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The last line of defence

Posted on April 12, 2021 by

The Alba Party tonight released its official policy manifesto on equalities. We attach it below for the benefit of voters, particularly those concerned by the other parties’ positions on women’s rights. The highlighting is ours.

The ALBA party recognises that by dint of birth and happenstance, we are not all created nor do we live our lives as equals. Scotland’s history involves multiple injustices where chance or privilege have dictated outcomes, and today, poverty continues to be the biggest driver of inequality and a blight on our society. These days should by now be past. Surely this modern world and an independent Scotland can cater for all without loss to any.

The Scotland ALBA strives to create, envisions a level playing field where we can become truly equal to each other and where everyone’s rights are respected and protected, but, vitally, not at the cost of others.

ALBA undertakes to protect and preserve women’s rights, not at any expense to others, but as a safeguard for women and girls.

ALBA believes women have the right to discuss all policies which affect them, without being abused and silenced.

ALBA believes women have the right to maintain their sex based protections as set out in the Equality Act 2010. These include female only spaces such as changing rooms, hospital wards, sanitary and sleeping accommodation, refuges, hostels and prisons.

ALBA believes women have the right to refuse consent to males in single sex spaces or males delivering intimate services to females such as washing, dressing and counselling.

ALBA believes women have the right to single sex sports to ensure fairness and safety at all levels of competition.

ALBA believes women have the right to organise themselves according to their sex class across a range of cultural, leisure, educational and political activities.

ALBA acknowledges and promotes all of the protected characteristics of the Equality Act 2010 which are age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, race, religion or belief, sexual orientation and sex.

Crucially, ALBA understands the controversy and pain which have characterised Scotland’s recent attempts at reform; there has been much heat and at times little light.

ALBA invites and will endorse a citizens’ assembly on how best to reform the Gender Recognition process in a respectful, sensitive and positive fashion.

ALBA acknowledges that no single protected characteristic is more virtuous or more worthy of recognition and safeguarding than another. They are all fundamentally important, each on their own, and as a collective.

We’re all equal in ALBA.

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141 to “The last line of defence”

  1. Scott
    Ignored
    says:

    Can’t argue with any of that.

  2. Graf Midgehunter
    Ignored
    says:

    It’s not the last line of defence

    it should be the first line of attack. 🙂

    Support women – Adult biological Human Females.

    I DO.

  3. boris
    Ignored
    says:

    Alba. The peoples Party. A clear and unambiguous statement. I am breathing more easily now. But we need to get our candidates into Holyrood so we can “head the Wokies off at the pass”.

  4. Sharny Dubs
    Ignored
    says:

    Works for me.

  5. dropthevipers
    Ignored
    says:

    Oh dear-can see Woko Harem having a fit of the vapours over that…

  6. Mikiem
    Ignored
    says:

    I concur,

  7. MorvenM
    Ignored
    says:

    Bravo, Alba. Finally an independence party we can vote for without fear.

  8. Doreen A Milne
    Ignored
    says:

    Exactly what is needed right now. Every word an absolute blessing to my ears.

  9. Eva
    Ignored
    says:

    Thank you – as it says, we are all equal in ALBA.

  10. Sheepshagger
    Ignored
    says:

    Very well said.
    Conciliatory and broad minded.
    It won’t satisfy the zealots though,how long before the first snide remark?

  11. Liz g
    Ignored
    says:

    Vote ALBA … for a Decent Scotland

  12. Dave Llewellyn
    Ignored
    says:

    Well done Eva

  13. susanXX
    Ignored
    says:

    Excellent. Science and commonsense win. A party i can vote for.

  14. Robert Graham
    Ignored
    says:

    This SNP Nicola Sturgeon and her inner circle have totally misjudged concerns from ordinary women , apparently they work for us although it’s difficult to believe most of the time .

  15. Andy
    Ignored
    says:

    This widens the gap between ALBA and the SNP even further.

    Leaving the likes of me with a huge problem, do we do as Salmond is asking and vote SNP 1, or do we follow our natural instincts and avoid Voting SNP at all costs, because their policies are so sickeningly perverted?

    I personally have made up my mind, and as far as I’m concerned the SNP are dead, they are no more.

  16. Hatuey
    Ignored
    says:

    That’s very well written and strikes a very refreshing, respectful, and conciliatory tone.

    Very different from the dictatorial crap we have become accustomed to.

    So sick of Sturgeon, her sex lies and sticky tape…

  17. Andy
    Ignored
    says:

    Is their anyone left that actually admits to being an SNP member and more importantly, do they actually admit to supporting their policies?

  18. John Martini
    Ignored
    says:

    I think it is time for A Decleration of Alba.

  19. Willie
    Ignored
    says:

    What absolute common sense and voices of reason.

    The insanity of the SNP wokes and their divisive women threatening lunatic policies now have an antidote in Alba. Bravo the ladies, and men too of Alba for articulating sound sensible policies that have been so badly missed these past years.

    Women generally, and children too, will be safer with women like these on their side.

  20. holymacmoses
    Ignored
    says:

    That is impressive.

  21. Mr Window
    Ignored
    says:

    I’ve just been catching up on the age of consent stuff. My God, what the hell is going on?

    Why don’t they put some time and effort into feeding the kids instead of fiddling with definitions of sex, gender, consent, adolescence, etc?

    Is this why they are trying to marginalise women and motherhood — because women and mothers will oppose their plans for the kids?

    This is seriously creepy. The SNP is officially scary.

  22. wee monkey
    Ignored
    says:

    Reference is missing.

    Apart from that excellent news, it’s been a long time since nationalists actually lit a beacon for the Scottish people.

    A light shining over the darkness that the snp has become…

  23. kapelmeister
    Ignored
    says:

    Down with the woke fascists.
    Vote for Alba and women’s rights.

  24. Frazerio
    Ignored
    says:

    Its really not that complicated is it?

    As Bill Shankly might have said; ‘politics, a simple game complicated by fools’.

