DAVID Roche from Blairgowrie (Letters, Feb 9) states that “support for independence has dipped, but will surely bounce back when voters reflect that no political party can be expected to please all, or even most, of the people all of the time.” Malcolm Cordell of Dundee (Letters, Feb 10) likens the current gender recognition legislation to the smoking ban in pubs and cafes, minimum pricing on alcohol, the ban on bulk buying of booze at discount prices, and the repeal of Clause 28.
Sadly only a third of Scottish voters oppose the UK Government’s decision to veto Nicola Sturgeon’s gender reforms. The recent Ipsos survey also found that 50% backed the Scottish Secretary’s move to block the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill. Even 31% of SNP voters said the UK Government should block the legislation, which would have allowed 16-year-olds to easily change their legal gender. The poll also found that the First Minister’s popularity with the public has declined markedly since October, although voters continued to have a more favourable opinion of her than the opposition party leaders at Holyrood. Hardly a ringing endorsement!
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MSP Shirley-Anne Somerville thinks that folk who are far from enthusiastic about the legislation and the now parallel question of trans individuals in Scotland’s jails should “question” if they want to stay in the SNP at the next election. She follows MP Alyn Smith, who said those unwilling to support party positions should “stand as an individual”. As the old saying goes, “be careful what you wish for.” The current antics of the SNP leadership and their lack of progress and priority on the issue of independence will most certainly lead to potential candidates for future elections having second thoughts about even standing.
The gender recognition debate has no winners. The issue has been dragged, without any real thought or consideration of the consequences, to the forefront of public opinion. The proposals have become entirely mixed up with the issue of trans prisoners. The real losers are the bulk of trans people who just wanted to live their day-to-day lives without the intervention of politicians – of any party.
Glenda Burns
Glasgow
(NB this letter has been corrected to remove the erroneous claim that Malcolm Cordell is an SNP councillor)
ELLIE Gomersall’s column “Scottish independence is no utopia – but UK is toxic” (Feb 12) has enraged me more so than any I have ever read in The National. It makes me wonder if Ellie has ever actually campaigned for independence.
The Scottish Government gender reforms are the most unpopular policy proposals in the history of devolution. Worse still, they have managed to get us to a situation where polling shows us that half of Scotland are happy that Viceroy Jack has stepped in to block them with a Section 35 order.
READ MORE: Warning about media frenzies targeting our FM is long overdue
Perhaps Ellie would like to come to Inverclyde, knock some doors or stand in the town centre of Greenock or Port Glasgow and explain to people that the burning issue right now is the Scottish Parliament’s right to enact legislation that would allow people charged with sexual offences to change sex before trial? I can assure you the reaction would not be one of agreement.
This isn’t the way to build support for independence. As an independence supporter there is no way I can support the SNP if this policy remains in place. Thankfully, I can continue to use my vote to support independence and voice my opposition to the shocking gender bill by voting Alba. I can’t be the only reader of The National in this position.
Frank Wood
Port Glasgow
THE BBC and the more right-wing press have so far been successful in conflating the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill with the current procedures of the Scottish Prison Service around the incarceration of transgender prisoners – procedures which are governed by UK equalities legislation. However, any reputation that has remained at the BBC for “integrity, professionalism and accountability”, never mind any semblance of “impartiality”, has been shredded.
The extensive reporting around the progress in gender recognition reform and the incarceration of trans prisoners in Scotland lies in stark contrast to reporting of the situation in England, which has many more trans prisoners. Why has the UK Government, which is ignoring the recommendations of its own Tory-led Women and Equalities Committee, been allowed to almost totally avoid investigative scrutiny on these two separate issues?
READ MORE: BBC presenter James Naughtie claims Nicola Sturgeon is 'looking tired'
The Labour government in Wales is considering following the Scottish Government, the Irish government and the growing number of already more than 30 countries around the world that have embraced similar reform without the same furore that has been generated in Scotland.
Could it be that the Tory-led BBC has spotted a seemingly rare opportunity to undermine the individual considered to be the biggest threat to sustaining the crumbling Union, and regrettably there are few BBC journalists and commentators that have the integrity to refuse to play a part in what is a deliberately gross misrepresentation further traumatising one of the most marginalised minorities in our supposed compassionate society?
Stan Grodynski
Longniddry, East Lothian
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