Equality law changes an 'outright threat' to devolution - Swinney

[IwantToRetire]

Conservative proposals to make gender reassignment a reserved issue for the UK government are "an explicit, outright threat" to devolution, the first minister has said.

John Swinney told BBC Scotland News the Tory election pledge to rewrite the Equality Act would "erode the powers" of the Scottish Parliament in the process.

The minister for women and equalities Kemi Badenoch told the Times newspaper it was "impracticable for gender recognition regimes to vary in different parts of the country."

The Scottish government's gender recognition bill was blocked last year by the UK government, who said the draft law would conflict with equality protections that apply across the home nations.

A legal challenge to the veto was then rejected at the Court of Session in Edinburgh in December.

Mr Swinney accused the Conservatives of being "on the warpath" against Holyrood with the new proposal.

He said: "The Conservatives are interested in using any excuse they can to erode the powers of the Scottish parliament."

More at https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cldd7lzvryeo

Funny how the criticisms are never about whether the change to the EA is needed.

It is always other issues (not centering women) are put forward. Sunak just stoking the woke war, Sunak is anti trans, now we know it is just a horrible anti Scotland independence strategy.

I always thought it a strange choice for the SNP to choose trans rights as the focal issue for highlighting the Westminster vs Edinburgh power struggle. Surely most people don't really give a shit? But perhaps there isn't another issue that illustrates Edinburgh's potential loss of decision making.

But it was fine for Scotland to impose a law change across the whole of the UK? Got it.

But that's it. The SNP or whoever done care about women.

They just want the opportunity to say Westminister is subverting Holyrood's right to determine law in Scotland.

He's an idiot. This was the first ever challenge to Holyrood acting ultra vires. The Courts held the challenge was valid.

I suppose it detracts from the fact that in a display of incompetence which is almost unbelievable (but then one should never underestimate the incompetence of the Scottish Government) that £450 million of EU funding has to be repaid because they are too stupid to spend it.

Unspent EU cash to be returned

Piffle- I mean "potential loss of decision making" is piffle. What they were proposing clearly was ultra vires of the Devolution Act.

I despair - The SNP are dogmatic numpties. They’ve made a complete mess of governing Scotland and wasted millions.

In fact, I’m not surprised they’ve selected “trans rights” and gender self ID as a flagship issue. The lack of coherent policies and credible research showing positive long term consequences following independence as far as finance, international relations, currency, borders and all the rest matches entirely the lack of coherent policies and credible research showing positive long term consequences following gender transition. Let’s not forget the absolute refusal to even consider any suggestions of negative outcomes on either issue.

I just can’t pick which SNP politician I find more grating. John Swinney? or that pompous wee article Ian Blackford?

They are fixated on campaigning against anything the comes out of Westminister, regardless of the issue.

As a resident in North America, where both the US and Canada have established multi-level governments, I find the way this plays out in the UK interesting.

It's not that Canadians or Americans don't ever have issues around what level of government can control what issue - that's what the recent Roe v Wade decision was about after all which was very contentious. In Canada it very often seems to be about natural resources, much more boring but sometimes heated nonetheless.

But there isn't really the sense of trying to stick it to the man that I get from Scottish politics. It's a serious argument about what level is properly in charge of what issues, but it's accepted that each has their proper role and the other level needs to respect that when it's established.

Positioning themselves as victims is the only way to keep unity.