SNP will not draw up revised gender recognition laws in political end to self-ID debate

[IwantToRetire]

SNP ministers will not draw up revised legislation to reform gender recognition, ending any likely possibility of a self-ID process for trans people in Scotland.

John Swinney’s Government has now told The Scotsman there are no plans to revise the plans so they do not impact on the Equality Act.

Instead, SNP ministers are awaiting Keir Starmer’s government to bring forward UK-wide reforms to the Gender Recognition Act.

Labour’s plans will still require trans people to be diagnosed with gender dysphoria, ending any chance of a system of self-ID being set up north of the Border, despite the policy being devolved to Holyrood.

The Scottish Government’s legislation was blocked by a section 35 order by the-then Scottish Secretary Alister Jack, who argued that despite being devolved, the law would impinge on the UK Equality Act.

More at https://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/snp-trans-gender-laws-self-id-john-swinney-humza-yousaf-5008957

Or at https://archive.is/dUYSI

I hadn't heard that Labour was saying you had to be diagnosed with gender dysphoria. Is that true?

I imagine Starmer is waiting to the outcome of the FWS JR.

Does mean that at last every other thread on FWR will no longer be about Scotland, or will the madness continue?!

I hadn't heard that Labour was saying you had to be diagnosed with gender dysphoria. Is that true?

Yes, that was in the statement they made some time ago. That they felt there still needed to be a medical element so they weren't proposing to get rid of it entirely. Went down well with TRAs, as you can imagine.

Anything else would be a form of self ID.

Swinney is correct in this course of action.

His original bill was veto-ed as it would not tally with UK aw so they are better off leaving to the UK government.

Starmer:s bill will be left on the back burner.

It is a reform nobody wants, tinkering with requirements for a GRC.

TRAs want self ID.

Not sure any gender critical people want this bill to become law either.

Starmer has slowly come round against self ID but had avoided confrontation on the issue. He will not wish to waste parliamentary time when all the bill can do is put the issue centre stage but please neither side.

I'm always uncomfortable with 'shelving'. However, so many of us are watching the lawmakers because of stealth enactments, that I don't think they'd get anything through without notice. The days of Ireland are gone (I hope), though the EU is still driving the madness forward, so nothing is safe.

The medical requirements will be 1 letter from any Dr, apparently, or so they said

Yes, just lip service really. The plan was obviously going to please no one at all.

Kind of lip service, but reducing the medical element from two doctors (one specialist) to one letter from any doctor. I imagine they were trying to search for middle ground, so nobody is happy, but that does seem quite a significant change.

That said, it’s apparent from some quarters that GPs are more reluctant to provide ongoing treatment such as cross-sex hormones, so in real terms, it may be that obtaining such a letter will become more difficult.

That said, it’s apparent from some quarters that GPs are more reluctant to provide ongoing treatment such as cross-sex hormones, so in real terms, it may be that obtaining such a letter will become more difficult.

I'm not sure many GPs will feel this falls within their area of expertise to diagnose and therefore are likely to refer on

Thanks for info re Labour's plan. Sort of remembered it vaguely.

But missed this at the time it slipped out https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/feb/10/labour-shelves-plans-easier-people-legally-change-gender

So does that mean for as long a Reform appears according to polls to be popular this will not happen?!

But imagine the outcome of the Supreme Court could shift things.

If they rule that the word sex means biological many parts of how the EA intereacts with GRA will be impacted. And the SSE no longer needed?

Ah. Always happy to hand the reins back to London when it's sth tricky they want to clean their hands of... Swinney has said the same about conversion therapy bill. And they are wobbling about the Scottish assisted dying bill (also a private member's bill) which ScotGov are saying might be incompetent, i.e. outwith the remit of the Scottish parliament.

There have been various transactivists tweeting that their GPs, who have been prescribing their cross-sex hormones for years, have now told them they will no longer continue. I think the Royal College of General Practitioners has been backing away from this for a few years now. They wrote one of the first medical articles pointing out the lack of evidence quite a few years ago. They also mentioned how few GPs had sufficient knowledge. I remember tweeting it a lot.

As you say, GPs can state it’s not their area of expertise and I believe the RCGP would back them, even if the BMA wouldn’t.

“the role of the GP does not include the following:
**

• Sharing care with the private sector, unless the GP practice has made their own decision to do so and feels that it is safe and resourced.”

No short cuts and they’ve gone full Cass.

They’ve made a new statement, which I hadn’t seen!

https://www.rcgp.org.uk/representing-you/policy-areas/transgender-care

Just posting this as related, although may have been posted on other threads.

Swinney to meet feminist campaigners who oppose SNP trans reforms
The first minister will offer an official meeting with members of For Women Scotland after the conclusion of their case before the Supreme Court
https://www.thetimes.com/uk/scotland/article/swinney-vows-to-meet-womens-group-who-oppose-trans-equality-l3zr2dvdr

Article in full also at https://archive.is/iwlJX

Wonder if that is why this has been has chirped up

https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/news/politics/mhairi-black-demands-snp-relaunch-34817362

'Punish those who disagree'!?

Remind me who are supposed to be the fascists.

Has she forgotten that the Westminster Government challenged their right to have a different law than the UK wide one.

And it was upheld.

Even if she really thinks this policy is right (SNP - the party of lost causes?!) does she think the law is going to go oh this time we will let Scotland have a different law to the rest of the UK even though the EA is UK wide.

Its the sort of think that someone trying to be the loudest voice in student politics would have stood up and said. Knowing it would never happen as student politics is just play acting.

It doesn't seem five minutes sice she was the blue-eyed young girl of the Guardian and much of the liberal press. Of out of the mouths of babes, though, comes all too often, bollocks. As, hopefully, Mhairi will later reflect.

I never understand politicans who get out of politics and then seem to want to lecture the public on politics, either stay in and have an influence or get out and stop proselytising.

"It was all shaped by thorough research, by professional opinion, by lived experience. The evidence supporting it couldn’t have been any stronger."
but then why not present that evidence, why not debate it, prove your arguments through facts and logic rather than forcing people to get in line. If ideas are abhorrent and unpalatable then the way to change peoples minds is to expose those ideas to sunliight, thats how the BNP fell, if gender critical ideas are so abhorrent then they should be exposed to the public to change hearts and minds.