In his speech to the Conservative Party conference on Wednesday, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak made a number of significant announcements, according to Al Jazeera, including the cancellation of the HS2 rail line, a plan to double the number of doctors and nurses, and an increase in the legal smoking age.

But Sunak remarked in a divisive comment regarding the transgender population that caused a stir that people in the UK shouldn't be "bullied" into thinking they may be whatever sex they want.

“Patients should know when hospitals are talking about men or women, and we shouldn’t get bullied into believing that people can be any sex they want to be. They can’t. A man is a man, and a woman is a woman; that’s just common sense,” he said during the conference, according to Al Jazeera.

“It also shouldn't be controversial for parents to know what their children are learning in school about relationships. Patients should know when hospitals are talking about men or women". He added.

At the Conservative Party conference, his remarks were greeted with loud applause. The British Prime Minister added that his group is "going to change this country and that means, life means life."  "That shouldn't be a controversial position. The vast majority of hard-working people agree with it," he continued.

Rishi Sunak's social media outrage

Sunak's comments prompted outrage on social media, with some accusing him of making repeated attacks on the transgender community and calling his sentiments "disgraceful" and "vile."

This comes after Health minister Steve Barclay proposed to lay out plans to bar transwomen from using NHS wards.

 LGBTQ+ charity Stonewell criticized the action, calling it a "cynical attempt to look busy" rather than a genuine change in women's healthcare.

The UK PM also suggested raising the smoking age annually by one year, which would prevent minors who turn 14 this year from being able to purchase cigarettes.

“I propose that in future, we raise the smoking age by one year every year. That means a 14-year-old today will never legally be sold a cigarette and that they and their generation can grow up smoke-free,” he remarked.

In an important announcement about the National Health Service, he unveiled a reform initiative to hire and train twice as many new physicians and nurses, breaking away from the practise of hiring from overseas and through agencies. “It is also a reform plan for the NHS. With new ways of training and new roles of new ways of working, all driving up productivity,” he said.

Additionally, he announced the development of a British-style certificate for students between the ages of 16 and 19, which would require all students to take some kind of English and math classes. According to Al Jazeera, he also said that more effort would be made to find and educate new instructors who could teach the two courses.

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