Union activist sues claiming gender critical discrimination
Ms Macdonald, who has held several leadership positions within the PCS, including its Scottish Government group, says she was subjected to a sustained campaign of hostility for defending women's single-sex spaces.
When it was announced she was to be given the accolade of the union's coveted distinguished service award three years ago at its annual conference in Brighton, Ms Macdonald says trans activists organised an unprecedented vote from the floor in a bid to prevent the award being handed over to her. She was given no warning that this was to happen.
Read more:
She said: 'I'm suing them because of my belief system. I believe in a materialist and collectivist approach to politics and this runs contrary to my beliefs. Someone needs to burst this bubble in the unions and I'm now prepared to do it.
'I'd contacted a lawyer before for advice but then dropped it. Who wants to take action against their own union?
'Then recently, a friend of mine died and it prompted me to change my mind. She had also been an active trade unionist, but had found herself hounded and humiliated for her beliefs.
'The Supreme Court ruling [on single sex spaces] aligned with my perspective and yet my union issued a statement rejecting it. When I saw what was happening to Sandie Peggie, it made up my mind.'
Nurse Sandie Peggie was suspended over the changing room row. (Image: PA) Ms McDonald added that 'a climate of fear' now exists inside the PCS. 'A lot of women were terrified and we were meeting in secret, in people's kitchens and by Zoom. They were losing their jobs and their positions in the union. They were being hounded.'
Ms Macdonald's solicitor, Margaret Gribbon of McGrade Employment Solicitors in Glasgow, said: 'Trade unions, like employers, must comply with their duties under the Equality Act. That means they must not discriminate against members who hold gender critical or sex realists beliefs.
'Trade unions who are actively and publicly disassociating themselves with this lawful protected belief by, for instance, openly criticising the Supreme Court's decision in FWS may find it more difficult to defend litigations raised by members claiming they have been harassed or refused union assistance for holding and/or manifesting sex realist beliefs."
Ms Macdonald's action against the CPS Union comes after it was revealed that Sandie Peggie is raising a similar action against her own Union, the Royal College of Nursing. Two other members of the RCN told The Herald they have also faced intimidation and discrimination for their sex-realist beliefs.
A spokesperson for the PCS said: 'PCS notes that this matter may be the subject of litigation. Accordingly, we will not be offering any comment at this time.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
7 minutes ago
- The Independent
Trump won't rule out pardoning Ghislaine Maxwell. Can anyone trust her?
Over the course of a decade, Ghislaine Maxwell 'facilitated and participated in the sexual abuse of multiple young girls' alongside her partner Jeffrey Epstein while enjoying a 'life of extraordinary luxury and privilege,' according to federal prosecutors. From 1994 to 2004, Maxwell and Epstein worked together to groom young girls — some as young as 14 years old — and enticed them to travel to Epstein's properties, prosecutors said. During a monthlong trial in 2021, survivors testified in federal court in Manhattan that Maxwell had groomed them, took their passports, and sexually abused them. Four victims testified. Prosecutors argued she had lured them into a false sense of security by presenting as a 'glamorous, older woman' who normalized a culture of abuse and silence that shrouded her and Epstein, according to a sentencing memorandum. The federal judge overseeing the case said Maxwell 'played a pivotal role' in their abuse. Four years later, President Donald Trump has, notably, nothing negative to say about the case against a woman he knows, the accusations against her, or the jury's verdict. The president — whose years-long relationship with Epstein and revived allegations of abuse involving the convicted sex offender are under intense public scrutiny — has not ruled out pardoning Maxwell. Maxwell, who is now 63, is not scheduled to be released from prison until 2040. She appealed her conviction to the Supreme Court, which the Department of Justice opposes. Her best chance of early release is a presidential pardon, and legal experts warn that his public statements suggesting that a pardon is even remotely on the table could encourage Maxwell to do anything she can to secure one. Her attorney David Markus said she would 'welcome' one. It's unclear whether anyone involved with Maxwell's case — from Justice Department interviews to the president's public musings on a potential pardon — have considered the impacts to her victims. Former Justice Department pardon attorney Liz Oyer says those discussions have been 'shockingly overlooked.' 