Alba Party’s Ash Regan lodges Motion calling on Scottish Government to halt legal action and intention to roll out Gender Recognition Reform Act

Ash Regan MSP has lodged the attached motion which will ask members across the Scottish Parliament to demand that the Scottish Government halts any further legal action and ultimately disposes of its intention to roll out the Gender Recognition Reform Act.

Commenting Alba Party Holyrood leader Ash Regan MSP said:

“It was disappointing that we ended up in this situation in the first place but not unpredictable and I had previously warned the Scottish Government that they were attempting to face down Westminster on an issue that they would lose. Many high profile incidents have now showed us that the Gender Recognition Reforms proposed are not fit for purpose.

“Hundreds of thousands of pounds have already been wasted and it would be unimaginable for the Scottish Government to appeal this decision and then ultimately proceed to a situation of potentially asking the UK Supreme Court to overturn a decision of Scotland’s Highest Court.

“I resigned from the Government as I simply could not support legislation that is so ill thought out, opposed by women’s groups across Scotland and a fundamental risk to the safety of women and girls.

“The Scottish Government lost the battle in court and they will further lose the support of the people of Scotland if they keep pursuing this policy. I urge Humza Yousaf to now completely scrap his Government’s Gender Reforms.”

Text of Motion to be lodged:

That the Parliament notes the outcome of the Court of Session’s decision that the Secretary of State for Scotland’s use of the provision set out in Section 35 of the Scotland Act 1998 was lawful, regrets that the Scottish Parliament brought forward legislation that was so fundamentally flawed that it allowed the UK Government the opportunity to challenge the legislation, notes the views of women across Scotland that the Gender Recognition Reform Act is a risk to the safety, privacy and dignity of women and girls, notes that the Scottish Government have spent a considerable amount of public funds to date on legal costs in its attempt to roll out this legislation, and calls on the Scottish Government to now halt any further legal action and to dispose of any intention to roll out the Gender Recognition Reform Act.