Page 4 | Respect to Ash Regan for today in the Scottish Parliament.

ArabellaScott · 2026-02-03T21:25:44+00:00

'The state has a duty to protect women and girls from sexual exploitation by abusive, dangerous men. If it does not act, I am afraid that all members will be complicit in that harm. As I look around the chamber this evening, I see some MSPs sitting here who know that they should register an interest, but I am sure that they will not, for varying reasons. The vote on the bill is not a conscience vote, but I believe that it should be, as such votes have been for other members’ bills. I also see former colleagues and friends on the benches who I know back the bill and support the principle. I wonder whether they will have the courage to say so with their votes—I hope that they will. Millicent Fawcett famously said, “Courage calls to courage”. The most courageous people in the Parliament today are the survivors of prostitution. They have called to us all. They have bared their deepest trauma and shame in the hope that we will listen to them and in the hope that we will save the next wee girls who are targeted to have their bodies accessed by entitled, abusive sex buyers. Will you finally heed their call to courage? Will you listen to and act for them? MSPs who hide behind the polished lies that are directly out of the sex trade handbook should be ashamed, frankly. I want to address the point of harm. The only thing that would be harmed by my bill is the sex trade, and there is no excuse not to apply critical thinking and research to this debate, as other legislatures, even in the UK, have done and have told us about. They are watching this Parliament today.' [[https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/official-report/search-what-was-said-in-parliament/recent-publication?iob=201937&meeting=20044 https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/official-report/search-what-was-said-in-parliament/recent-publication?meeting=20044&iob=201937]] The Bill was voted down at Stage 1, by 64 to 54 votes. [[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cqj2n7ylrgyo https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cqj2n7ylrgyo]]

HildegardP · 03/02/2026 23:45

With just 6 exceptions, the SNP seems utterly determined to find as many ways as possible to make itself look skeevy.

RhannionKPSS · 03/02/2026 23:05

It’s pure spite to not vote for Ash’s bill, because she has integrity and guts

WearyAuldWumman · 03/02/2026 23:03

I've just discovered that Neil Hanvey is standing in my constituency so I have someone I can vote for.

JanesLittleGirl · 03/02/2026 22:49

Would it be unfair to ask how devolution is working out for Scotland?

guinnessguzzler · 03/02/2026 22:45

It is truly enraging. All those people who think it's ok for men to exploit women as long as they pay to do it. They are rape supporters.

dreichluver · 03/02/2026 22:28

ArabellaScott · 03/02/2026 21:43

Against

Adam, George (Paisley) (SNP)
Adam, Karen (Banffshire and Buchan Coast) (SNP)
Adamson, Clare (Motherwell and Wishaw) (SNP)
Allan, Alasdair (Na h-Eileanan an Iar) (SNP)
Arthur, Tom (Renfrewshire South) (SNP)
Beattie, Colin (Midlothian North and Musselburgh) (SNP)
Brown, Keith (Clackmannanshire and Dunblane) (SNP)
Brown, Siobhian (Ayr) (SNP)
Burgess, Ariane (Highlands and Islands) (Green)
Chapman, Maggie (North East Scotland) (Green)
Coffey, Willie (Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley) (SNP)
Cole-Hamilton, Alex (Edinburgh Western) (LD)
Constance, Angela (Almond Valley) (SNP)
Dey, Graeme (Angus South) (SNP)
Don-Innes, Natalie (Renfrewshire North and West) (SNP)
Doris, Bob (Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn) (SNP)
Dornan, James (Glasgow Cathcart) (SNP)
Dunbar, Jackie (Aberdeen Donside) (SNP)
Fairlie, Jim (Perthshire South and Kinross-shire) (SNP)
FitzPatrick, Joe (Dundee City West) (SNP)
Gilruth, Jenny (Mid Fife and Glenrothes) (SNP)
Gougeon, Mairi (Angus North and Mearns) (SNP)
Grahame, Christine (Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale) (SNP)
Gray, Neil (Airdrie and Shotts) (SNP)
Greer, Ross (West Scotland) (Green)
Harper, Emma (South Scotland) (SNP)
Harvie, Patrick (Glasgow) (Green)
Haughey, Clare (Rutherglen) (SNP)
Hepburn, Jamie (Cumbernauld and Kilsyth) (SNP)
Hyslop, Fiona (Linlithgow) (SNP)
Kidd, Bill (Glasgow Anniesland) (SNP)
Lochhead, Richard (Moray) (SNP)
MacDonald, Gordon (Edinburgh Pentlands) (SNP)
MacGregor, Fulton (Coatbridge and Chryston) (SNP)
Mackay, Gillian (Central Scotland) (Green)
Mackay, Rona (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (SNP)
Macpherson, Ben (Edinburgh Northern and Leith) (SNP)
Martin, Gillian (Aberdeenshire East) (SNP)
Matheson, Michael (Falkirk West) (SNP)
McAllan, Màiri (Clydesdale) (SNP)
McArthur, Liam (Orkney Islands) (LD)
McKee, Ivan (Glasgow Provan) (SNP)
McLennan, Paul (East Lothian) (SNP)
McMillan, Stuart (Greenock and Inverclyde) (SNP)
McNair, Marie (Clydebank and Milngavie) (SNP)
Minto, Jenni (Argyll and Bute) (SNP)
Mountain, Edward (Highlands and Islands) (Con)
Nicoll, Audrey (Aberdeen South and North Kincardine) (SNP)
Rennie, Willie (North East Fife) (LD)
Robertson, Angus (Edinburgh Central) (SNP)
Robison, Shona (Dundee City East) (SNP)
Roddick, Emma (Highlands and Islands) (SNP)
Ruskell, Mark (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Green)
Slater, Lorna (Lothian) (Green)
Somerville, Shirley-Anne (Dunfermline) (SNP)
Stevenson, Collette (East Kilbride) (SNP)
Stewart, Kaukab (Glasgow Kelvin) (SNP)
Stewart, Kevin (Aberdeen Central) (SNP)
Sturgeon, Nicola (Glasgow Southside) (SNP)
Swinney, John (Perthshire North) (SNP)
Todd, Maree (Caithness, Sutherland and Ross) (SNP)
Torrance, David (Kirkcaldy) (SNP)
Tweed, Evelyn (Stirling) (SNP)
Yousaf, Humza (Glasgow Pollok) (SNP)