'Nobody is talking about how the victims may feel even by these discussions being had,' she told All Rise. Teresa Helm, who had testified against Maxwell, told MSNBC the consequences of a pardon 'would mean the complete crumbling of this justice system that should first and foremost stand for, fight for and protect survivors.' Pardoning Maxwell would be 'extremely problematic and would be a huge loss for individuals like myself,' witness and Epstein accuser Annie Farmer told the BBC. On August 11, Maxwell is scheduled to sit for a jailhouse deposition sought by the GOP-led House Oversight Committee. In a letter to the committee, her attorneys have asked for some immunity protections — and made another appeal to Trump for clemency. 'If Ms. Maxwell were to receive clemency, she would be willing — and eager — to testify openly and honestly, in public, before Congress in Washington, D.C.,' according to the letter, Maxwell's legal team provided to The Independent. 'She welcomes the opportunity to share the truth and to dispel the many misconceptions and misstatements that have plagued this case from the beginning.' Her attorneys insist she did not receive a fair trial, which served as a 'scapegoat' after Epstein's death. The Independent has requested comment from Maxwell's attorneys. A central question is whether she is telling the truth. Trump's own Justice Department in 2020 said she 'brazenly' lied under oath. The judge who oversaw her federal criminal case said she failed to show any 'acceptance of responsibility' for her actions. Oyer told CBS News that Maxwell is likely 'desperate to get out from under that sentence,' adding that 'it's hard to really believe that the Justice Department would rely on anything that she might have to say. 'She has a live criminal appeal. It doesn't make sense that she'd jeopardize it unless she gets some kind of immunity,' wrote journalist Jacob Shamsian, who extensively covered Maxwell's cases. 'And if she does, how can you trust her? She has every incentive in the world to get out of her 20-year sentence.' Democratic Senators Dick Durbin and Sheldon Whitehouse have sought a public commitment that the Justice Department will not advocate for a pardon or commute Maxwell's sentence. The senators called it 'highly unusual' for deputy attorney general Todd Blanche — Trump's former criminal defense attorney — to interview Maxwell, rather than the prosecutors who are familiar with the case. The Trump administration fired Maurene Comey, one of the prosecutors who successfully brought the case against Maxwell, and who questioned witnesses and abuse survivors who testified against her. Durbin and Whitehouse warned that her 'documented record of lying and her desire to secure early release' may lead her to 'provide false information or selectively withhold information in return for a pardon or sentence commutation.' When charges were first announced in July 2020, Trump — whose friendship with Epstein spanned roughly the same time period at the center of Maxwell's case — claimed that he wasn't 'following the case' but said 'I wish her well.' 'I just wish her well, frankly,' he told reporters at the White House at the time. 'I've met her numerous times over the years, especially since I lived in Palm Beach and I guess they lived in Palm Beach. But I wish her well, whatever it is.' Last week, when asked whether he was considering pardoning her in exchange for her cooperation in the Epstein investigation, Trump said he was 'allowed to do it.' Later, he said he 'can't talk about pardons' while Blanche continues to speak with Maxwell. On Saturday, he said it was 'no time to be talking about pardons,' and on Monday, he stressed that he was 'allowed' to pardon Maxwell, 'but nobody has approached me with it.' Maxwell's trial was largely seen as the public reckoning against Epstein that the convicted sex offender never received. Epstein died in his jail cell in 2019 following his arrest before his own trial on sex trafficking charges. 'Ms. Maxwell is not punished in place of Epstein,' New York District Judge Alison Nathan said at her sentencing hearing in 2022. 'Ms. Maxwell is being punished for the role that she played.' Nathan called Maxwell's conduct 'heinous and predatory,' and the 20-year prison sentence imposed on her was intended to 'acknowledge the harm that Ms. Maxwell has caused.' The cases were also enmeshed in wider conspiracy theories amplified by the president and his allies that powerful Democratic figures are trafficking children, claims at the center of so-called 'Pizzagate' and QAnon communities that infected wider Republican politics. But the Trump administration's failure to release so-called 'files' surrounding the Epstein case, which critics had hoped to reveal public figures who exploited and abused young girls while, has fueled allegations that the president is participating in a cover up. After handing binders of mostly previously released evidence in the Epstein case to far-right influencers in February, Bondi reportedly told Trump his name appeared in unreleased files. The Justice Department had reportedly worked around clock to clear 100,000 files connected to the case for public release — but never released them. Elon Musk — who earlier this year tossed what he called a 'bomb' into his falling out with Trump by accusing the president of being in the 'files' — has amplified allegations that Maxwell intends to implicate Democratic officials in the