Sir Keir Starmer’s new health minister once said “people can identify as llamas” as her views on transgender issues, health and Brexit were exposed.

The Prime Minister has appointed Ashley Dalton to the role after Andrew Gwynne was sacked over leaked WhatsApp messages.

Yet despite being appointed to the Department of Health, Ms Dalton has opposed Labour’s official policy of using the private sector to bring down waiting lists.

In 2023, the Daily Express revealed she argued that private sector profits had soared while patients were “left behind” under supposed Tory NHS privatisation.

In 2016, before becoming an MP, she blasted Brexit as “short-sighted and stupid”, and branded the UK and US as “fascist” countries.

Taking to Twitter, she fumed: “I used to fear we would once again be at war against fascism. Now I fear that we are the fascists … The UK and the USA”.

The new health minister is also a vocal proponent for trans people and has advocated for the complete abolition of gendered bathrooms.

In 2016, she argued that if someone identifies as a llama, people should “take them seriously” and “treat [them] with dignity and respect”.

In the same year, she argued in favour of people being able to “define their own gender and that society should be set up to support not hinder that”.

She later tweeted that same day: “Trans women are women. Don’t assume you know anything about their bodies or anyone else’s.”

She later argued in favour of abolishing gendered bathrooms altogether, which would force women to always use the lavatory alongside men.

“I’m not trying to stigmatise anyone,” she argued at the time. “Personally, I think we shouldn’t have gendered bathrooms at all.”

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“Respect?…..as long as they respect that llamas aren’t permitted to enter numerous establishments for health and safety reasons…..hospitals, …” 19

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Just last year, she filibustered a debate on a new law to protect children and single-sex women by spending 30 minutes talking about ferret name choices in the preceding debate.

Asked about the unearthed comments, the Prime Minister’s spokesman replied: “You have got the Government’s position on gender.”

Reform UK’s Lee Anderson told the Daily Express: “Labour’s biggest strength is their ability to consistently embarrass themselves. Ashley Dalton MP, Labour’s newly appointed health minister, has stated that people should be able to identify as Llamas if they so wish.”

“This backwards ideology not only disrespects and undermines science, but it does a tremendous disservice to natural born women. Once again, Labour cannot properly identify what a woman is.

“While our NHS is failing and GP appointments are impossible to get, Labour’s biggest concern is promoting gender ideology.”