  25. PhilM
    Ignored
    says:

    Slightly O/T
    It’s funny to read the hysterical comment on the Twitter about the independence movement sorely needing a grassroots left-wing queer movement because when you ‘reverse’ the terms, you get an elite right-wing socially conservative roadblock to independence i.e. the current SNP cabinet.
    We certainly live in interesting times. Being Scottish these days is like living in a constant existential crisis.
    2014 seems like a century ago…

  26. mr laing b. french
    Ignored
    says:

    SORTED!

  27. twathater
    Ignored
    says:

    Well done the ALBA women , but unfortunately I still have concerns about this
    ————————————-
    “ALBA invites and will endorse a citizens’ assembly on how best to reform the Gender Recognition process in a respectful, sensitive and positive fashion.”
    ——————————————

    WHY is there a need to discuss the reformation of the GRA when it has been extensively discussed and ruled on in the 2010 equality act , this has been a contentious issue since the SNP first proposed it and irrespective whether ALBA now supports a discussion on it , the reality is it is still reviled by a majority of the population who STRONGLY object to any reform

    It is NOT a citizens assembly that is required to discuss and reform the GRA because that infers that people are happy to accept that it requires reform when the opposite may well be the case that people want the status quo

    What IS needed is a referendum after independence to ascertain if the general population want and need the present GRA to be amended or if the present conditions to gain a gender recognition certificate are adequate

    TBQH this imposing regulations and rules on a we know what’s best for you attitude isn’t any more acceptable from the ALBA party than it is from the SNP or any other party

    They work for us

  28. SA Jackson
    Ignored
    says:

    Good that Alba are following the ISP’s lead, hopefully now we can build a strong consensus to challenge the rest of the political parties in Scotland.

  29. Margaret Lindsay
    Ignored
    says:

    I’ll vote for that.

  30. James Barr Gardner
    Ignored
    says:

    O/T
    Last week I have blocked over 200 folk on facebook but strangely enough my total of over 300 friends on facebook has not deminished ? Most of my facebook friends were gathered prior to IndyRef1 or in the dark days shortly after. Thoughts ?

  31. David Caledonia
    Ignored
    says:

    Excellent, Brilliant,

    Its fandabbydozy as Jimmy would say

  32. Jacqueline McMillan
    Ignored
    says:

    This is great news but I do however agree with twathater re the gender woo woo. That nonsense needs sorted once and for all, perhaps tighter controls would suffice?

  33. John McNab
    Ignored
    says:

    It’s come to something when things that should go without saying, need to be said.

    Stands Scotland where it did?

  34. Effigy
    Ignored
    says:

    How strange the days and the government when we rejoice
    on seeing common sense put into a party’s manifesto.

    We are not out to attack or maltreat the trans people but they cannot expect
    rights that put women and girls in serious danger.

    If they complete their transition and their male appendage is no more then
    what they lose should gain them greater access.

    I nearly said they would have a levelled playing field.

  35. Linda McFarlane
    Ignored
    says:

    I’ll vote for that.

  36. Dave M
    Ignored
    says:

    About bloody time for a political party to come out with some common sense, including the fact that income disparity is the key driver of inequality, not identity characteristics (real or imagined).

    Last night’s Triggernometry interviewee, who was part of Westminster’s commission on racial equality, highlighted the same thing: that economic disparity is the key differential driver of inequality.

    The pushback against the woke nonsense has kicked off.

  37. McLaurin
    Ignored
    says:

    Same rules for everyone. What’s not to like 🙂

  38. TheSNPLeftMe
    Ignored
    says:

    Vote ALBA for and put MSPs who listen to the people into Holyrood.

  39. susanXX
    Ignored
    says:

    Good point twathater at 3.14am

  40. WeeChid
    Ignored
    says:

    Does Alba believe that women born in the 1950s should receive the state pension they were promised and into which they paid, in good faith – and will there be any mitigation at all for their financial hardship or recognition of their plight, any crumb at all? Or are we to be forgotten by yet anther party which doesn’t seem to understand or care about the effect this legislation has had on the mental, physical and financial wellbeing of older women?
    And before there is a pile on I know that pensions are reserved but many other Tory cuts have been mitigated for other groups, particularly the young. I’m not suggesting they pay our pension from the Scottish budget but they could, at least, fund something like the Heating Allowance, the Warm Homes Allowance and even throw in the £10 Christmas bonus. Some of us haven’t been able to use our bus passes for over a year so we don’t even get that perk.
    FFS the SNP can give money to the MSM and Stonewall but nothing to older women?

  41. Alastair Gibb
    Ignored
    says:

    Andy says:
    12 April, 2021 at 1:03 am

    “This widens the gap between ALBA and the SNP even further.

    Leaving the likes of me with a huge problem, do we do as Salmond is asking and vote SNP 1, or do we follow our natural instincts and avoid Voting SNP at all costs, because their policies are so sickeningly perverted?

    I personally have made up my mind, and as far as I’m concerned the SNP are dead, they are no more.”

    The only way to secure the Supermajority is to Vote SNP1 and Alba2, end of. That is how the strategy works, your way fails because it risks the SNP losing constituencies, the consequences of which are likely to be more List votes for the SNP, therefore less for Alba.
    I don’t like it any more than you do, I tore up my SNP membership a while ago and joined Alba on day 1 and I can assure you it doesn’t make me happy to be doing it, but it has to be done.
    At the moment Independence isn’t going to happen without the SNP, so hold your nose and do the needful, Nicola wont survive long if Alba get all the list seats they are contending.
    Max The Yes – SNP1 and ALBA2

  42. Jacqueline McMillan
    Ignored
    says:

    Also agree with John McNab. It really does come to something when things need to be said which is totally unnecessary. We live in an age of madness. We have for a long while but this gender woo woo is pathetic. Nicla putting money and effort into that tells you all you need to know. She’s perverted.

  43. Robert Hughes
    Ignored
    says:

    Feels like someone just opened a window , allowing fresh air and sunlight into a previously dank and fetid room .

    Bravo ALBA . Fuck the legion of deluded clowns and their Queen of Misrule , they’ve had it their own – warped – way for too long

    We refuse to comply

    We refuse to be gaslit by idiots

    We refuse to be silenced by the Woke Inquisition .

  44. Ian McCubbin
    Ignored
    says:

    As it should be, job done.