Shame on every one of them.

The usual feckin' suspects. The SNP & The Greens. They're infuriatingly dim.

Respect to Ash Regan. A woman of principle. You won't find many of them in the Scottish Parliament unfortunately.

LongTermLurker · 03/02/2026 22:13

I read the BBC news article about this, and I still don't understand why the bill wasn't passed. Are there any "good" / understandable reasons for it not to be passed? What sort of reasons were given by those voting against it? I saw something about it risking driving prostitution further underground, but don't even really understand that?

I mean, it just seems really fucking obvious to criminalise the sex buyers rather than the exploited women! But I'm genuinely open to other points of view that I might not currently understand.

WearyAuldWumman · 03/02/2026 22:03

Well, that's another reason not to vote for Gilruth this time round.

Seriestwo · 03/02/2026 21:53

They are all disgusting.

I have so much respect for Ash.

Original poster

ArabellaScott · 03/02/2026 21:47

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cgl83ggln40o

'O'Neill added the decision to maintain the policy, despite the Supreme Court ruling last year, was "based on institutional neglect, of and contempt for women's rights."
He continued: "It's almost Orwellian, Animal Farm-like. 'Women good… men identifying as women better'.
"Or, 'all women are equal, but men identifying as women are more equal than others'."

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Original poster

ArabellaScott · 03/02/2026 21:45

Instead, the SNP today put their energy into supporting the rights of murderous males to be housed in women's prisons.

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Madlentileater · 03/02/2026 21:45

shame indeed
they reveal their true colours, if there were any doubt

Original poster

ArabellaScott · 03/02/2026 21:44

I see the Real Feminist to her Fingertips voted not to ban prostitution.

