AS the dust settles on the passage of the Gender Recognition Reform Bill, awaiting Royal Assent to become law, and after some reflection, I wonder whether our First Minister has used her premise to create a “progressive” Scotland to play a clever game. Three things occur to me.

First, as the medical requirement has been removed from the gender certification process, and therefore gender destination is no longer considered a psychological dysphoria requiring medical assessment and counselling, can we assume that such NHS-provided psychological services will no longer be required? Has this Bill consequentially saved our hard pressed NHS a considerable sum?

The same is true of those would seek sex “reconstruction” surgery. As their condition is no longer deemed a psychological medical issue, and such procedures therefore become entirely elective cosmetic surgery, surely then this is outwith the remit of the NHS and it will no longer be required to fund such surgery, or any follow up health care as a consequence of any private medical intervention?

READ MORE: First Minister urges Scots to help vulnerable in Christmas message

In these harsh public funding times, surely this money reallocated to other areas of health need will be truly welcome?

Second, perhaps our FM has been doubly clever and deliberately pursued the gender issue as an attempt to foment a confrontation between the UK and Scottish parliaments? It is clear that the Scottish Parliament has chosen to ignore the tension between UK equalities legislation and this bill. Was it the intention to craft a situation of two parliaments at loggerheads and, following on from Westminster’s stoic denial of Scottish democracy, to bring about a situation where Scots are encouraged to demand the sovereignty of the Scottish Parliament at Holyrood through independence?

How impressive would that be? This SNP leadership really putting Scottish independence first – as much interest and extraordinary effort displayed as they have with the sex and gender issue – and actively working to promulgate it when we were all led to think it had gone into hibernation?

READ MORE: Police investigate gender law reform 'flasher' protester

Third, while 86 did, 39 MSPs did not support the bill. If that percentage is extrapolated to the general population to reflect support for independence, then wouldn’t that torpedo the indy ship below the water line?

Time will tell. Westminster will review this bill in weeks to come. We must await the polls as the matter is considered in the new year. Perhaps there will be no effect. Perhaps the womens’ lobby against the bill will give up or be ineffective?

Time will tell if history will record whether Scotland’s future rested on the passage of this bill or otherwise.

Jim Taylor
Edinburgh

SINCE the Scottish Parliament passed the Gender Recognition Reform Bill, the lynch mob have been out on social media. All that was missing was the smell of flaming torches and the sharp pain of the pitchfork.

From reading their comments, it is clear that they fall into two categories. There are those that have only read the screaming skull tabloid headlines, and thus armed, attempt to render their very blinkered perception as something much more profound than it is Then we have those who have a very deep-running bigoted view on what is morally acceptable and what is not. Although quite often the second group hide themselves in among the first.

READ MORE: Tories are resorting to red-meat tactics as the UK breaks down

For those against the bill to say that they are protecting children or the rights of females, do you not find it odd that both the EU and the UN applaud what Scotland has done? If people outside of Scotland applaud us, then I do question the motives of those within our borders that go fundamentalist. Or is it more a case of we are an inclusive country, but only on the terms of the fundamental types lurking on the fringe.

I did seek advice on the bill. After all, I am a 61-year-old white heterosexual male of Caithness and English blood. The three I spoke to at length who can, if they wish, speak for the LGBTI community, all stated that the right wing got hold of the story and twisted it.

We are an incredibly diverse society, we have always welcomed the stranger that wandered in and sat them by the heat. Little Britannica will never regain its self-proclaimed glory, it is a spent empire and all it has is its detached tentacles and fading memory.

Cliff Purvis
Former Army Corporal

THE Scottish Parliament has seen fit to pass the Gender Recognition Reform Bill. It would hard to imagine a sillier piece of legislation , but I have to accept it passed by a substantial cross-party majority.

What really arouses my anger is the impertinence of the English Government threatening to use 500 or so English MPs to try to block the democratic will of the Scottish Parliament.

They wish to bring the king into this by causing him to refuse royal assent, politicising the monarchy. The monarchy has a hard enough time in Scotland without dragging it through this swamp.

R Mill Irving
Gifford, East Lothian