  45. Captain Yossarian
    Ignored
    says:

    I don’t know if anyone remembers the original mission statement for Holyrood itself, but it was even more conside than this.

    Anyone looking-on at the recent Holyrood Inquiry would no doubt conculde that it is Holyrood itself that has gone wrong.

    Terrible leadership and compliant and lazy MSP’s have made it not fit for purpose.

  46. Robert Hughes
    Ignored
    says:

    Captain Y .

    What you say is indisputable but are you suggesting closing Holyrood as a remedy ?

  47. Scot Finlayson
    Ignored
    says:

    I`m sure most transpeople would 100% agree with this statement from Alba,

    if only the white privileged uni uneducated woke nose ringed bearded snowflakes that have infested the trans community would f@ck off and let the real transpeople speak for themselves.

  48. akenaton
    Ignored
    says:

    Good, but Phil has a point about the GRA.
    Excellent politics to let real women set the agenda, I think this statement should improve membership of the Party.
    We still need a voice in the MSM, I notice the Times and the Scotsman have picked up the latest scandals perpetrated by Nick and the Boys, hopefully other organs will follow suit.
    There is also the problem of perhaps having to work with the SNP and the danger of contamination.

  49. akenaton
    Ignored
    says:

    “Real Transpeople” shurley shome mishtake???

  50. Dan Fyffe
    Ignored
    says:

    Don’t know when the penny is going to drop. You have to vote SNP to get Alba seats. Listen to the general because if every little soldier executes their own battle plan we all die.

  51. akenaton
    Ignored
    says:

    Hmm, my grandfather fought on the Somme, didn’t do him or his friends much good. I think we need to be open and above board with the people, who are at this moment pretty clueless.

  52. JB
    Ignored
    says:

    In this:

    ALBA believes women have the right to organise themselves according to their sex class across a range of cultural, leisure, educational and political activities.

    What does sex class refer to?

    It is suggesting that women includes multiple sexes, or something else? If something else, then what?

  53. BaronessSamedi
    Ignored
    says:

    So stick that in your pipe and smoke it, rainbow beards!

  54. Breeks
    Ignored
    says:

    I can’t decide whether this is progressive or retrograde.

    I don’t mean the policy manifesto, I’m perfectly happy with that, but irked by the fact such things need to be said at all.

    In the 19th Century, it was established religious belief and theories of creationism which were being pushed into retreat by the advance of scientific doctrines and theories of evolution.

    In 21st Century Scotland, it seems the established scientific doctrines which brought us out of our darkness, and all the knowledge we have gained about procreation, genetics and DNA, has given rise to a bizarre resurrection of crank theories and scientific denial. – A group delusion which is even trying to redefine the binary distinction between male and female.

    Not so much the arrival of a Second Scottish Enlightenment, more of a First Scottish Darkening… (Although perhaps we should reserve the “first” Scottish darkening to the improprieties of Union in 1707).

    How have these crank theorists and Gender-woo-woo science deniers managed to resurrect stupidity and the literal denial of truth as mainstream philosophies, and demand these gender based absurdities are taken seriously and adopted as pillars of modern society?

    The Transgender Extremists are promoting an 18th Century style ignorance and denial of science as a virtue, while masquerading as some avant-garde cultural progression, but which promises to demean the women in our society, and spawn a wider denial of known science, which promises to mark a regression in our society, backwards towards a less science based reality.

    Why in gods name is Scotland being presented with any of this deluded garbage right now, at a time so critical for Scotland’s emancipation from a corrupt and broken Union which has NEVER been more vulnerable?

    I could literally fill a bus with those responsible and happily drive it off a pier somewhere. Unionist plants or simple imbeciles, it really makes no difference.

  55. Dan Fyffe
    Ignored
    says:

    My great great great (etc) grandfather was Alexander the Great, what’s your actual point?

  56. Robert Graham
    Ignored
    says:

    I made a point a few days ago and I said I wouldn’t be visiting the village people over in La La Land

    I shouldn’t have been surprised that the site has changed name it’s now called

    PETRIFIED

    Petrified has taken over the site along with the fragrant Capella and the other members of the little gang who have been running the site for the last year , great work ladies your doing a great job of elevating the site from the cesspit into the gutter that’s some achievement.

    The only aim is to slag off Wings over Scotland site it’s a bit long but covers the new theme

    Almost every other post has a snide comment about this site ,Alex Salmond, ALBA and everyone who comments on here , oh well keeps the streets clean I suppose

  57. Mr Window
    Ignored
    says:

    “You have to vote SNP to get Alba seats.”

    That isn’t true.

  58. Paul Cockshott
    Ignored
    says:

    JB, it is standard feminist terminlogy. By their sex class it means the female sex class, it excludes men in female attire.

  59. akenaton
    Ignored
    says:

    My point is surely obvious Dan, if we are seen to be in alliance with an administration which we have exposed as corrupt, evil and a danger to our children, we run the risk of guilt by association?

  60. TheSNPLeftMe
    Ignored
    says:

    Breeks

    The Wokerati replaced the pitchfork with the baseball bat. ( or the Twitter equivalent of the threat of the baseball bat).

    I look at it more positively. Until ALBA came along we had sheep at Holyrood all being herded by the the Wokies. A great deal of it was being done as the masses slept. The Police, Schools, Public services were all being directed by the Cult. No debate was permitted, no challenge was allowed.
    That has all changed.

    It is interesting that the media has ignored the entire topic.

  61. Captain Yossarian
    Ignored
    says:

    @Robert Hughes – Holyrood has turned Scotland into a world-wide laughing stock; ‘a banana republic without the bananas’ – remember?

  62. Jacqueline McMillan
    Ignored
    says:

    Connor Beatton at it again. I’m banned from Twitter but still watch. This is the fucking arsehole who on Scotland Now was the first and only one to bring up hate against women. Scotland Now should ban him NOW. If they don’t I’ll take my money elsewhere

  63. Jacqueline McMillan
    Ignored
    says:

    Beaton

    Remember him.

    Nasty piece

  64. Robert Hughes
    Ignored
    says:

    Captain Y

    Yes but I fail to see how closing Holyrood would assist our – and I assume your- ultimate goal eg Independence .

