Latest news with #RachaelHamilton
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
SNP 'squanders' £144k on misogyny Bill... and guess who picks up tab?
Nearly £144,000 has been 'squandered' on Holyrood's doomed misogyny legislation, the Mail can disclose. The Scottish Government last month ditched plans to introduce a Bill in this parliamentary term to make misogyny a specific offence. It said the decision to put the Bill on hold was down to the implications of April's Supreme Court transgender ruling – and the need to ensure there are 'clear and unambiguous provisions in regard to the circumstances in which they apply'. The Supreme Court stated the words 'woman' and 'sex' in the Equality Act 2010 refer to a biological woman and biological sex – plunging public bodies into turmoil over their trans policies. Last night Scottish Tory deputy leader Rachael Hamilton said misogyny 'remains a serious issue' and 'Scots will be appalled to see how much taxpayers' money was squandered by the SNP before they ditched another Nicola Sturgeon-era policy'. The government said £143,668 had been spent on preparing the abortive Bill – but this does not cover civil servants' time, which was not recorded. The sum includes a fee of £109,117 which was paid to Baroness Helena Kennedy, KC, who led a working group on the misogyny law. In 2022, Baroness Kennedy, a Labour peer and human rights lawyer, backed separate anti-misogyny legislation rather than incorporating abuse and violence against women into Scotland's hate crime law. She said ditching the Bill had been driven by concerns the legislation would create 'too much of a headache'. A Scottish Government spokesman said: 'These costs relate to the Misogyny and Criminal Justice in Scotland Working Group, which operated in 2021-2022, as well as the Scottish Government's subsequent consideration of the Working Group's report.'
Daily Mail
02-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
'Shameful' SNP dumps anti-women hatred law
New laws to tackle misogyny and ban conversion therapy have been shelved in a humiliating double U-turn by SNP ministers. The Scottish Government confirmed it has ditched plans to introduce legislation in the current parliamentary term to make misogyny a specific offence. It said the decision to put the proposed Bill on hold was down to the implications of the recent Supreme Court ruling and the need to ensure there are 'clear and unambiguous provisions in regard to the circumstances in which they apply'. Ministers also announced they would not ban conversion therapy during the current parliament and would instead seek to introduce this in the first year of the next term if a UK-wide approach is not agreed before then. Scottish Conservative deputy leader Rachael Hamilton said: 'This looks like a humiliating U-turn from John Swinney and co. The misogyny Bill is just the latest in a litany of paused, ditched or botched Sturgeon-era policies. 'Who would trust SNP ministers to legislate to criminalise misogyny when they can't even say what a woman is? 'Misogyny remains a serious problem and it's crucial that women and girls are protected from all forms of threatening and abusive behaviour in a way that safeguards their rights.' The misogyny law was promised after an expert group led by Baroness Helena Kennedy, KC, in 2022 backed separate legislation rather than incorporating abuse and violence against women into Scotland's hate crime law. Ministers proposed creating five new offences including stirring up hatred against women and misogynistic harassment. Misogyny would also be treated as an aggravating factor in crimes, which could lead to tougher sentencing. Scottish Labour justice spokesman Pauline McNeill said: 'This is a shameful broken promise to women at a time when misogynistic hatred is on the rise.' Parliamentary business minister Jamie Hepburn said: 'This is a complex area of policy and law, and it would be necessary that any Bill which brought misogyny into criminal law contained clear and unambiguous provisions in regard to the circumstances in which they apply. 'This would include the implications of the recent Supreme Court judgment.' He said amendments would be made to hate crime legislation to protect women and girls. The Scottish Government also confirmed it will only legislate 'in year one of the next parliamentary session' to ban conversion practices aimed at changing sexual orientation if an approach cannot be agreed to ensure UK Government legislation covers England, Scotland and Wales. Equalities minister Kaukab Stewart said: 'These recent weeks have been challenging for our LGBTQI+ communities and we want you to know we stand with you and we will work tirelessly to ban conversion practices once and for all.' Greens equalities spokesman Maggie Chapman said: 'A lot of people have waited far too long for the protections in these Bills, and will be deeply disappointed that they will not be happening.'
Telegraph
02-05-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Scottish government shelves plans for misogyny law
The Scottish government has shelved plans for a new misogyny law in the wake of the Supreme Court ruling on the definition of a woman. A bill had long been promised to improve protections for women and girls but ministers said the need to 'navigate all of the issues' arising from the Supreme Court judgment meant there was now not enough time before next year's Holyrood election. They are instead going to amend existing hate crime legislation to provide protections on the basis of sex. The Scottish government said it remained committed to ensuring people are protected from misogynistic abuse but it was a 'complex area of policy and law' which required more time to work out where it would apply. This would include assessing the implications of the Supreme Court ruling that a woman is defined by biological sex for the purposes of equality legislation. It said there was insufficient time to proceed with the bill in this parliamentary session, but in September it would add the protected characteristic of sex to Scotland's Hate Crime act. 'We have to navigate a way through all of the issues that come out of the Supreme Court judgment,' said John Swinney, Scotland's First Minister. He added that the government would take any action they can 'during this parliamentary term to tackle misogyny'. Rachael Hamilton MSP, Scottish Conservative deputy leader, said the misogyny bill was the latest in a 'litany of paused, ditched or botched' policies from Nicola Sturgeon's time as first minister. Pauline McNeill, Scottish Labour justice spokesperson, said it was 'a shameful broken promise' to Scottish women 'at a time when misogynistic hatred is on the rise'. For Women Scotland, the campaign group, welcomed the decision to protect women and girls under hate crime legislation but said it was 'really frustrating' that previous opportunities had been missed. A spokeswoman added: 'The outpouring of misogynistic hatred in the wake of the Supreme Court ruling has demonstrated how necessary this protection is.' A new misogyny law was promised after an expert group in 2022 backed separate legislation rather than incorporating abuse and violence against women into Scotland's hate crime law. A 'deeply rooted' problem The group, led by Baroness Helena Kennedy KC, said this was a better option because women are not a minority, and a 'more fundamental set of responses' were required to address the 'deeply rooted' problem. The Scottish government proposed creating five new offences in its misogyny bill, including stirring up hatred against women and misogynistic harassment. Misogyny would also be treated as an aggravating factor in crimes, which could lead to tougher sentencing. The Scottish government has also confirmed it will not be bringing forward legislation to end conversion therapy this term, and is hoping for a UK-wide solution.
