Vocal Voices

Has devolution been taken one step to far with the Gender Recognition Reform Bill (Scotland). This is a huge step which will allow people from the age of 16 to decide for themselves on their preferred gender and obtain a certificate of recognition without medical supervision. In my opinion the decision to propose and vote through this Bill takes devolution way beyond the original conception of the individual nations taking control of their own budgets and administration. The slippery slope was started during COVID when Ministers of the devolved nations were appearing on television with their different agendas for dealing with COVID. Yes COVID is a health issue but quite clearly it could be argued that the UK was in crisis at that time and that the UK should speak with one voice.

Now we have this controversial Bill passed in Scotland which will have implications for the rest of the UK. It is not just supported by Nicola Sturgeon but also the Scottish Labour Party, the Liberals, and the Greens. The process can be started at the age of 15 and all it requires to change gender is a three month residential period in Scotland. Parents have no say if their children decide to mutilate their own bodies, and as I understand it, do not need to be informed.

It is at times like this that the reality that Scotland has a separate legal system, for which they make their own laws, becomes very evident.

The legal age of adulthood in Scotland is 16. It allows these decisions.

Whether I think it is sensible or not?? Different question.

It is just awful Meds.
They are even going to allow male rapists to declare that they now "identify" as a woman and should be allowed into previously woman only spaces.

It is a rapists charter.
As one brave MSP said "If a fox calls itself a chicken, I still wouldn't let it into the henhouse".

Our political elite are absolutely foul people, or they would not allow this to happen.

Let's be truthful here: there is no such thing as a transsexual human being and no amount of surgery, drugs and hormones is going to change that.

However, if someone wants to define themselves as the opposite of their biological sex that's up to them so long as they do not expect the NHS to pick up the tab for any cosmetic changes to help them pretend they are something they patently are not.

And no matter how they now define themselves they should still use the same gender spaces as defined for them at birth.

All these laws do is pander to the believers in the "you can be whatever you want to be" mantra.

Suff wrote:It is at times like this that the reality that Scotland has a separate legal system, for which they make their own laws, becomes very evident

Is this not a case Suff where the Scottish legal system can impact on the rest of the UK. It only requires a three months residency in Scotland to enable a 16 year old to obtain a ceretificate and then return to their home address somewhere else in the UK. Or even one of those foxes that call themselves chickens, for that matter.

It does and it always has meds. Gretna was always the destination for under 18's who wanted to marry because Gretna is inside Scotland and has the 16 year old age limit.

However, once married, the marriage is legal throughout the Kingdom.

This is one of the differences in the Union which works the other way. One of the very few.

We opened our box of Waitrose All Butter Scottish Selection Shortbreads today, and in the middle of the packet, somewhat surprisingly, were two chocolate biscuits - straight up!

I can only assume they had self-identified.