    Far better to maximise our efforts in clearing out the detritus , however long it takes , surely ?

  65. TheSNPLeftMe
    Ignored
    says:

    @Mr. Window

    If the SNP lose constituencies their D’Hondt divisor goes down. You then have a race between how many voted SNP on the list versus ALBA. Meanwhile the Unionists are picking up constituencies.

    We can exercise some control and keep Holyrood Indy or we can go for a crap shoot rolling the dice.

    The SNP/Alba is difficult for many given the SNP behaviour. However it is surgical and the leadership of the SNP can be dealt with later.

    The alternative is to pull it all down and start again. I can imagine the damage Westminster can do in the period we are rebuilding.

  66. Mark Boyle
    Ignored
    says:

    @Tom

    Ouch! She didn’t pull her punches, did she? Excellent article!

  67. Captain Yossarian
    Ignored
    says:

    Robert Hughes – I am neither a Unionist nor a Nationalist and I will simply agree with the majority and get-on with it.

    A vote for Holyrood is a vote for James Wolffe, John Swinney, Lesley Evans and the redactor pens and document shredders.

  68. Robert Graham
    Ignored
    says:

    Tom , a good link you posted about the Holyrood magazine I just wonder if any of our SNP management will read this pretty stinging appraisal of Princess Nicolas time in office , a report card might say could do better , in this case is should say couldn’t have done much worse .

  69. Michael Corrigan (Boxer Logic)
    Ignored
    says:

    The fallout from the Alba Women’s conference continues to rattle the wokerati. When I read Denise’s tweet re Stonewall, etc, I knew an avalanche of publicity was coming. However, for a new party that is being shunned by the media and has a short timeframe to get its message out the publicity is positively glorious. Clear water exists between SNP and Alba over the rights of women and I’d imagine the Alba policies will resonate positively with many. With the trans lobby debate is non-existant so the voters will in May will be able to send a powerful message. A vote for Alba is more than a vote for Indy. It is an endorsement of women and girls and an overwhelning rejection of pejorative terms such CIS woman, birthing person, TERF. etc

    Sex based rights will not be diluted or replaced by gender fluidity. These clowns have run their race. David Paisley, the mammy bear of the trans zealots – ironically complete with large working breasts – can shout, scream and defame all he wants. Although I’m currently banned from Twitter my ability to report accounts remains undiminished. So each day I report a cross section of racists and trans lobby misogynists. I play them at their own game. The more accounts reported the greater the overhead on Twitter Support. If they can’t create a reasonable environment for users – and let’s face it with Farage, Hopkin, Trump, Tommy Robinson, David Paisley, etc it has been failing for years – then make Twitter drown in a tidal wave of administrative tasks. Be digital Luddites. Or openly enforce a safe user experience via legislation.

  70. Alf Baird
    Ignored
    says:

    Breeks

    “Why in gods name is Scotland being presented with any of this deluded garbage right now, at a time so critical for Scotland’s emancipation from a corrupt and broken Union which has NEVER been more vulnerable?”

    The constant mystification of the people by the ‘mother country’, and especially of the younger people, should be expected (Fanon).

  71. Scot Finlayson
    Ignored
    says:

    @Captain Yossarian,

    stick to your cat stories.

  72. Dave Beveridge
    Ignored
    says:

    Looks pretty sensible to me, but no doubt they’ll be denounced as bigots in certain quarters. We might even see a completely new term made for them even though it’s hard to keep up with all the other ones.

  73. Craig P
    Ignored
    says:

    >>poverty continues to be the biggest driver of inequality

    Its nice to see this acknowledged, because readers will be hard pushed to find that mentioned in any mandatory equalities training they might have to attend through their job.

  74. Robert Hughes
    Ignored
    says:

    Captain Y

    Likewise , I am neither a Unionist nor a ( large ” N ” ) Nationalist , just someone who believes whole-heartedly in Independence as the best possible scenario for our country .

    Your baby+bathwater suggestion is a retrograde step , in my opinion

  75. Republicofscotland
    Ignored
    says:

    Right then if you’re a woman living in Scotland and you want to protect your rights and the rights of your daughters, sisters and mother granny, then voting for the ALBA party come May 6th is a no- brainer.

    Women have fought long and hard for their rights, don’t let others try and take them away from you join #albawomen and safeguard your rights.

  76. Xaracen
    Ignored
    says:

    If Holyrood/SNP has a cancer, it needs a surgeon, not an executioner.

  77. AwakeNotWoke
    Ignored
    says:

    That seems completely open & fair. No doubt it will trigger a tsunami of gnashing, wailing & hatred from the Wokerati tough guys. The tough guys who complain to Twitter & their mommy when the world won’t play with them.

  78. Mr Window
    Ignored
    says:

    theSNPleftMe “If the SNP lose constituencies their D’Hondt divisor goes down. You then have a race between how many voted SNP on the list versus ALBA. Meanwhile the Unionists are picking up constituencies.”

    Whether the SNP loses on the constituency side or not, you are going to be competing with parties on the list that lost in the constituencies and aren’t so harshly punished by the divisor.

    I suppose it comes down to how much of an emotional attachment you have to the SNP. I regard the SNP as a Unionist party in that I don’t think they are going to do any more towards bringing about indyref2 than any of the others. And I hate them for other reasons.

    I won’t be voting SNP. I’m not bothered if others do, but I won’t. It’s your choice.

    Once you accept there won’t be a referendum for at least 5 or 6 years, whether the SNP win a majority or not, and I do, there’s less of a dilemma with first votes.

  79. TPee
    Ignored
    says:

    Well done Alba. You have my vote and I hope you have constituency candidates next time.

    But the GRA should not be reformed, it should be scrapped.

    There is no need to have the ‘legal fiction’ that males are women or vice versa. If someone want to dress in a stereotypically female or male way, good luck go them and they should not be receive any judgement or shit for doing so. Protection against such harassment should have protection in law.

    But we should not be compelled to see them as the opposite sex nor have our speech (pronouns or otherwise) regulated to accommodate how individual wish to present themselves.

  80. Ros Curwood
    Ignored
    says:

    ‘ALBA believes women have the right to maintain their sex based protections as set out in the Equality Act 2010. These include female only spaces such as changing rooms, hospital wards, sanitary and sleeping accommodation, refuges, hostels and prisons.’

