Abuse and women's rights in Scotland

[SusanSmithFWS]

I see there is a thread on the frighteningly authoritarian draft hate crime bill and what that might mean for essays like that ofJK Rowling in the future. We are extremely concerned that groups like ours will face prosecution based on the perception of individuals. There is no requirement to prove intent and the accused will have to prove innocence. Meanwhile, misogyny is not included (at behest of Engender who were content to leave it for the present). This week, as you know, a non-binary member of the SNP claimed to have been set upon by a "transphobic" mob in a branch meeting. This was retweeted uncritically by senior politicians.The account was contested by many people who were present, at which point several politicians declared that what occurred was irrelevant, the only important factor was the individual's belief that they had been abused. This, of course, is the basis of this iniquitous bill.

Apologies for starting a new thread but I wanted to draw attention to the Twitter thread (also on our website) which we wrote on the abuse we have faced over the past 2 years. This only scratches the surface of what has happened. Meanwhile, we are currently being called a hate group by an SNP MP who employs a researcher who is one of the people who has relentlessly targeted us. Also, the SNP women's officer has called women concerned for their rights a "persistent vocal mob...incapable of taking part in civil conversation" while claiming concerns have been dealt with (she restricts replies on Twitter and blocks). Not one of the politicians or third sector workers who enthusiastically promoted Teddy's account, saying hate has no place in Scotland, has commented on what we have been through.

twitter.com/ForwomenScot/status/1277702854996897792?s=20
forwomen.scot/30/06/2020/abuse-and-womens-rights/#more-2393

I live in Scotland, and am very worried about moves like this. I would like to point out though, in relation to the comment about looking out for anti-English comments, that SNP members/independence supporters are not anti-English. They overwhelmingly have nothing but friendship and respect for English people, and it's Westminster rule they are fighting against. There is a large English for Yes group in Scotland too.

The SNP have done much good for people in Scotland, but they are doing down a very wrong path with regard to the GRA, and will lose votes because of it I fear.

@vivariumvivariumsvivaria

Good grief.

That is bizarre.

I don't want to be in a society that punishes people who aren't neurotypical for behaving in a way that is normal for someone who is not neurotypical.

FFS

A very good point.

@bluefishpot

I live in Scotland, and am very worried about moves like this. I would like to point out though, in relation to the comment about looking out for anti-English comments, that SNP members/independence supporters are not anti-English. They overwhelmingly have nothing but friendship and respect for English people, and it's Westminster rule they are fighting against. There is a large English for Yes group in Scotland too.

The SNP have done much good for people in Scotland, but they are doing down a very wrong path with regard to the GRA, and will lose votes because of it I fear.

They have wrecked education and busy doing damage to the health service. They have already started to destroy women’s rights. There is also an anti-English contingent within the party

Bluefish, you are either impossibly naive or deluded. There is a very strong thread of anti English sentiment in the SNP. My own colleague, a consultant surgeon, had an SNP supporter swear at him and spit in his face in broad daylight while out shopping with his wife. His crime? Speaking to his wife in an English accent.
My own daughter suffered anti English abuse at school - and on one occasion from a teacher. She reported him.
The SNP use “Westminster” as a convenient fig leaf for the anti English racism they subtly manipulate in their supporters, while publicly pretending to condemn it, with much faux hand wringing.
All nationalism is predicated on hatred of “the other” - it is a divisive, vile doctrine that reached its peak in the Nazis.
The SNP will push through the GRA and their hate crime bill to try and accentuate their wokeness and difference to England. The only way to stop them is to vote Conservative at the next Holyrood election in May.

Babdoc, I couldn't disagree with you more, and your post includes some of the naive and deluded assumptions I often see in people who just blindly assume that nationalism always means hatred of 'the other'. How does your colleague know that the numpty who abused him in broad daylight was an SNP supporter? How do you know that teacher was an SNP supporter? Perhaps they were just racist idiots - they sadly do exist in Scotland. The independence movement is overwhelmingly filled with people who are open to other cultures and people from around the world, unlike the Tories that you think we should be voting for! Brexit is the worst nationalism imaginable, and the SNP have made very clear that they want Scotland to be open to the world, unlike the Tories who are peddling an insular and xenophobic agenda with great success.

When compared with England's health service, the Scottish NHS performs better on many counts. Often the people I see arguing against the SNP's policies on free tuition, free personal care etc are the ones who can comfortably afford these things, and resent their taxes paying for those who can't afford them. It boggles my mind that anyone could want the kind of blatantly corrupt politics that Boris and Cummings represent to hold complete sway in Scotland too. The Tories have been in charge for a decade, and life has gotten considerably worse for the vast majority because of it.

There are racists in Scotland, as there are everywhere, but it's absolute nonsense to claim they are all SNP supporters - often the biggest racists are the ones waving the union jack, as seen in recent demonstrations in Glasgow.

Does this have the potential to blow the political parties apart?

I don't have any idea about who to complain to about the injustice of women being silenced!

Bluefish, I’m a retired doctor who spent 36 years in the Scottish NHS - don’t try to lie to me about how wonderful it is! Every health trust in Scotland is in the red by millions, there are hundreds of consultant and GP vacancies which we can’t fill, because the SNP raised income tax on them - they’d pay £2000 a year more tax than their colleagues in England, so nobody will come to work here.
The two trumpeted new flagship hospitals - the “death star” in Glasgow and sick kids in Edinburgh- are not fit for purpose. One has caused patient deaths due to gross failures in infection control, the other has multiple flaws in ventilation, water supply and construction, and can’t even open for patients. Health is devolved, so the SNP administration at Holyrood carries sole responsibility for our dire NHS - which has also failed to meet all but one waiting time target even before the pandemic. And don’t get me started on the discharge of infected patients to care homes or the cover up of the Nike outbreak.
As to your other fatuous questions - how did I know the racists were SNP supporters- the street thug had a Yes badge (it was during the referendum campaign) and the teacher concerned made no secret of his support for the party. I am not in the habit of making wild conjectures without evidence.
The approach of the Conservatives and SNP could not be more different.
Boris: We will put an arm round the whole UK. Here’s billions of rescue money to support 740,000 Scottish jobs.
Sturgeon: Can’t even manage to distribute the money fairly, until protests by businesses forces her to issue £25K per outlet, in line with England, instead of per company.
And while the rest of us are doing our best to hold the country together and help our fellow citizens, that SNP shit Wishart (my MP, unfortunately!) is shouting for an illegal wildcat independence referendum. Says it all about their priorities, does it not.

You could also have a look at the independent review of education in Scotland to see how the SNP are getting on - oh but you can’t because they have delayed publication until after the election...

Still there was that review of ASN provision which pretty much slated the whole system for failing pupils, as did previous reviews.

Then there are the PISA tests - we could look at them to see how well education in Scotland is doing. Except we can’t because the SNP withdrew from them after Scotland tumbled down the ratings below England.

We will have to look at the higher pass rate instead - which dropped by up to 10% last year...

As for free tuition. Remind me again which students were the only ones in the whole of the European Union who had to pay tuition fees in Scotland?

The SNPs ‘independent’ scientific advisor on Coronavirus matters