Apology after two women's rights campaigners banned

Bristol City Council has apologised "unreservedly" and agreed to pay some legal costs after two gender critical campaigners were banned from the chamber.

Phoebe Beedell and Wendy Stephenson were excluded from public meetings for six months, after the authority said their conduct led to some councillors feeling "intimidated".

The women launched a legal challenge, and now the council has agreed to settle the dispute out of court.

In a public statement, the council withdrew its allegations against the women and admitted there should have been an investigation before they were banned.

During a full council meeting in November 2025 Beedell and Stephenson were accused of "confronting two councillors in the reception area in a way that they found intimidating".

The women are part of the "Women of Wessex" group, who advocate gender critical views and have repeatedly raised questions about the council's policies in relation to trans rights.

On one occasion Green Party councillors walked out of the chamber while the women were speaking, on another they held up placards.

Following the meeting, Beedell said she approached one of the councillors who had walked out and asked a question about the Supreme Court ruling that the "concept of sex is binary".

"I would say that that conversation lasted less than one minute... and then they turned away," she said at the time.

Beedell claims that Stephenson, who was also dismissed from her position as chair of the council's independent remuneration panel, "was not there for that conversation".

The pair said they had not been given the opportunity to respond to the allegations, and had lawyers preparing for a judicial review of the decision in court.

In a public statement, the council said it accepted that the process it had followed before it took action against Beedell and Stephenson was "inadequate".

"Before those decisions were taken, a proportionate investigation should have been conducted," the statement said.

It went on to say that the two women should have been informed of the substance of the allegations, provided with a summary of the evidence, and given a meaningful opportunity to respond.

"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 4 November 2025."

The six-month exclusions have been rescinded and the council says they will not be relied upon in future as findings of misconduct.

The statement goes on: "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."

Personal apology letters issued to the two women acknowledge "the delay in resolving the inadequacies."

Speaking after the statement was issued, Beedell said the whole situation had been "a tragic waste of money".

"I was disgusted by their behaviour," she said. "It has cost the council tens of thousands pounds.

"We're not intimidating or harassing anyone," she added. "We're just standing to defend women's rights."

Stephenson described it as "long and difficult dispute".

She said she was "relieved" by the outcome, but "furious" that it had happened in the first place.

"It's been a cloud hanging over us for the past year," she said.

"We will continue to campaign on behalf of women's rights and to ask questions of the local authority."

The council's Trans Inclusion and Gender Identity Policy, which was at the heart of the dispute, was updated in August 2026 to bring it into line with the Supreme Court ruling when judges unanimously concluded that a woman is defined by biological sex.

Bristol City Council chiefs said an outline procedure will be introduced, to be applied to any future cases where complaints are made.

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