    Tricky for those councils who have already provided mixed sex changing rooms in public facilities like swimming pool changing rooms in order to save the extra money for gender privacy. Don’t know if this applies to central belt facilities, but quite a useful save for facilities in rural areas where there aren’t enough people to make their views matter. Might have to re-open public toilet facilities too. Loss of facilities in rural areas have been blatant under the SNP, including loss of maternity provision in hospital, facilitating hideous 3 hour travel to the labour ward whilst in labour. I really really hope that Alba gets massive support and brings back regional conferences too. Thing is, in order to fulfil this policy for women, all women, in all of Scotland, quite a lot of the status quo will have to be looked at I’m happy to hope.

  81. Willie Clark
    Ignored
    says:

    Excellent equalities policy statement, and a splendid idea to have a citizens’ assembly regarding gender recognition.

  82. Meg merrilees
    Ignored
    says:

    https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/albaparty
    Just passed £38,000 – keep it going. ALBA must get the message across.

  83. Stephen
    Ignored
    says:

    Good.
    Now the next thing to do is to write a policy protecting our children.

  84. Astonished
    Ignored
    says:

    Xaracen – The SNP were begged to deal with the issue. Sturgeon didn’t even acknowledge the vilest of bullying and misogyny.

    The NEC were knowingly corrupted by the wokeratti along with the vetting procedures. And when the grassroots voted most of them out – the grassroots were ignored and sturgeon carried on regardless. Her creature fiona was voted off but returned to the NEC unscathed. What did that clearly say to the membership ?

    And the spineless cowards who are the SNP MSPs and MPs were too scared to even protest.

    Who is worth saving from that lot ?

    The SNP are in serious debt – the decent members (i.e. the ones who do the leafletling, door knocking and handing over of their donations) have already left or are seriously thinking of leaving.

    I was a member for over thirty years ; it was a tremendous wrench to leave my party. But with the thought crime, genderwoowoo and preferred candidate selection : sturgeon was just ignoring me and worse spitting in my face.

    I loathe sturgeon and what she has done. Jail would be too good for her.

  85. Mia
    Ignored
    says:

    What we need now is a charter to protect children’s rights and to declare illegal and criminal the actions of any organisation that campaigns for, promotes, lobbies governments for, interferes with normal policy making, infiltrates other organisations by the back door and public services or endorses removing ANY safeguard to protect children, adolescents and vulnerable individuals from predators, paedophiles and abusers. And that includes seeking to reducing or eliminating altogether the age of consent and the right of parents to protect their underage children from physical, psychological or medical abuse.

    Attempting to normalise paedophilia and child physical, mental or medical abuse should be a criminal offense punishable with prison, not a practice rewarded with indirect taxpayers’ subsides, access to policy making and endorsement by the back door from our government of the day against our will and the interests of our children.

    Abusing power by directing taxpayers’ money towards subsidising or giving access to policy making to organisations that endorse or support removing any child protection legal barriers exposing underage and vulnerable individuals to abusers and paedophiles, should be considered a gross breach of the ministerial code and should be punished with disciplinary actions including immediate dismissal and loss of the seat, the inclusion of the name of the culprit in a registry that prevents them to ever gain a seat as a representative of people in a parliament or councils, a fine equal to the amount of taxpayers’ money that they helped to funnel into those organisations’ account and potentially jail for putting children and adolescents at risk.

    Funding, aiding or endorsing terrorist organisations is quite rightly considered a crime. The abuse of vulnerable individuals and children is a form of terrorism that scars the victims, their families and society for life and therefore not more acceptable that political terrorism. We should therefore demand for it to be equally punishable and abhorring at all times.

    Paedophilia and child abuse, the same as terrorism, is not and will never be normal or acceptable in a functioning society that cares about their children and does not see them as the sex toys of a minority of depraved individuals or the testing ground for a bunch of pharmaceutical companies or filthy rich individuals seeking to get even richer at the expense of our children.

    SNP MSPs, Green MSPs, Labour MSPs and LibDems MSPs have opened the door to child abuse by passing a hate bill that could become the first step in gagging women and mothers attempting to protect their children from abusers. Sturgeon’s government has thrown the key of that door away by redirecting taxpayers’ funds into organisations that endorse a charter that seeks the removal of the age of consent exposing children to abuse.

    Silence is consent, so, what are politicians of all banners and responsible for that gagging bill having been passed going to do now to put the massive wrong they have made right?

    Why would any politician want to remove the protective legal barriers for children while gagging their mothers?

    How many Derek McKays are hiding behind SNP, Greens, Labour, Libdems and Tory rosettes waiting to enter Holyrood? How many paedophiles and abusers are hiding behind the lobbyists that are seeking to gag women and reducing or eliminate the age of consent and have the ear of the government of the day?

    I think it is about time the electorate found out what kind of individuals are influencing our policies and what kind of individuals we are voting in to represent us and to safeguard the laws that protect women, children and our family units.

  86. robbo
    Ignored
    says:

    Just when we thought it couldn’t get anymore difficult.

    Update on Peoples Action on Section 30

    Dear Backers,

    While we sit and wait for the judgement of the inner house of the court of session (which unfortunately I cannot give you a clear timescale on but hope it is before the election) there has now been some rumblings from Westminster.

    You will all recall that I have been warning about a scenario since this case started, that if the SNP failed to ensure that a bill for a referendum was legal to pass (even if it remained ambiguous) then the UK Government would have grounds to challenge it the minute it was introduced to the Scottish Parliament which would prevent it from getting royal assent. No royal assent means it doesn’t become law, and while the Scottish Government and the UK Government were battering lumps out of each other, the UK Government would simply use that time to modify laws at Westminster to take parts of that bill out of the competency of the Scottish Parliament.

    This was based on the fact that it is exactly what the Tories did to Holyrood over the continuity bill.

    I told you the only way to ensure a referendum bill was to ensure it was completely competent BEFORE it was introduced so then the UK Government would have nothing to challenge, and as long as the Scottish Parliament got that bill through quickly and before the UK Government could mess with the legislation, it would protect the bill.

