Scotland’s children must be protected after this betrayal
My greatest despair as a new MSP was watching my attempts to stop sex offenders from being able to exploit the SNP’s gender self-ID law being voted down.
I’d lodged various amendments to then First Minister Nicola Sturgeon’s Gender Recognition Bill as it passed through the Edinburgh parliament.
Her legislation would have allowed anyone aged 16 and over to legally change gender based entirely on selfdeclaration, and with no evidence or medical diagnosis required.
It was obvious that this would be a gift to predatory male sex criminals who, at the stroke of a pen, would be free to become female in the eyes of the Scottish state.
One of my amendments would have stopped registered sex offenders from acquiring a gender recognition certificate (GRC). Another would have prevented men charged with rape from getting a GRC until their criminal proceedings had concluded.
Shamefully, the vast majority of Sturgeon’s SNP MSPs along with Patrick Harvie’s Greens voted against these common-sense measures to protect women and girls.
When the law was duly passed, with the backing of Anas Sarwar’s Scottish Labour and the Lib Dems, these people even had the temerity to applaud themselves.
When rapist Adam Graham then appeared at the High Court wearing bulging pink leggings, a blonde wig and answering to “Isla Bryson”, people across Scotland were jolted to attention.
Watching squirming Sturgeon and Humza Yousaf unable to answer if Graham/Bryson was a man or a woman was excruciating and exquisite in equal measure as it exposed the absurdity of their beliefs.
UK Conservative government minister Alister Jack rightly blocked the legislation due to the risk it posed to UK-wide equality law.
When Sturgeon shuffled into the sunset to spend more time with Police Scotland, it would be wrong to think that this damaging ideology had been defeated.
As a member of parliament’s criminal justice committee, my remit related to the justice system. However, it has long been clear that the insidious creep of trans ideology is being felt across many other areas of society, including classrooms, changing rooms and women’s sport.
By far the most concerning is the way in which the NHS has been captured by this powerful and intolerant lobby.
On Wednesday, paediatrician Dr Hilary Cass published her review into gender services for children in England. Over almost 400 pages, it is forensic, shocking and utterly heart-breaking.
On an industrial scale, highly vulnerable children confused about their gender were fed puberty-blockers with no evidential basis.
In recent years, the number of cases has exploded. The prevalence of autistic children, or those who have suffered from abuse or neglect, is disproportionately high.
Every red flag was ignored. These kids deserved care and compassion. They were instead betrayed by medics who should hang their heads in shame.
Yet these practises continue unabated in Scotland as Yousaf ’s SNP government has so far chosen to ignore Cass.
Their arrogance and negligence are indefensible and unsustainable. Enough is enough. Scotland’s children must also be protected