The week began with the leader of the Labour Party tying himself in knots over the definition of a woman. In a radio interview, Sir Keir Starmer struggled to give a clear answer to a question that most people would think was obvious. Then again, his party is split down the middle on the issue: between those who think that it is fundamentally a matter of biology and Left-wing activists who favour a more expansive definition of gender identity.

The week ended with the Government itself caught up in a trans row of its own making. On Thursday evening, it was reported that ministers had dropped plans to ban so-called conversion therapy, practices that seek to change a person from being gay or transgender. The Government would instead review how the existing law could be deployed more effectively.

Within hours, however, following a backlash from some Tory MPs and LGBT groups, it appeared that the ban would indeed go ahead – but only on conversion therapy targeting sexuality.

It may be that the Government has finally landed on the correct policy. Critics said that the initial proposals were being rushed through before a major equality conference later this year, without sufficient scrutiny. As Nikki da Costa, a former director of legislative affairs at No 10, argued in this newspaper, it was better to slow down and build consensus on such contentious matters. In particular, there were fears that banning transgender conversion therapy would prevent doctors or even parents from doing anything other than affirming a child’s statement that they were transgender, even though their interests might be better served through therapies that can explore their feelings.

The chaotic handling of this affair, however, is unfortunate. These are matters that should be dealt with sensitively and by weighing up the evidence in a calm and rational manner. But the debate has been taken over by radical activists promoting a particular ideology who constantly admonish their critics as “transphobic”. That is the accusation that is now being erroneously laid at the Government’s door.

Ministers ought to be doing much more to challenge the ideologues, including by preventing public sector bodies such as the NHS from pursuing policies that most people consider to be inappropriate. It should also be much more robust on, for example, protecting women’s sport.

But that is best achieved by having a clear policy that is not liable to change, seemingly on a whim. The Labour Party is incapable of providing leadership on this issue. The Conservative Party ought to be less afraid of angering a vocal minority and stand with the majority of the British public.