    Stopping this scenario playing out was exactly the point of the people’s action because by proving the Scottish Parliament had the power to legislate for a second referendum without Westminster’s permission and proving the bill was competent, it would ensure the Tories had nothing to challenge.

    Well buried deep in an article today in the national, this exact scenario now seems to be coming to pass and the only people to blame are the politicians at Holyrood who had the sheer hubris to believe that feet stomping would somehow offset a UK Government that has zero respect for mandates, or political precedent, or even the law.

    Understand, I am trying to moderate my language, because, in reality, I am absolutely livid, and with good reason.

    We should not be in this position, but we are because the politicians were afraid to stick their neck above the wall. It is the equivalent of the weatherman telling someone a hurricane is coming and they should evacuate and the homeowner saying “No it’s not, and if it does come, I’ll just shake my fist at it really hard!”

    But yeah…..

    This case is now more important than it has ever been, because it’s not just a case of what came before, it’s now a case of it likely being the only way out of the current situation.

    “No pressure”, as they say.

    As usual, I hope you are all safe and well, and I will update you as we know more.

    Sincerely

    Martin

  87. Geoff Anderson
    Ignored
    says:

    Interesting that up to the 7th.April we were getting polls on Holyrood21 as often as every other day. It now goes very quiet in the week leading up to the postal votes going out.

    Strange that!

  88. James Che.
    Ignored
    says:

    Good policy, common sense in a crazy world.

  89. Geoff Anderson
    Ignored
    says:

    I’ll dig a little deeper to send some more pennies to the ALBA fundraiser. A lot of small donations can push it over 40k for a start.

  90. John H. (The original one)
    Ignored
    says:

    Sorry to be off topic on this important thread.

    Down south we have David Cameron and his pals plotting with the government to screw money, lots of it, from the NHS. While nurses get offered a derisory 1% pay rise. Now they are mooting the idea of building a £190 million yacht for the royal family, as a tribute to the old duke for God’s sake.

    Support for Scottish independence must be rising daily. It’s a pity we don’t have a government that supports it.

  91. Stuart MacKay
    Ignored
    says:

    Breeks

    Tis always been thus. I guess we should consider ourselves lucky that we just have a bunch of effeminate, mentally ill men with multi-coloured sticks to deal with, rather than the evil that adopted Social Darwinism or the Agrarianism that drove Mao’s purges and the Khmer Rouge.

  92. Jacqueline McMillan
    Ignored
    says:

    Aye. These two were very rude on Scotland Now.

    Ellen Joelie Hofer

    Connor Beaton

    Ellen rolling her eyes and complaining whilst Tommy Sheridan spoke. Complaining he’d spoken for too long. I did comment that he’d had less time than others and was shot down for that. Considering my position re Scotland Now

  93. James Che.
    Ignored
    says:

    Good policy, common sense in a crazy world.
    Common sense is much needed politics.
    Let Scotland stay steady while the rest of the world crashes in on itself going woke and broke as whole countries follow warped thinking.
    The actual use of Common sense is the best manifesto promise any party could ever put forward.

  94. Prasad
    Ignored
    says:

    Great.
    Although would liked to have seen something more specific about puberty blockers. As someone else said there should be a policy on children.

  95. ALANM
    Ignored
    says:

    @WeeChid 07:40

    Good to see someone bringing up the subject of pensions which of course nobody ever wants to talk about until it’s too late. A whole generation of women has been deprived of the pensions they were entitled to receive and yet this scandal has been swept under the carpet while we’re all busy discussing who should and who shouldn’t be allowed into the ladies loo.

    In my book, the rules for every pension scheme (including the state one) should be set in stone from the day you start paying in and only amended if your accrued individual rights are fully protected. On that basis every woman over 60 and every man over 65 would currently be receiving their state pension entitlement.

    How the authorities deal with a 60 year old man who decides to self identify as a woman in order to get his/her pension five years earlier is something to ponder. But the UK Government created this problem so let them sort it out.

  96. Iain More
    Ignored
    says:

    I suspect the SNP Wokists are about to make Common Sense a punishable offense. Punishable by castration no doubt. Of course the SNP Wokists will hate Common Sense or any displays of it like voting for Alba Party on the List vote.

  97. Ian Brotherhood
    Ignored
    says:

    @Breeks et al –

    If it’s widely accepted that Scotland gave the world the Age of Reason and the original definition of the term ‘common sense’ then no-one should be surprised by the widespread disgust at what’s being exposed.

    The more we find out about these chancers, largely thanks to this place, the greater support will grow for their removal from public life generally.

    More and more people are waking up and speaking out.

    It’s not looking good for Daddy Bear and his strange wee pals.

  98. James
    Ignored
    says:

    Re. Yossarian; don’t be fooled, he/she is a Yoon. He/she thinks Stephen Daisley is “excellent” (lol) and adores Jackie Bailey.

    Labour troll.

  99. Daisy Walker
    Ignored
    says:

    I agree with the above manifesto – comes to something with the blatantly obvious needs stated and is so contravetial.

    I put the below on the previous thread with regards the LG— whatever it calls itself lobby group. I think its all relevant.

    Daisy Walker says:
    12 April, 2021 at 10:24 am

    I appreciate that an organisation that operates internationally can pool knowledge (and mistakes) and has more clout…

    But, if they are to receive tax payers money in funding (why?) then there are some hurdles I think they need to overcome first.

    It is being argued that the above paragraphs have been misunderstood, as an example of bad translating, from a generic (presumably) international policy statement.

    That argument is unconvincing – the statement about HIV is inexcusable in any language, and the ‘false flag’ waving of homophobic – demonstrably shown to be an intimidating diverstionary tactic.

    Never the less, if an organisation wants to lobby our Government at the highest level of influence ( and take our money to do so – again WHY?).

    They must demonstrate that the problem they are attempting to overcome – actually exists in this country, and that the laws need changed.

    They must demonstrate a competent understanding of the laws in this country as they stand at present, and highlight any shortcomings.

    And they must demonstrate – why is it that they actually need our money, and what do they intend to do with it.

