London would be outrageous if it blocked gender reforms

LONDON, (Reuters) – The Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon stated Monday that any London attempt to block Scotland’s gender reform bill would be “outrageous” given that Rishi Sunak, British Prime Minster, was ready to use his constitutional power to block it.

This would be the first instance of the British government using its power to block a Scottish law, causing a conflict with the semi-autonomous Scottish government.

According to officials from the Conservative government, a decision is expected within the next two days. Sunak may be inclined to block the legislation. Officials did not want to be identified. This move could be challenged in court.

Sturgeon said that “it would be an outrage” at a briefing and also added that trans-people “would be using trans-people who are already among the most vulnerable, marginalised groups in our country as a political weapon”.

The United Kingdom’s first country to approve a self identification process for changing gender was Scotland in December. This included removing the requirement for a gender dysphoria diagnosis and lowering the minimum age from 18 to 16.

The SNP stated that the reforms were supported by the Scottish National Party and other parties, except the Conservatives.

Some women’s rights activists opposed the changes, arguing that they could compromise the safety of girls and women by making it easier to have single-sex space like bathrooms for predatory men.

Sunak stated in December that it was reasonable for Britain to examine the effects of Scotland’s reforms on women’s and children’s safety elsewhere in the United Kingdom.

Keir Starmer of the Labour Party also opposed the Scottish bill. He told the BBC that 16-year-olds are too young to have their legal gender changed.

JURISDICTION CLASH

The British government must make a decision by Wednesday on whether it will challenge the reforms, based on the possibility that they could conflict with UK-wide legislation (including the 2010 Equality Act).

It could invoke Section35 from the Scotland Act in an attempt to prevent the bill becoming law. This is a rare step that would threaten Scotland’s devolved power.

Sturgeon stated that there were “no grounds to contest” the legislation. He also said that the legislation did not affect the Equality Act and that the majority of the Scottish Parliament passed it after extensive scrutiny.

According to the first minister, a challenge would be further evidence of the British government’s “complete contempt for Scotland’s Parliament and for devolution in principe”.

She stated, “If there’s a decision to contest, then, in my opinion, it will be quite simple a political decision.”

A clash between London and Edinburgh would only worsen the relations.

Sturgeon stated last year that Britain’s next election would be a “defacto” referendum on Scottish independence. This was after the UK’s highest court ruled that her government couldn’t hold a second vote.

(Reporting by Farouq Suleiman, Andrew MacAskill and Farouq Suleiman; Editing by Paul Sandle & Mark Heinrich).