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Original poster

ArabellaScott · 03/02/2026 21:43

Against

Adam, George (Paisley) (SNP)
Adam, Karen (Banffshire and Buchan Coast) (SNP)
Adamson, Clare (Motherwell and Wishaw) (SNP)
Allan, Alasdair (Na h-Eileanan an Iar) (SNP)
Arthur, Tom (Renfrewshire South) (SNP)
Beattie, Colin (Midlothian North and Musselburgh) (SNP)
Brown, Keith (Clackmannanshire and Dunblane) (SNP)
Brown, Siobhian (Ayr) (SNP)
Burgess, Ariane (Highlands and Islands) (Green)
Chapman, Maggie (North East Scotland) (Green)
Coffey, Willie (Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley) (SNP)
Cole-Hamilton, Alex (Edinburgh Western) (LD)
Constance, Angela (Almond Valley) (SNP)
Dey, Graeme (Angus South) (SNP)
Don-Innes, Natalie (Renfrewshire North and West) (SNP)
Doris, Bob (Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn) (SNP)
Dornan, James (Glasgow Cathcart) (SNP)
Dunbar, Jackie (Aberdeen Donside) (SNP)
Fairlie, Jim (Perthshire South and Kinross-shire) (SNP)
FitzPatrick, Joe (Dundee City West) (SNP)
Gilruth, Jenny (Mid Fife and Glenrothes) (SNP)
Gougeon, Mairi (Angus North and Mearns) (SNP)
Grahame, Christine (Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale) (SNP)
Gray, Neil (Airdrie and Shotts) (SNP)
Greer, Ross (West Scotland) (Green)
Harper, Emma (South Scotland) (SNP)
Harvie, Patrick (Glasgow) (Green)
Haughey, Clare (Rutherglen) (SNP)
Hepburn, Jamie (Cumbernauld and Kilsyth) (SNP)
Hyslop, Fiona (Linlithgow) (SNP)
Kidd, Bill (Glasgow Anniesland) (SNP)
Lochhead, Richard (Moray) (SNP)
MacDonald, Gordon (Edinburgh Pentlands) (SNP)
MacGregor, Fulton (Coatbridge and Chryston) (SNP)
Mackay, Gillian (Central Scotland) (Green)
Mackay, Rona (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (SNP)
Macpherson, Ben (Edinburgh Northern and Leith) (SNP)
Martin, Gillian (Aberdeenshire East) (SNP)
Matheson, Michael (Falkirk West) (SNP)
McAllan, Màiri (Clydesdale) (SNP)
McArthur, Liam (Orkney Islands) (LD)
McKee, Ivan (Glasgow Provan) (SNP)
McLennan, Paul (East Lothian) (SNP)
McMillan, Stuart (Greenock and Inverclyde) (SNP)
McNair, Marie (Clydebank and Milngavie) (SNP)
Minto, Jenni (Argyll and Bute) (SNP)
Mountain, Edward (Highlands and Islands) (Con)
Nicoll, Audrey (Aberdeen South and North Kincardine) (SNP)
Rennie, Willie (North East Fife) (LD)
Robertson, Angus (Edinburgh Central) (SNP)
Robison, Shona (Dundee City East) (SNP)
Roddick, Emma (Highlands and Islands) (SNP)
Ruskell, Mark (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Green)
Slater, Lorna (Lothian) (Green)
Somerville, Shirley-Anne (Dunfermline) (SNP)
Stevenson, Collette (East Kilbride) (SNP)
Stewart, Kaukab (Glasgow Kelvin) (SNP)
Stewart, Kevin (Aberdeen Central) (SNP)
Sturgeon, Nicola (Glasgow Southside) (SNP)
Swinney, John (Perthshire North) (SNP)
Todd, Maree (Caithness, Sutherland and Ross) (SNP)
Torrance, David (Kirkcaldy) (SNP)
Tweed, Evelyn (Stirling) (SNP)
Yousaf, Humza (Glasgow Pollok) (SNP)

Shame on every one of them.

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Waitwhat23 · 03/02/2026 21:41

I have come to despise the SNP but have to give credit to Michelle Thomson for both defying the SNP whip and for a blistering speech.

RhannionKPSS · 03/02/2026 21:33

My heart goes out to Ash, Alison, Sam and all those who helped and supported Ash, as well as all the women who have been betrayed by some MSPs. I was there today and Ash was excellent, I’m so sorry she was let down by 10 snakes

Original poster

ArabellaScott · 03/02/2026 21:27

'If we fail to pass the bill, we are not protecting women’s safety; we are protecting men’s violence. We are shielding the minority of men who, in their own words, reveal exactly what they believe women to be for. Let us be clear: hiding sex buyers behind claims of women’s safety is not protection; it is exploitation. The silence that the buyers hide behind is not innocence; it is entitlement enforced by power. The Parliament now has to decide who it stands with: the exploited or the exploiter.
...
The bill would enact a law that is backed by Police Scotland, the Crown Office, the UN special rapporteur on violence against women and girls and the Lord Advocate—a law that has been in force in eight countries for more than 26 years—and it reflects the Government’s own strategy. If this is beyond the capability of the Parliament and 128 MSPs, in the two remaining months of a five-year parliamentary session, the public will ask us what we are doing here.'

Indeed. What. The fuck. Are you doing there?

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