Kemi Badenoch ‘delighted’ as Dr Hilary Cass made life peer in House of Lords
We'll bet she is
Kemi Badenoch has celebrated Dr Hilary Cass joining the House of Lords as a life peer.
The Conservative MP – widely tipped to be the next party leader – made the public tribute on social media yesterday (Tuesday 15 October 2024).
Cass was the author of the controversial Cass Review, or The Independent Review of Gender Identity Services for Children and Young People.
The review was commissioned by NHS England in 2020 and led by Cass, a retired consultant paediatrician and the former president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health. The review looked into NHS services for gender-diverse children and young people in England.
Cass’s 400-page report came out in April 2024 and made 32 recommendations about gender identity services, many of which have been challenged by the LGBTQ community.
“I am particularly delighted to see Dr. Cass elevated to the House of Lords” – Kemi Badenoch
Speaking on X yesterday, 44-year-old Badenoch said of Baroness Cass: “Those who told the truth about the damage extreme gender ideology was causing children are some of the bravest I’ve ever met.
“As Equalities Minister, I did all I could to protect them but I knew my time in the role was running out. Getting their voices into parliament would guarantee some protection from those who want to shut them up. Not all my recommendations made it over the line but I am particularly delighted to see Dr. Cass elevated to the House of Lords.
“In the face of intense obstruction and hostility and no doubt at great personal cost, she produced a seminal report that has provided clarity and saved many children from making irreversible decisions that would harm their long-term health. Public service at its best.”
What did the Cass Review recommend?
In the final review, Dr Cass has made 32 recommendations about gender identity services. Among them are that “services must operate to the same standards as other services seeing children and young people.” She has also called for young people to get “a holistic assessment of their needs to inform an individualised care plan.” This would involve a mental health assessment as well as screening for neurodevelopmental conditions such as autism. The review also recommended moving away from a single national service towards a series of regional centres. Dr Cass has also called for an improvement in the evidence underpinning any interventions for trans youth. The report also recommended that NHS England review its policy on prescribing masculinising/feminising hormones. It has advised “extreme caution” on prescribing them to 16-year-olds and said there should be “a clear clinical rationale” for providing hormones to under-18s.
To read Attitude’s full breakdown of the Cass Review’s findings, click here.
To read Attitude’s rundown of Badenoch’s history of LGBTQ-related statements, click here.
