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The Herald Scotland

Sturgeon is no feminist: she tried hard to destroy women's rights

Women had been trying to warn Ms Sturgeon and her Government years before, within and outside her party. MSP Joan McAlpine wrote a long open letter to her explaining clearly and unambiguously the issues with self-ID concerning the very real threats to women's rights to safety, dignity and privacy. She also alerted parliamentarians as early as 2018 to the way data collection was suggested in the Census Amendment Bill, introducing voluntary questions on transgender status and sexual orientation in the 2021 Census, redefining the meaning of sex to include gender. She was pilloried for her pains. To this day Nicola Sturgeon still cannot bring herself to say that Adam Bryson is a man. She will not acknowledge, let alone apologise to, the women who have been steadfast in their refusal to be cowed and silenced, and who, in defending the belief (and fact) that sex matters have been vilified, while some lost their livelihood. I think it is perfectly justified to claim that women's rights went under Nicola Sturgeon's SNP bus, and that yes, she tried very hard to destroy women's rights. Women didn't threaten to kill, "decapitate", rape anyone. Trans activists did. So, enough of the "both sides were toxic" argument. Dr Mireille Pouget, Dollar. Read more letters Who governs Scotland? It is shocking that the SNP administration refuses to implement the necessary measures contingent on April's Supreme Court judgment on biological sex being the criterion for the operation of the Equality Act, 2010. John Swinney drags his heels about enforcing the provisions of the Act, claiming that he first requires guidance from the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC). Yet on April 25 the EHRC published "An interim update on the practical implications" of the judgment. This spells out unambiguously that biological sex determines conditions in public services and sporting bodies, emphasising that "trans women (biological men) should not be permitted to use women's facilities". It could not be clearer. The SNP leadership has gone curiously quiet on gender, with only a very anaemic statement from Shona Robison on the furore over Kate Forbes's appearance at Summerhall, saying: "I don't think it sends out the right signal over freedom of speech". What an understatement! That could be said of much of SNP government, with Freedom of Information requests ignored or the relevant materials supplied with almost total redaction. The Salmond Inquiry was the classic case of evidence being redacted. It is therefore not surprising that For Women Scotland has felt the need to take legal action once again, demanding that the Supreme Court's judgment be implemented in Scotland's schools and prisons. Why is Mr Swinney resisting this? Is he actually in charge? Given the National Library's ridiculous removal of The Women Who Wouldn't Wheesht from its centenary exhibition because of demands made by its "LGBT+ network" ("NLS could face 'thousands of legal claims' over gender critical book removal", The Herald, August 16), it is worth asking whether there is a similar network agitating for pro-trans policies within the Scottish Government, perhaps among its civil servants. Who governs? Is it politicians, or is it Stonewall? Jill Stephenson, Edinburgh. A charmless mediocrity I am sure that many of your readers will share my appreciation for Alison Rowat's excellent review of Nicola Sturgeon's memoir ("Review, Frankly: Sturgeon psychodrama suddenly makes sense", heraldscotland, August 18). The key observations made by Ms Rowat are "almost comically dull"; "a pattern of thinking emerges. Nothing is ever Nicola's fault"; "writing which reads at times like a bad Mills and Boon parody"; "For a political memoir, Frankly is remarkably light on policy"; and most damningly in conclusion: "Deep as a puddle to the end". So how could someone who was described as such a political genius and presented herself as having such acute literary taste have produced a book of so little political value and of no literary distinction? It is now clear from her own account that Nicola Sturgeon was a charlatan all along, and her political and literary prowess were always delusions. The next question for the likes of Ms Rowat – and for all of the other commentators who have suddenly had the scales fall from their eyes – is why they played along with the pretence all this time, instead of unmasking it from Day One. Some of us saw through it all along: Nicola Sturgeon is a charmless mediocrity who has failed in everything she has attempted. She would be well advised to enjoy the attention that is currently being lavished on her, as she does not deserve to be remembered for long, except as an exemplar of how not to do things. Peter A Russell, Glasgow. Misleading claims 'The SNP spent £2700 per head in Scotland more than the rest of the UK.' These were the words of Dennis Forbes Grattan (Letters, August 16) which are misleading on a number of different levels. First, the SNP does not spend public money, it is the Scottish Government that spends funds significantly calculated according to spending commitments of the UK Government. Second, in order for the Scottish Government's budget to pass it must be balanced and requires, as the SNP does not have a majority in Holyrood, the backing of at least one other party. Third, not only is much of the so-called spending of the Scottish Government determined by decisions taken at Westminster (90 per cent according to Finance Secretary Shona Robison), much of it is 'notional' because Westminster allocates Scotland a share of UK Government spending, such as for defence where expenditure of £5.1 billion was listed but only £2.1bn was actually spent in Scotland. Finally, as recently pointed out in Alex Orr's letter (August 14), to claim that this Westminster-imposed financial predicament 'underlines the complete folly of independence' is also misleading, especially as SNP politicians (assuming the party does not disband after independence is achieved) would likely be in the minority in future independent Scottish parliaments. Stan Grodynski, Longniddry. JK Rowling, one of Nicola Sturgeon's fiercest critics (Image: PA) A damning indictment I have recently undergone a hearing test appointment, after waiting two years. I have had hearing aids for a number of years but was amazed at the difference once these were recalibrated to account for the drop in certain sound tones over the past years. I can honestly say the improvement is night and day. My appointment took place on a Sunday afternoon, which I thought was unusual. It was not until I discovered that the SNP Government has admitted that it will now not deliver on a promise to raise community audiology services on a par with eye care that I understood the reason for the long wait that I had, and that audiology staff are working hard to try to reduce the waiting times. Experts have stated that the ballooning waiting list could be cleared by the spend of £9 million in three years, but the SNP 's Public Health Minister has admitted that the money, originally ring-fenced, has been spent elsewhere. This is a damming indictment on the SNP Government and is further proof that it puts sound bites before policy and is gaslighting the Scottish people, and has in fact given up trying to improve the elements of healthcare that so many people are dependent on. The sooner the people of Scotland understand that things will only get worse the longer this Government remains in power and take action at next year's election, the better. Douglas Eadie, Alexandria.