Gender reform 'risks providing incentive for sex offenders to come to Scotland' says Jack McConnell

[Whereareyourshoes]

’Writing in The Sunday Times, Lord McConnell, who was first minister from 2001 to 2007 and now sits in the House of Lords, said: "The Scottish Parliament was meant to be about improving public debate and passing good legislation that was well considered. This is not happening."

He said there are "really serious concerns about safe spaces for women, especially those dealing with the trauma of abuse, violence and rape".’

https://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/gender-reform-risks-providing-incentive-for-sex-offenders-to-come-to-scotland-says-jack-mcconnell-3958190

I hope that this gives many MSPs pause for thought and that instead of forcing through the bill through this week it is delayed while it is given further consideration. The SNP appear to view anyone who doesn't follow the party line 100% as being wrong and consequently discount everything they have to say. This has resulted in poor, unworkable law (eg named person scheme, bill to deal with sectarian aggression at football matches).

A particular concern to me is that convicted criminals who have been released from prison could use this bill to change sex and id every six months as there doesn't appear to be anything to prevent this. This would obviously make it more difficult for police and social work to keep track of people who they would wish to monitor.

I would like to see the SNP take into account a variety of viewpoints, not simply those of their Green friends.

I genuinely don’t think the SNP agenda here is driven by anything to do with trans rights (the ridiculously extremist Scottish greens may be, but that’s different). The polishing of the more-progressive-than-England halo is a bonus.

But, much as it sounds like conspiracy theory, I think we jimmy Kranky sees an opportunity to provoke the kinds of problems and impinge on important reserved areas (like how the uk issues passports) in ways that will force the UK government to intervene. That way Sturgeon gets to hold her hands up and cry ‘independence’ louder on the basis that the dreadful uk government won’t just let Scotland do what it wants.

The millions of women and girls thrown under that particular bus are just collateral damage for the first feminist.

Otherwise, the Scottish government might actually spend its time and resources on the myriad things that would improve the lives of Scottish people, rather than focusing on how they can better support sex offenders to be houses with women in prison or biological men to take precedence over vulnerable women and girls in all services.

yep.

I agree. Lots of different agendas. Some bleaker than others. And none of them have the aim of improving the lives of women and children in Scotland.

It won't improve the lives of trans people either.

People recruiting for roles where safeguarding is important will start to see obviously trans people as a risk when they realise that criminal record checks can't cope with name changes and of course it's verboten to ask.