ANY UK Government attempt to block the gender reform bill would be a “complete betrayal of the devolution settlement”, an SNP MP has insisted.
MSPs passed the Gender Recognition Reform Bill overwhelmingly at Holyrood on Thursday after two long days of intense debate.
The bill will make it easier for trans people to obtain a Gender Recognition Certificate, removing the requirement for a diagnosis of gender dysphoria and lowering the age an applicant can be from 18 to 16.
Applicants will also only need to have lived in their acquired gender for three months, or six if they are under 18.
But despite the legislation passing by 86 votes to 39, the UK Government has said it will “look closely” at the implications of the bill.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has insisted it is “completely reasonable” for Westminster to consider blocking it, while International Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch said the Scottish Government had “not addressed the full implications of their bill”.
SNP MP Tommy Sheppard has said this is yet another “outrageous” bid from the UK Government to “undermine” devolution, something he claims is becoming a common theme.
He said: “No matter what your view is on the gender reform bill, this is quite outrageous from the UK Government.
“It’s yet another attempt to undermine devolution and demonstrates they were never committed to it in the first place. They can’t be trusted with it.
“Hopefully they will back off, but it’s just consistent with everything that’s been happening over the last three years, with the Internal Market Bill for example.
“They are now acting in extremely bad faith. It’s a complete betrayal of the devolution settlement.
“I appreciate there are a range of views on the debate but whatever it is it ought to be for the people of Scotland to decide what social policy they want and for their parliamentarians to vote on it and that is precisely what framed the Devolution Act back in 1997.
“The Tories are trying to roll back history and I hope that everyone will see it for what it is and resist it.”
The Scottish Greens also described the move by the UK Government as an attack on devolution.
Maggie Chapman, equalities spokesperson for the party, said: “Any attempt to block this bill would be an attack on devolution and democracy and on the rights of trans people. The UK Government rightly recognises gender recognition certificates from other countries - they should honour those issued in Scotland.”
While visiting a homeless shelter in London, Sunak said: “I think it is completely reasonable for the UK Government to have a look at it, understand what the consequences are for women and children’s safety in the rest of the UK, and then decide on what the appropriate course of action is.”
The Scottish Government has said it will "vigorously" contest any attempts by the UK Government to block the bill.
Opponents of the legislation fear it will impact on the Equality Act, particularly in relation to the exemption which allows for trans people to be excluded from single-sex spaces in some circumstances.
The bill, the Scottish Government says, will have no impact on the exemptions.
