Kate Forbes backs JKR on trans rights.

[ArabellaScott]

All three SNP leader candidates interviewed on Sky News just now.

It's a live channel, so no idea how to share a time stamp, sorry. Anyway:

Question: 'Is JK Rowling a national treasure'

Humza: 'Yes, I think she's done amazing in terms of the books she's written, but I disagree ve-HEM-EN-ently with her on the issue of transgender rights.'

Kate: 'Yes. And I do think she's brave'.

Interviewer: 'Do you disagree with her on the issue of transgender rights?'

Kate; 'No, I don't disagree with her'.

Ash: 'I think she's a national treasure, yes. I think she was very brave to speak out on an issue where many women who had raised legitimate concerns were receiving you know, quite threatening communications, so yes, she's definitely a national treasure.'

[Followed by a loud bang off-stage, either the producer fainting, Nicola dropping her Harry Potter book, or as suggested elsewhere, someone being shot.]

https://www.youtube.com/live/9Auq9mYxFEE?feature=share

See, I knew hyperbole from high school maths! It always had a lovely curve to the sound.

Me too, though I know it's Greek in origin so must be 'ee'. I knew someone at uni who always, always said Aristophanes as if it rhymed with planes even though he knew it didn't.

I was watching Masters of the Universe at the weekend. I think Humza was secretly calling out for he-man with his coded pronunciation. I think he-man would be GC though.

Humza came across very badly on what I saw. Talk about talking down to the women.

I'm not in Scotland ( though I did used to live in Aberdeenshire) and am not familair with SNP politics, but why is it that nicola sturgeon might want Humza over the other two candidates? Is it purely down to Self ID?

Could it be because he'll do as he's told and toe whichever line?

Yes. He's like a teenager trying to impress people. Repeating the same 'I've got better ratings than you, that's in three weeks, imagine what I could do in three months, eh? Eh?'

Embarrassing, tbh.

Yes, your last sentence has it.

The SNP has been controlled by a very small bunch of people over the past few years, and its got a bit murky.

Regan or Forbes are likely to have a clear out and let in a lot of sunlight. Humza will keep the gravy train on the tracks -for a few months, at least.

Even if he's the least credible.... so self destructive.

i think people outside of Scottish politics imagine that the SNP is full on woke and left -liberal, when in fact I should imagine that there are many members who are actually far more conservative and centrist. I guess that was the tactic used to see off the Labour Party?

They used to be known as the 'Tartan Tories'. So, yes, a conscious decision to be LEFT and PROGRESSSSSSSSSSSSIVE was to differentiate from a WM Tory government and I guess to claim ground that used to be Labour.

I don't know what the membership is like now, but yes, probably largely fairly centrist. Scotland is supposedly traditionally more left leaning, but I'm never quite sure about the truth of that. Some areas are - Glasgow was always Labour. But others are more Tory - rural areas particularly.

Haha!