    Section 17 of the above (LG— whatever) document states the following:

    17. fully decriminalize sex work, including sex workers, their clients and third parties…

    And this is a problem, partly because in certain areas of Scotland – Sex work is not actively criminalised.

    Edinburgh consulted extensively with the local community. The one thing the community stated they absolutely did not want, were red light districts with women soliciting in the streets, which has the knock on effect of making the streets unsafe for other woman/people, due to the kerb crawler clients it attacts. Its also proven more dangerous for the prostitutes.

    For this reason the Massage Parlours became a ‘decriminalised’ thing.

    And lets be very honest here about the term ‘third parties’ – that means PIMPS.

    But here is another, not well known fact, in Scots law. Prostitution is not in and of itself illegal.

    Soliciting is, operating a brothel is. But a person renting out their body in the privacy of their own accomodation.

    Not Illegal.

    So our Government is giving large amount of tax payers money to an organisation, that wants to remove a problem from Scottish life, when to a very large extent that problem does not exist, because the laws as written, and as operated, have already dealt with the matter.

    And one thing the pushers of this ‘liberal, anything goes’ lobby group always fail to mention when the talk of ‘sex workers’.

    Many of the sex workers canvassed, stated, while they welcome improvements to the safety of their working environments, and a reduction in stigma – it is not a ‘Career’ they would recommend, and one that they would prefer not to have gotten into.

    This business of pretending prostitution is a worthy career choice is deeply dishonest.

    I was at the High Court in Perth when a Dundee man stood charged with 7 counts of indecent assault on Prostitutes.

    A somewhat cynical older male colleague remarked ‘Hmmph waste of time, theft of a shag’.

    But I saw 7 heroin addicted Prostitutes from Dundee stand up and give their evidence. They were up front and forthright about their addictions and their reasons for selling their bodies. They had consented to straight sex, and during the act, the accused had forced himself on them and sodomised them against their will.

    When the defence agent, a male with a distinctive mutton chop facial hair, fore and aft hat, a liking for sectarian songs and football – tried to decry them for their ‘profession’ – they stood up to him, told him to Fuck off and shove his Effen pipe up his effen arse, before they walked out of the court room.

    It was a beautiful moment. They were the most downtrodden in life, and they weren’t taking any shite from him.

    The Jury found the accused Guilty. A Jury made up of men and women.

    More than anything, the people of this country are practical and decent.

    Be good to have a Government that met those standards. And be good if they stopped giving our money away to international lobby groups with their own dangerous agenda and a proven track record of knowing fuck all about this countries problems and its laws.

  100. winifred mccartney
    Ignored
    says:

    This should not be the last line of defence but the First Principal – fantastic from Alba – which I could vote for them Alba 1 and Alba 2. Let’s hope next election!

  101. Strathy
    Ignored
    says:

    Mandy Rhodes in the Holyrood magazine mentioned earlier by Tom.

    ‘And with its domestic record nothing to shout about, the party has simply resorted to blame. Austerity, inequality? It’s all Westminster’s fault.

    But if the Scottish Parliament does not have the powers to find Scottish solutions to Scottish problems, then what is its point? What is the point of a party of independence being in power for so long but not delivering on independence? What is the point of having a woman in power but who lets women down?

    What is the point in an election that will merely deliver more of the same? And what is the point in promising a better future for children when those already growing up under the SNP’s watch have been let down?’

    https://archive.is/kdVjQ

  102. Xaracen
    Ignored
    says:

    “Who is worth saving from that lot ?”

    Those who aren’t part of the cancer, obviously. They are by no means representative of the party, they are only a tiny minority who happen to have excessive power or authority which they haven’t the integrity to live up to.

    The SNP essentially needs a head transplant, or to have its boils thoroughly lanced, or other surgical analogy of your choice!

  103. Iain More
    Ignored
    says:

    re PENSIONS.

    Pension ages are actually going up – I will be 66 before I can get mine and my brother will be 67 before he gets his.

    Instead of reducing the age at which men can claim their OAP. The Fascistic Brit Tories increased the ages at which women can claim their pensions. All hail the Great Leaders in London. Aye we are Better Together Not.

  104. Daisy Walker
    Ignored
    says:

    Can I just add this point – if a lobbying group is so powerful and eloquent that they can persuade our government to give them £1 million tax payers money….in order to improve their chances of persuading the Government over to their point of view….

    Why do they need our money?

    Seems to me, they’ve already mastered the art of persuation to a very high degree.

  105. TPee
    Ignored
    says:

    Malcolm Clark is always worth a follow

    Please see this thread re. the provenance of awards. Patrick Harvie did well….

    https://mobile.twitter.com/TwisterFilm/status/1381273155336089604

  106. Famous15
    Ignored
    says:

    Is giving public money to Stonewall and Rape Crisis Scotland etc not just enabling privatisation of our social services. I mean they do not even act like charities!

    Is giving public money to the MSM not profoundly anti dem

  107. bjsalba
    Ignored
    says:

    I would suggest that folk look at the gold standard on human rights:

    https://www.un.org/en/about-us/universal-declaration-of-human-rights

    In particular I draw your attention to the first sentence of article 2 and article 30.

  108. Ian Brotherhood
    Ignored
    says:

    @Daisy Walker –

    Hear hear.

    Hope you’ll re-post your comments on the new thread.

    😉

  109. Daisy Walker
    Ignored
    says:

    Mock letter

    Dear Scottish Government,

    I’m part of a lobby group, we’ve identified that being part of the Unionited Kindom of Britain, adversly affects those in Scotland and contributes greately to poverty, inequality and poorer life chances.

    To that end we intend to campaign strongly for Independence.

    Please hand over significant amounts of tax payers money to assist us in our efforts. We will not tell you how we intend to spend it, or who it will go to, we’re sure you will understand.

    Please note, its just plain RACIST to disagree with us and we will target anyone who does so, with (at the least) the aim of getting them barred from Twitter and fired from their occupation. Although when we say ‘anyone’ we’ll obviously start on ‘cis’ women first. We know you’ll approve.

    Yours sincerely

    Mock letter.

  110. Daisy Walker
    Ignored
    says:

    OT re them doing away with trial by jury.

