UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has blocked a pro-child transgenderism law from being implemented in Scotland, prompting internal conflict amid more progressive elements of the Tory party.
Rishi Sunak’s government has confirmed that it will use section 35 of the Scotland Act 1998 to prevent a pro-transgenderism law allowing all those over the age of 16 to legally declare their own gender from coming into force, reports on Monday have confirmed.
The decision seems to have brought some internal conflict within the Conservative Party to the fore, with many progressive elements within the parliamentary group openly backing transgenderism.
According to a report by The Guardian, Sunak’s government has taken the decision to block the legislation from receiving the royal ascent needed for it to come into force over fears it would interfere with legislation in other parts of the UK.
In particular, experts have warned that the bill would allow those aged 16 or over to declare their legal gender without medical intervention, something that would likely make single-sex spaces in other parts of the UK much harder to maintain as they too would have to recognise the individual’s self-declared gender rather than the individual’s biological sex.
For instance, all-girls schools would likely not be able to deny entry to a male who identifies as being a woman or a girl should the legislation have come into force, one expert claimed.
Despite this, the decision to block the law has greatly angered those within the Scottish National Party that head up the country’s progressive government, with First Minister Nicola Sturgeon lambasting the move as a “full-frontal attack” on her devolved parliament.
“This is a full-frontal attack on our democratically elected Scottish Parliament and it’s ability to make it’s own decisions on devolved matters,” she wrote in a typo-strewn post online. “If this Westminster veto succeeds, it will be first of many.”
UK: 'Conservative' Govt to Make 'Conversion Therapy' for Transgender Individuals Illegal https://t.co/BFIdRRO21J
— Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) January 16, 2023
The decision to block the legislation has also seemingly brought internal Tory conflict over child transgenderism before, with at least one senior MP from within the party openly backing the notion of allowing individuals over the age of 16 to declare their own gender without medical supervision.
When asked during an interview whether she thought that some children could be trusted with deciding their own gender, Gillian Keegan, the UK’s Education Secretary, affirmed that she did.
“No I don’t actually [think 16 is too young],” the Tory party official said, adding that she was working and paying taxes herself at 16, and therefore thought herself capable of making the decision to determine her own gender at that age.
Gillian Keegan says the govt must strike the right balance between "supporting children" and making sure what they're being taught in school is "age appropriate".
Sturgeon has criticised the govt for blocking Scotland's gender reform bill, read more: https://t.co/yIz8i85Qdh pic.twitter.com/gWqCClc96j
— Sky News (@SkyNews) January 17, 2023
Although likely disappointing for some conservatively minded voters within Britain, the response is unsurprising considering the party’s recent backing of pro-transgenderism legislation, with MPs within the party reportedly forcing the government to include a ban on transgender conversion therapy within a wider pro-LGBT bill due to be passed this year.
Under the proposed law, attempts to change someone’s “gender identity” will be made illegal, though it is unclear whether exceptions will be made if such a treatment is requested by the transgender individual.
It is also unclear whether there will be exceptions included for non-coercive prayer, with there being a danger of normal religious practices being criminalised should no loophole for such petitionary prayer be put in place.
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