Latest news with #GenderRecognitionReform(Scotland)Bill
Evening Standard
2 days ago
- Politics
- Evening Standard
Nicola Sturgeon says rapist Isla Bryson is a ‘biological male'
Referring to then Conservative Scottish secretary Alister Jack's decision to step in and prevent the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill from becoming law, Mr Findlay said that without this 'common-sense decision to block Sturgeon's dangerous law, every rapist in Scotland would be able to declare themselves as women with the full support of the state'.
ITV News
3 days ago
- Politics
- ITV News
Nicola Sturgeon: My arrest was 'horrific' and part of me 'closed down'
Scotland's former first minister Nicola Sturgeon has described the day she was arrested as 'horrific' and 'the worst day of her life.' In an exclusive interview with ITV News, ahead of the release of her memoir, Frankly, Sturgeon talks about the day of her arrest, telling Julie Etchingham, "I think a part of me just closed down." She also described the "horror, upset and shame" of her husband's arrest in April 2023. In a wide-ranging and frank discussion, the former first minister also expressed regret in her handling of transgender legislation during her time in office, admitting she should have 'paused' the legislation when the debate became polarised. She writes in her book, 'I have never considered sexuality, my own included, to be binary,' adding that she was 'enjoying being her own person for a while'. Over the past few years, the Scottish National Party has been embroiled in a financial scandal. This resulted in a police investigation examining criminal wrongdoing around the SNP's finances, named Operation Branchform. On April 5 2023, Peter Murrell, Sturgeon's then husband and SNP chief executive, was arrested by Police Scotland at the couple's Glasgow home in connection with Operation Branchform. Nicola Sturgeon was herself arrested on June 11 in connection with the same investigation. She would later be cleared of all charges, but her husband, from whom she's now separated, would go on to be charged with embezzlement, events she described as "horrific". The former first minister told ITV News' Julie Etchingham that she had 'blocked out' the details of her husband's arrest at their family home. Sturgeon said she still found it difficult to articulate how she felt seeing her husband arrested. 'It wasn't until I got to mum and dad's that I saw the pictures of my house looking like a murder scene, effectively,' she said. 'I had this sense of horror, upset, and the kind of shame of it all.' 'I think part of me just closed down,' she said. Her time in office was not without its share of difficulties, either. Towards the end of Sturgeon's tenure, she introduced legislation aimed at making it easier for transgender people to self-identify their gender, without a medical diagnosis. But the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill went on to spark a 'divisive" and at times 'toxic' debate over gender identity, eventually leading to April's Supreme Court ruling against the Scottish government on the issue. ITV News asked the former FM how she felt about the fact that the fallout of the debate around her reforms may have made things worse for the lives of transgender people across the UK. 'When this was first mooted, it was not the divisive, toxic, controversial issue it became,' explained Sturgeon. Reflecting on the shape the debate took, however, she signalled some regret, admitting she should have 'taken a step back' and 'paused' the legislation. She nevertheless added: 'I fervently believe that the rights of women and the interests of trans people are not irreconcilable at all. I should have taken a step back and said, 'How do we achieve this?'" In a personal revelation, Sturgeon writes in her book:' I have never considered sexuality, my own included, to be binary.' Expanding, she described it to ITV News as 'just [her] view of the world, and life, and the way people are.' She went on to clarify, 'If you're about to ask me, 'Am I making some big revelation?' No. 'Am I putting labels on myself?' No, I'm just… that's how I see the world.' Whilst the former first minister didn't rule out the possibility of a relationship with a woman, she added: 'Look, I'm just out of a marriage, so I'm not rushing into a relationship with anyone anytime soon. 'I'm enjoying being my own person for a while.'
The Herald Scotland
5 days ago
- Politics
- The Herald Scotland
Kate Forbes denies she is anti-trans amid protest fears
Ms Forbes faced significant criticism during the 2023 leadership against Humza Yousaf. She is a member of the Free Church of Scotland and said she would not have backed same-sex marriage if she had been an MSP at the time of the 2014 vote. Ms Forbes, who is standing down in May, also said she would not have backed the Scottish Government's Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill had she not been on maternity leave. There had been threats of protest at Ms Forbes appearance ahead of the Unspun Live event at the Dissection Room at Summerhall. Management at the Edinburgh venue had been urged to cancel the Deputy First Minister's appearance. She was asked about the concerns on the night. Read more: She said: Ms Forbes hit back and was applauded by the crowd as she said: 'These issues have been well documented and can I just say how brilliant it is that we still have freedom of speech in this country. 'One of the antidotes to that hatred in talked about earlier is to create spaces where people can openly, without fear, count on respect from one another.' She added: "My approach is to respect the fact and to appreciate the fact that a lot of people disagree with me. "It is a reflection of a healthy democracy that people both agree with me and disagree with me. 'I am not anti any human being. I am taught to love my neighbour as myself which is to give them greater respect, greater honour, greater appreciation than I would expect for myself.' Ms Forbes was on maternity leave during the vote for the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill - which was subsequently blocked by the UK Government - however she has said she would have voted against it. She was not in parliament in 2014 during the same-sex marriage vote, however she said she would have voted against it, The Deputy First Minister was also asked about comments from Professor Sir John Curtice who said on Monday it was 'most unlikely' that the SNP would secure a majority at next year's election. Ms Forbes said her standing down would not hinder the party. She said First Minister John Swinney had made 'significant' sacrifices in standing for SNP leadership. 'I have really enjoyed working with him over the last year and a bit,' she said, adding she looks forward to supporting him over the coming years. Addressing Mr Curtice's concerns, she said: 'I think the SNP stands a very good chance at the nect election to deliver a significant majority of seats.' She also said suggestions that former SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford would be running to replace her should be taken with a "huge dose of salt". Ms Forbes added that the question of her successor becomes an issue for local party members. 'I do think it needs to be a healthy competition and certainly he hasn't told me that,' she added. Asked if she was likely to vote for the former Westminster leader, who was ousted by current incumbent Stephen Flynn, to fill her seat, Ms Forbes refused to be drawn, saying instead that she would wait to see who the candidates were. The deputy First Minister also dodged a question on who would be the next leader of the SNP in her absence.
