Protest against Nicola Sturgeon's gender identity law disrupts FMQs

2023-01-19

Nicola Sturgeon is hit with protests against gender identity law and North Sea oil as she takes weekly FMQs session at Holyrood

Holyrood was disrupted by protests as Nicola Sturgeon took the FMQs session
Environmental protesters interrupted before a demo against gender identity law
Ms Sturgeon is vowing to challenge the UK government’s block on gender rules

Nicola Sturgeon faced public protests over her gender identity law and North Sea oil today as she fielded questions in Holyrood.

One member of the pubic was escorted out of the gallery at the end of FMQs after hurling abuse at the SNP leader over the controversial legislation.

Earlier the session was disrupted by three environmental campaigners demanding the First Minister oppose fossil fuel extraction.

The episode underlines the strength of feeling over the trans legislation for Scotland, which is being blocked by Westminster to avoid causing chaos across the UK.

The measures would reduce the age at which people can formally change gender from 18 to 16, as well as removing the need for a medical diagnosis.

Nicola Sturgeon faced public protests over her gender identity law and North Sea oil today as she fielded questions in Holyrood

Earlier the session was disrupted by three environmental campaigners demanding the First Minister oppose fossil fuel extraction. Pictured, the scene in the gallery as the environmental protests took place

Ms Sturgeon has vowed to stage a judicial review of the UK government’s action, saying it undermines the devolution settlement.

But critics have accused her of confecting a confrontation in an effort to advance her agenda of splitting the union.

Dressed in the colours of the suffrage movement, the ejected protester claimed that the views of women had been ignored by SNP ministers, repeatedly shouting that the government had ‘not let women speak’.

Ministers say they were forced to take the unprecedented step of vetoing legislation passed by the Scottish Parliament because the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill would have had a ‘serious adverse impact’ on equality laws across the UK.

In a further blow to the Scottish First Minister, former Supreme Court judge Lord Hope said yesterday the Government’s reasons were ‘devastating’ and that Miss Sturgeon’s chances of winning a legal challenge were ‘very low’.

But Sir Keir’s spokesman said the UK and Scottish governments could have resolved the ‘totally unnecessary’ row before the unprecedented Section 35 veto was issued and he could not point to anything in the Scottish reforms that posed a threat to single-sex spaces.

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