PIERS Morgan today claimed trans athletes had a “grotesquely unfair” advantage in a furious GMB row with Labour’s Lisa Nandy.
The Good Morning Britain host engaged in a lengthy spat with the Labour leadership hopeful, as she accused him of creating a “false war”.
Currently running to replace Jeremy Corbyn, Ms Nandy laid into the telly star after he claimed self-identification could ruin sport.
He had said: “The battle that is raging between women’s rights and transgender rights, it’s a serious battle and a serious debate.
“This issue of for example women’s sport, you have the Olympics coming, you’ve got a New Zealand weightlifter who competed as male who’s now smashing records having identified as female.
“Are you happy for anyone born to a male biological body to simply raise their hand without any need for surgery and to compete against women in the Olympics born into female biological bodies?
“Why would you not on GMB say whether you think it’s fair that Usain Bolt could self identify as female and compete against women born to women’s biological bodies.”
The ITV presenter was referring to New Zealand champion Laurel Hubbard, 41, who won two gold medals at the Roma World Cup in January this year.
Lashing out at Mr Morgan, the Wigan MP said: “You are doing what too many people have done in this debate, you have created more heat and less light.
“You are setting up an example that is just simply nonsense. It’s a straw man. Usain Bolt is not planning to self identify as a woman and run in a woman’s race.”
Piers insisted: “What am I doing other than trying to protect women’s rights from a grotesquely unfair situation where women are born to male biological bodies with a superior strength and power and are able to simply say I’m female and compete against women born to female bodies.”
He has been a strong critic of the transgender debate, and last year claimed he now identifies “as a penguin”.
Ms Nandy claimed the host was not taking the issue seriously, and demanded an apology.
She said: “You are attacking the most marginal people in this country, by setting up a false war between women and trans women and trans men. That is not good enough Piers.
“I think this is just outrageous, you are setting up two groups of people who deserve better against each other.
“Perhaps you might apologise for the way you have conducted this debate.
“You are a national broadcaster with an enormous platform and you should do better.”
