense of the viciousness of its objections to what it refers to as “the oppressive influence of transgender ideology”, the “controlling hand of the BBC’s LBGT [sic] and identity team”, and the “over-representation of individuals with a transgender identity”, which they dismiss as no more than a “minority belief system”. Nonetheless, the BBC seems to have happily adopted Sex Matters’ position without question or consultation, with leaked guidance indicating that BBC journalists are now expected to describe trans women as “biological males”, and with the BBC claiming (like Sex Matters) this is required for clarity, regardless of how trans+ people might experience such terms.
February 6, 2026 at 12:23 PM
philippaeast.bsky.social
Putting this here, for the record.
Sex Matters welcomes US President Trump's Executive Order reaffirming the legal status of the two sexes, male and female, across America's federal government. This is a bold and necessary step in the fightback against transactivism, an ideology which prioritises identity claims over material reality and seeks to prevent the use of ordinary language to express ordinary facts. Fully defeating gender-identity ideology will take time and hard work. But this Executive Order is a game-changer in the fight to protect women's rights and defend children from the harms of gender medicine, both in America and elsewhere. Maya Forstater CEO, Sex Matters
February 6, 2026 at 12:23 PM
philippaeast.bsky.social
My #RecentRead*
#TheHouseOnFrippIsland by #RebeccaKauffman

*books I’ve really liked/loved
Picture of book cover with a white/grey beach under a lowering blue sky. The image it ripped 90 degrees on its side on the cover.
February 5, 2026 at 11:53 AM
philippaeast.bsky.social
2/2
(c) it is reasonable in all the circumstances that the information should be withheld from disclosure until the date referred to in paragraph (a). Although an exact date for publication of the minutes referred to in our response has not been determined, there is a clear intention to publish this information at a future date, and we consider it reasonable and sensible to withhold the information until that time. As Section 22 is a qualified exemption, we are required to carry out a public interest test to determine whether the public interest lies in maintaining the exemption or disclosing the information. Our public interest test considerations are detailed below: Factors in favour of disclosure: • There is a general public interest in promoting transparency, accountability, public understanding, and involvement in the democratic process. Disclosure of the requested information would serve this interest. • The public has a particular interest in Board and Committee minutes at this time given recent events, principally our work to update our Code of Practice for services, public functions and associations following the UK Supreme Court judgment in For Women Scotland v The Scottish Ministers in April 2025. Factors in favour of maintaining the exemption: • There is a public interest in the Commission managing the availability of this information by planning and controlling its publication. We consider that publishing the information as intended via our website to be the most appropriate route for publication as this will provide access to a wider audience, enabling more informed public understanding and scrutiny of our Board and Committee meetings. • The requested information requires internal consideration prior to its public release. Ensuring information is carefully assessed for any legal, law enforcement or regulatory restrictions prior to publication is a matter of public interest. • Early release of the requested information may duplicate the work required to prepare the information for publication. It would not be in the public interest for the Commission to divert resources from our other work to create a duplicate workstream. This is particularly relevant at this time as staff are continuing to manage various workstreams flowing from the UK Supreme Court judgment. Conclusion On balance, we conclude that the public interest in withholding the information until publication outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information at this time. Accordingly, this information is withheld under Section 22 of the FoIA, and this response acts as a refusal notice under Section 17. Internal Review If you are unhappy with our response and wish to request an internal review please write to the Information Governance Team within 40 days of receiving this letter setting out your reasons at: Email: foi@equalityhumanrights.com or
February 3, 2026 at 7:19 PM
philippaeast.bsky.social
Full FOI response attached