investigation. The idea goes: spurious evidence presented by Maxwell would reaffirm the president's claims he did 'nothing wrong' during his relationship with Epstein while a guilty Trump reaps praise from his base for taking down pedophiles. On his X account, Musk responded to a viral post detailing the allegations with a bullseye emoji. Any revelations from Maxwell's testimony with the help of Trump, who is desperate to change the conversation, could generate a generate a storm of distractions. A pardon quid pro quo would risk political blowback for Trump and his enablers while adding more fuel to allegations of a cover up. Inflaming the tension is a report from The Wall Street Journal that accused the president of writing a bawdy birthday card to Epstein in 2003, which allegedly included 'several lines of typewritten text framed by the outline of a naked woman,' with a birthday wish that 'may every day be another wonderful secret.' Trump has denied ever writing such a note and sued the newspaper, its publishers and the journalists whose bylines appeared on the story for $10 billion. The person who could speak to the authenticity of that message and allegations against Trump is Maxwell, who allegedly asked for birthday greetings from Epstein's friends and put them together in a book for him. During a two-day interview with Blanche, Maxwell answered questions about 'about 100 different people' with potential ties to the Epstein ring, according to her attorney. In exchange, Maxwell was offered a limited form of immunity that would prevent prosecutors from using statements against her in a criminal case. Following her interview with Blanche, Markus said she answered 'all of the questions truthfully, honestly and to the best of her ability.'
Channel 4
7 minutes ago
- Channel 4
Trump talks Gaza, tariffs and golf in five-day visit to Scotland
Air Force One has taken off from Scotland with Donald Trump on board after a five-day visit which included talks on everything from Gaza to tariffs and a lot of golf on his own courses. Mr Trump had a brief meeting earlier today with the Scottish First Minister John Swinney describing him as a 'very special guy'.
South Wales Guardian
7 minutes ago
- South Wales Guardian
Donald Trump flies back to US after five-day visit to Scotland
The president concluded his trip by opening a new golf course at his resort in Menie, Aberdeenshire, on Tuesday morning. After playing on the new course, he flew by helicopter to the RAF base. During his visit, he had earlier stayed at his other Scottish resort at Turnberry in South Ayrshire, where he enjoyed several rounds of golf. Despite the mostly private nature of the trip, he hosted Sir Keir Starmer at both resorts on Monday. EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen also took part in a meeting with him at Turnberry on Sunday. As Mr Trump cut the ribbon on the new course in Aberdeenshire, he said he would play a quick round before returning to Washington to 'put out fires all over the world'. The US president teed off in front of an invited crowd including golfers, football stars, Scottish First Minister John Swinney and Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar. Just before hitting the first ball at the New Course, the US president told those gathered on a grandstand: 'We started with a beautiful piece of land, but we made it much more beautiful.' Mr Trump added: 'I look forward to playing it today. 'We'll play it very quickly and then I go back to DC and we put out fires all over the world. 'We did one yesterday – you know we stopped the war. We've stopped about five wars. 'That's much more important than playing golf. As much as I like it, it's much more important.' The president met First Minister Mr Swinney on Monday evening at a private dinner, and the two had a more formal meeting on Tuesday ahead of the course opening. This meeting focused on Scotch whisky tariffs and the situation in Gaza. Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, the First Minister said Mr Trump had showed a 'willingness' to move on tariffs for Scotch whisky. He told the PA news agency: 'I think there's a willingness for President Trump to look at the issues that I've set out to him. 'I don't think that was the position a few days ago, because I think President Trump was of the view that the trade deal was done and dusted and that was an end of the matter.' Mr Swinney told Mr Trump that Scotch whisky was 'unique' to Scotland and the tariff was a 'significant impediment'. During the last day of his visit, Mr Trump also hit out at the UK's taxes on North Sea oil, saying the natural resource is a 'treasure chest' for the country. During the trip – his first since 2023 and first since winning re-election – Mr Trump repeatedly referred to Aberdeen as 'the oil capital of Europe'. During a lengthy media event alongside Sir Keir on Monday, Mr Trump spoke of his 'great love' for Scotland and said he wanted to see the nation 'thrive'. A number of protests against the president's visit took place around Scotland during his time in the country. On Monday afternoon, a small number gathered in the nearby village of Balmedie in Aberdeenshire, sitting by the roadside and holding anti-Trump placards.
