Anneliese Dodds MP, shadow secretary for women and equalities.
By Bill Heaney
Anas Sarwar has been urged to come clean on whether he still supports the SNP’s gender self-ID policy in the wake of a “screeching U-turn” on the issue by the UK Labour Party.
The Scottish Conservatives have written to the Scottish Labour leader following a newspaper opinion piece by Anneliese Dodds – the shadow secretary for women and equalities – criticising the controversial Gender Recognition Reform Bill.
Meghan Gallacher, Conservative MSP, and Labour leader Anas Sarwar.
Anas Sarwar not only supported the GRR Bill during its passage through Holyrood but forced Scottish Labour MSPs to vote for it too.
Ms Dodds now accepts that safeguards in the legislation designed “to protect women and girls from predators who might abuse the system were simply not up to scratch”.
Scottish Conservative deputy leader Meghan Gallacher has today written to Anas Sarwar urging him to break his “deafening silence” and clarify whether he still supports the SNP bill.
Scottish Conservative deputy leader Meghan Gallacher MSP said: “In the wake of UK Labour’s apparent screeching U-turn on gender self-ID policy, voters in Scotland are entitled to know if Anas Sarwar still supports the SNP’s reckless GRR Bill.
“Some Labour MSPs have doubled down on their support for it in response to Anneliese Dodds’ article, but there has been a deafening silence from their leader.
“Anas Sarwar blithely ignored the concerns of many that the bill would put women’s safety at risk when he forced his MSPs to vote for it – concerns that were soon vindicated by the Isla Bryson case.
“UK Labour seem to accept, with hindsight, that they got this policy badly wrong. We need to know if the Scottish Labour leader is willing to admit the same, which is why I have written to him.
“Poll after poll has shown that the majority of Scots oppose this reckless self-ID policy; they deserve to know whether Anas Sarwar is finally listening to them.”
High time that Anas Sarwar confirmed if he is for the self ID legislation that most Scots oppose.
Its a simple matter. Hiding, saying nothing, should not be an option.