1/2
Dear Dr East Your Freedom of Information Request Thank you for your request, detailed below, which we received on 14 January 2026. "1. Please provide me with copies of completed minutes from all EHRC Board meetings that have taken place since May 2025. 2. Please provide me with copies of completed minutes from all Board meetings for the Scotland EHRC Committee that have taken place since March 2025. 3. Please provide me with copies of completed minutes from all Board meetings for the Wales EHRC Committee that have taken place since May 2025." This request is being handled under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FoIA). Response For clarity, we have responded to each of your requests in turn below: 1. Please provide me with copies of completed minutes from all EHRC Board meetings that have taken place since May 2025. One set of minutes within the scope of this request are published on our website, and under Section 21 of the FoIA, we have provided a link to where you can access this information below: 125th meeting of the Board: 14 May 2025 There have been six further meetings of the Board since May 2025: • 4 June 2025 (special meeting of the Board) • 18 June 2025 • 2 September 2025 (special meeting of the Board) • 17 September 2025 • 22 October 2025 • 19 November 2025 Minutes taken at the above Board meetings have been approved and are intended for future publication, therefore an exemption from disclosure under Section 22 of the FoIA is engaged. An explanation of this exemption and how it has been applied can be found at the end of our response. 2. Please provide me with copies of completed minutes from all Board meetings for the Scotland EHRC Committee that have taken place since March 2025. One set of minutes within the scope of this request were published on our website at the time of receipt, and under Section 21 of the FoIA, we have provided a link to where you can access this information below: 81st Scotland Committee Meeting minutes of 19 March 2025 Since receipt, two further sets of minutes have been published, and we have provided links to where you can access this information below: 82nd Scotland Committee Meeting minutes of 7 May 2025 83rd Scotland Committee Meeting minutes of 9 September 2025 There have been two other meetings of the Scotland Committee since March 2025: • 4 June 2025 (special meeting of the Scotland Committee) • 10 November 2025* Minutes taken at the 4 June 2025 meeting of the Scotland Committee have been approved and are intended for future publication, therefore an exemption from disclosure under Section 22 of the FoIA is engaged. An explanation of this exemption and how it has been applied can be found at the end of our response. *Minutes taken at the 10 November 2025 meeting of the Scotland Committee are due to be approved at the next meeting of the Committee on 11 March 2026. These minutes are also intended for future publication following approval. 3. Please provide me with copies of completed minutes from all Board meetings for the Wales EHRC Committee that have taken place since May 2025. One set of minutes within the scope of this request are published on our website, and under Section 21 of the FoIA, we have provided a link to where you can access this information below: May 2025 Wales Committee meeting minutes There have been three further meetings of the Wales Committee since May 2025: • 23 June 2025 (special meeting of the Wales Committee) • 29 August 2025 • 4 December 2025* Minutes taken at the above meetings of the Wales Committee have been approved and are intended for future publication, therefore an exemption from disclosure under Section 22 of the FoIA is engaged. An explanation of this exemption and how it has been applied can be found at the end of our response. *Minutes taken at the 4 December 2025 meeting of the Wales Committee are due to be approved at the next meeting of the Committee on 4 March 2026. These minutes are also intended for future publication following approval. Exemption Applied Section 22: Information intended for future publication Section 22(1) of the FoIA provides that: (1) Information is exempt information if— (a) the information is held by the public authority with a view to its publication, by the authority or any other person, at some future date (whether determined or not), (b) the information was already held with a view to such publication at the time when the request for information was made, and
February 3, 2026 at 7:19 PM
philippaeast.bsky.social
My #RecentRead*
#LetTheGamesBegin by #NiccolòAmmaniti

*books I’ve really liked/loved
Picture of the book cover, showing an ornate golden sculpture, populated by Greek and Roman figures in red and teal
February 3, 2026 at 12:03 PM
philippaeast.bsky.social
Also, still shilling for #SexMatters and lying to the House about what the Civil Service Chief Operating Officer said: sex-matters.org/wp-content/u...

timestamp 15.50.40: www.parliamentlive.tv/Event/Index/...
February 3, 2026 at 10:10 AM
philippaeast.bsky.social
Wow! Sometimes those rabbit holes just come out of nowhere!
I’m happily reading my e-book, and wanted to look up “Life Savers” (because I’m not familiar with US candy) and before I know it—
🐇💥🐇💥🐇
Screenshot of the definition of “lifesaver” that my e-book threw up. The final paragraph is highlighted in the screenshot. TOPICS Life Savers ~ Life Savers is an American brand of ring-shaped hard and soft candy. Its range of mints and fruit-flavored candies is... + Fruit Tingles ~ Fruit Tingles is a brand of confectionery originating in Australia. They are a chalky-textured, multicoloured, disc-shaped, fruit flavoured lolly. Standard packages are 34g foil wrapped sleeves with an outer multicoloured paper wrapper, and contain 16 pieces of randomly distributed flavours. + Polo mints ~ a similar European confection bv Nestlé which had i trademark battle with Life Savers over the ring-shaped form. + Triboluminescence ~ an optical phenomenon in which light is generated when material is subject to mechanical breaking, especially noticeable when crushing Wint-O-Green Life Savers in the
February 3, 2026 at 9:59 AM