The opening line from Oscar Wilde’s play The Importance of Being Earnest features Lady Bracknell stating that losing one parent may be regarded as a misfortune, but losing both looks like carelessness.

Here in the local area, a similar sentiment applies: losing one councillor may be regarded as a misfortune, but losing eight looks like more than carelessness.

Following Milla Gauge’s departure last week, the Labour Group has now lost eight councillors within approximately three years.

Milla Gauge is a highly capable individual who, in my view, demonstrated genuine potential for advancement to leadership positions and possibly roles at the national level. When she was chosen to contest a by-election in Queens Park Ward, I commented that Labour had chosen an exceptional candidate who would bring experience and great ability to the Council, not least her expertise in tackling violence against women and girls.

She has now stepped down citing worries about child protection matters, indicating that residents had raised issues with her about the council’s stance on trans matters, but she was prevented from escalating these concerns.

Milla also mentioned that the council declined to confirm whether it would adopt new guidance on single-sex spaces, and if so, how this would function in practice.

Milla Gauge stated she faced obstruction when requesting information about an NHS report that raised issues with WellBN.

Her departure represents a significant loss to the city. A functioning democracy requires individuals willing to raise difficult questions, and they deserve considered responses.

Council leader Bella Sankey responded to Milla’s resignation by stating that she had been unable to point to a specific safeguarding concern resulting from the council’s trans-inclusive approach, and that she had persisted in making generalised accusations which appeared intended to damage the council’s reputation.

Bella went on to say that the EHRC guidance is a flawed and confused document which seemingly contradicts obligations public bodies have under Labour’s Human Rights Act, and that while they would always comply with the law, the guidance does not provide the clarity public bodies need to support them to do that.

The legal position on this matter is unambiguous. Services must be delivered based on a person’s biological sex. The Supreme Court, in its 2025 judgment, clarified this point, stating it was merely restating the law as it had always existed. Across the country, tribunals are ruling in favour of women who have been compelled to share changing facilities with individuals born biologically male, and others who have faced discrimination due to what has been termed their gender-critical beliefs.

In Brighton and Hove we face a dilemma. As the Women’s Rights Network noted at the weekend, the city of over 280,000 has not one single-sex service for women who have been raped, and Brighton and Hove City Council are failing their women constituents cruelly and miserably. This came in response to the Argus and other outlets highlighting three sexual assaults on Brighton beach over the preceding week.

Stephanie Davies-Arai from Transgender Trend also drew attention to the lack of single-sex services for women who have experienced sexual violence, commenting that a Labour councillor has just resigned because Brighton and Hove City Council won’t listen to residents’ concerns about this. Brighton resident Frances Bill expressed this effectively on social media on Saturday, saying it is almost as though women don’t matter in Brighton and Hove.

During my tenure as a councillor, we were frequently cautioned that engaging in illegal activities could result in surcharges, meaning personal financial responsibility for losses suffered by the council. Should councillors act unlawfully regarding single-sex facilities and services, they can anticipate the expected legal challenge.

The expense of defending any unlawful discrimination, along with the compensation that will subsequently be payable, should be borne by those councillors who refuse to adhere to the law as clarified by the Supreme Court, and such surcharges should apply to council officers if they are providing misleading guidance to councillors about the legal position.

Andy Winter served as a councillor and spent 40 years working in social care and homelessness services.