Bridget Phillipson has been accused of delaying the publishing of guidance on single-sex spaces amid concerns she may lose support from Labour backbenchers.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) gave the statutory guidance to Mrs Phillipson, who is also the Women and Equalities Minister.

The document sets out how gyms, clubs and hospitals must judge single-sex spaces based on biology.

While it has not yet been laid in parliament, there has been intense backlash from transgender campaigners and opposition MPs.

Shadow Women and Equalities Minister Mims Davies accused Mrs Phillipson of putting “her own career opportunities ahead of women’s rights”.

Sources close to Mrs Phillipson accused her opponents of “weaponising gender issues” in a “cynical and divisive” way, and the Government was “taking the time” to get the guidance right.

One told The Times: “To suggest that the timing of publication is in any way politically motivated is beneath contempt.”

Others have expressed concern that the guidance released would make them “extremely unpopular” in their seats.

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Another MP said: “I back Bridget, but if this guidance is published before the vote closes, there’s no way I can vote for her. I’ve got a big LGBT community in my constituency and I’d never get their vote again.”

One other noted: “I think this underlines the problem with making someone with two huge and controversial roles already the deputy leader.

“In many cases, that means she’ll be put in an impossible position, and it’ll become part of an unhelpful narrative.

“Increasingly, the loyal thing to do looks to be voting Lucy [Powell] to protect Keir from those headlines. Let Lucy focus on the party and Bridget focus on governing.”

Her opponent in the upcoming deputy leadership contest, Lucy Powell, is understood to think now that MPs should be able to vote on the guidance because it will become law.

She told the Labour Party Conference in Liverpool: “I think we have got some of the language not right on this, and particularly around some of the guidance that’s coming forward.

“I really strongly feel like we need a robust and transparent parliamentary conversation about that because when we’re looking at applying the law as parliamentarians, we should have a say on that, and that’s something I’ll be pushing for as well.”

Mrs Phillipson’s allies accused Ms Powell of “rewriting history”, noting her welcoming past guidance which excluded transgender people from same-sex spaces for the opposite sex.

Ms Powell previously told GB News: “There are circumstances where it’s appropriate for safety reasons or in the case of sport, for fair competition reasons, where inclusion doesn’t trump issues around safety or fair competition.”

Ms Powell is believed to now think that MPs should be able to vote on the guidance because it will become law.

However, Baroness Falkner of Margravine, the EHRC chair, said there is no need to wait for the new code because the Supreme Court’s ruling clarified the law.

A spokesman for the EHRC stated: “We know there is high demand among duty-bearers the length and breadth of this country.

“Which is why the UK Government asked us to deliver revised guidance without delay, following the Supreme Court’s judgment on the definition of sex.

“We worked at pace to update our code of practice to accurately reflect the judgment, ensuring it is as clear as possible to those who will use it.

“The next steps in the updated code becoming statutory guidance are now in the Government’s hands. We urge them to act at speed.”