Gender Recognition Reform Bill - Ash Regan

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I can't believe this. Thank you Ash Regan for being brave and having a moral conscience.

Todsy's Statement:

Today's statement

Sturgeon's pathetic "well she never told me this was her opinion ". I suppose you can't hear anything if you stick your fingers in your ears and say "La La La".
She'd signed a letter to Sturgeon in 2019.

Thank you, Ash Regan. I was really impressed when I heard it on the news.

We will see what action the SNP will take against their rebel MSPs.

Can they sack anyone who doesn’t vote the way they want? How is that a democracy?

She can't do that because she'll lose her majority in the Scottish Parliament if she takes the whip off the people who don't go with her.

I saw the letter Nicola Sturgeon wrote to her

First Minister's letter:

Thank you for your letter.
As you are aware, a key requirement of the Ministerial Code is collective responsibility - a principle essential to effective governance, and which applies across all matters of government policy
irrespective of the issue.

I note that at no stage have you approached me - or indeed the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice

• to raise your concerns about the Gender Recognition Reform Bill or the vote this evening.

However, in circumstances in which a Minister is unable to support the government, it is the case that the only options available are resignation ahead of the vote or dismissal thereafter. I therefore accept your resignation.

Thank you for your contribution to the Scottish Government.

Nicola

She'll lose her majority if she removes the whip and will rely on those TRAs who call themselves Greens. And all of a sudden the omniscience of the SNP will look a little flaky.

That is a clearly worded statement.

thank you for sharing .

I am going to write to her. The offices are somewhat open plan so doing so with a nice card will be visible. A nice big post bag!

Yes @Cismyfatarse I shall also send a card.

It's a cross-party effort. I am so angry that Labour in Scotland are not taking this on. Years and years of Labour solidarity for this fucking INSULT.

Friends who are SNP are angry that it's against SNP and I don't know any Troy voters in Scotland but I'm sure they would be behind us!

The SNP is famously centralised, ruled with a rod of iron. For seven SNP MSPs to vote against the government is huge. Colossal. Ash Denham's the only cabinet minister among them and my card to her is already on its way. All seven have shown integrity and courage.

There are clearly Labour MSPs who wanted to vote against but lacked the backbone. Michael Marra's contribution was nonsensical - his reasons for supporting the bill seemed to be because Wittgenstein and Hegel said that identity matters (i.e. unconvincing) while his objections were clear and straightforward.

So, let's see where we go now with the amendments. Seven SNP rebels is a fantastic start, better than I hoped for. The next stage will be interesting, to say the least. Maybe some Labour MSPs will grow a spine when they realise the amendments they want to put forward won't be accepted.

Please support Ash and let her know that women appreciate her integrity.

Rachael Hamilton , Tess White & Pam Gosel were fantastic & it would be good to let them know we appreciate their standing up for women and children.