SCOTTISH Labour leader Anas Sarwar faces a divisive row over trans rights at the party’s conference later this month.

Activists have tabled a motion for debate on recognising “the principle of women’s sex based rights”, the Daily Record reports.

They have called on Sarwar to adopt Keir Starmer’s stance on the trans debate and “openly recognise women as adult human females”.

It will reopen wounds from the debate over the Scottish Government’s shelved transgender law reforms, which were blocked by Westminster in 2022.

Sarwar and most of his MSPs backed the policy – but Starmer expressed concerns about the changes.

READ MORE: Labour trans row deepens as Starmer says he ‘does not agree’ with Scottish party

The motion, tabled by the party’s women’s committee, reads: “We urge Scottish Labour to acknowledge the principle of women’s sex based rights. We recommend that Scottish Labour leadership follow Keir Starmer’s lead and openly recognise women as adult human females.

“Women and girls are at certain material disadvantages compared to men, in particular in relation to sexual violence. As a result, civilised societies, including the UK with the Equality Act 2010, have single sex spaces for women in a state of physical or emotional vulnerability including, but not exclusive to, toilets, changing rooms, healthcare facilities, prisons, refuges, most sports, and trauma counselling.

"Women’s and girls’ sexuality and fertility are vulnerable to exploitation including pornography, prostitution, commercialised egg donation and commercialised surrogacy."

It added: “When [the] Holyrood Parliament and its committees discuss regulation and legislation that impacts on women, women’s voices as a sex class must be heard openly, with respect and without intimidation.

“With a UK election approaching and Holyrood elections scheduled for 2026 we recommend that Scottish Labour acknowledge women’s existence as a sex and encourage positive debate within the Labour Party.”

Starmer this week tore strips off of the Prime Minister during an exchange in which the Labour leader was accused of making a U-turn on the definition of a woman.

Rishi Sunak was criticised for the jibe because the mother of murdered transgender teenager Brianna Ghey was present in parliament.

But Starmer’s own views on trans rights are more vague, saying last year that 99.9% of women “of course haven't got a penis”, while placing himself in support of both the “cause of women [and] those that don't identify with the gender that they were born into”.

A party spokesperson said: “Scottish Labour Conference is an opportunity for debate and motions covering a range of topics will be tabled for discussion."