Labour’s shadow financial secretary to the Treasury has dodged questions over transphobia in women’s sport.

When quizzed by TalkRADIO this morning over whether it was “lazy transphobia” to criticise the participation of male to female transwomen in womens’ sports, James Murray MP suggested that “the heat” needed to be taken out of the discussion, arguing that “transphobia is very real”.

While he did not explicitly state whether or not he thought people born male ought to be permitted to compete in women’s sports, he stated that the 2010 Equality Act included “exemption for certain activities which include sport.”

When asked whether it was fair for a biological man with “all the benefits of male puberty, strength, height and everything” to compete against women in sport, the MP said that “individual sporting bodies make decisions” on such matters.

His remarks come after a flurry of debate ensured after American transgender woman Lia Thomas, won the highest US national college swimming title last week.