    Oh no they won’t

    Article 10

    Everyone is entitled in full equality to a fair and public hearing by an independent and impartial tribunal, in the determination of his rights and obligations and of any criminal charge against him.

  111. TPee
    Ignored
    says:

    Meanwhile at the Greens, they have these two, one Green co-convenor one a NE candidate. This would be the acceptable supermajority for the SNP?

    https://mobile.twitter.com/JNHanvey/status/1381505944136351745

    This shit needs to be called out. It’s in plain sight.

  112. sarah
    Ignored
    says:

    O/T anent “postal votes going out next week”.

    The postal vote system needs major reform in many aspects, one of which is that it permits a very early vote before the campaign has been completed. The voters will just be voting without having had the full amount of time that polling day voters have had to see and hear the candidates. How many leaflets and posters are still to be delivered/displayed for example?

    In my ideal world the postal votes would only be issued to arrive on polling day, or the day before. The rule should be they can only be completed on polling day [I know but..] and then several days allowed for them to be received and counted.

  113. Stuart MacKay
    Ignored
    says:

    Daisy Walker,

    > They must demonstrate a competent understanding of the laws in
    > this country as they stand at present, and highlight any shortcomings.

    The only reason these groups are sniffing around Holyrood is that they know the leadership is weak and easily persuadable.

    There’s no altruism, wanting to make Scotland a better place, they simply want a foot in the door. The agenda is global. Scotland is simply a useful pawn or stepping stone and if womens’ and anybody elses’ rights need to be trampled to get what they want then that’s all right with them.

  114. TheSNPLeftMe
    Ignored
    says:

    WASPI was a con but so to is the workplace pension.

    The State Pension is so poor that most who depend on it can also claim another 6 or 7 thousand pounds in additional benefits ( most don’t because it has been made difficult and is poorly promoted).
    The workplace pension requires a large investment from the employee and most lower and midd level paid workers, who can least afford the deduction, would be pushed to build a retirement pension of 5k/year.
    That Workplace pension plus your measly State pension now denies you access to the additional benefits and saves Westminster a fortune.

    Another con in which the low paid now pay for what the Government once had to lay out.

    A living wage should also be the minimum income for everyone.

    This is not self interest. I retired on a final salary scheme. This is about fairness in society.

    They give with one hand and steal back with the other sold with misleading adverts.

  115. Tinto Chiel
    Ignored
    says:

    The way Waspi Women have been treated is even more disgraceful when you consider the £37,000,000,000 blown on Dido (got to get the spelling spot-on here) Harding’s utterly useless Track and Trace scheme, which is nothing but a massive windfall for Boris’ Tory pals, like so many others which have been slipped through during the Coronavirus emergency measures and because of a lack of a properly functioning parliament.

    The Magic Money Tree will always be there for the “elite”, of course.

    Suck it up, Sma’ Folk.

  116. sarah
    Ignored
    says:

    O/T: STV’s response just received to my complaint that Alba Party excluded from party leaders debate:

    “STV’s election coverage has been, and will continue to be, balanced and fully in accordance with Ofcom guidelines.

    Alex Salmond has not been invited to participate in the Leader’s Debate on April 13th. We have offered the Alba Party the opportunity for Alex Salmond to take part in a one-to-one interview with Colin MacKay as part of our series of Scotland Tonight Specials.

    These editorial decisions have been made in line with Ofcom guidance.

    Thank you etc”

  117. TheSNPLeftMe
    Ignored
    says:

    I should have made it clearer above that the raft of additional benefits are MEANS tested. Every effort you make to make your retirement easier is saving Westminster money.
    This is amplified at the bottom end of the food chain. The poorest are hit hardest.

  118. Michael B
    Ignored
    says:

    Ruth Davidson this morning at Holyrood:

    ‘How many men in the 1950s gave up their job for their wife’s career?’

    Pass the sick bag.

  119. Kiwilassie
    Ignored
    says:

    Prasad says:
    12 April, 2021 at 10:37 am
    Great.
    Although would liked to have seen something more specific about puberty blockers. As someone else said there should be a policy on children.

    Reply
    Given what I’ve read, the first place you should be looking at to protect your children is in Schools
    Why are small children getting sex education telling them there is more than two sexes, Male & female?
    To me having this in schools from the age of 6 years is mental child abuse. It’s no wonder you have children in Scotland with mental problems, when they’re being fed information they’re not equipped to deal with.

    If I were a parent of school aged children, I would be wanting to know exactly what sex information is being fed into my child’s young mind. If I thought it inappropriate I would be refusing my child being included in that class.
    As a parent you have that right.

  120. robbo
    Ignored
    says:

    https://mobile.twitter.com/GodlessFlooze/status/1381370089958690822

    WTAF is wrong with these people seriously ? You don’t bleed/menstruate for obvious reasons_ you’re not a woman for gods sake.

  121. James Che.
    Ignored
    says:

    If sex work is decriminalised in Scotland, it comes with associated crimes that become automatically decriminalised by default, from drugs, children and people trafficking. Pimps, gangs, substandard living districts, and of corse the use and abuse of the poorest in our society,
    It must eventually be made into a major crime to commit in Scotland as it cover so many areas of people’s lives.

  122. Christian Wright
    Ignored
    says:

    An island of sanity in a sea of batshit crazy.

  123. Daisy Walker
    Ignored
    says:

    Going back to that LGIBQ— whatever they’re called document

    ‘Furthermore, the phrase “sexual and reproductive services” ushers in the possibility of commercial sexual exploitation of adolescents in surrogacy and prostitution.

    Elsewhere in the document there is a commitment to “replacing punitive laws with comprehensive social interventions” with regard to issues including “female genital mutilation, domestic and intimate partner violence, and child, early and forced marriage.” This would seem to be a call for decriminalisation of some the most pernicious forms of violence against women and children.’

    Punitive laws that deal with FGM… ‘punitive’ replace with comprehensive social interventions.

    Intimate partner violence – other wise known as Domestic Abuse.

    I completely get just how hard it is to read through these buzz word heavy, word salad, incomprehensible documents.

    But Law Makers – which is what politicians are – law makers have a DUTY to read this shit, and understand that the wicked deviant bastards in the world will attempt to hijack each and every genuine good cause and slip their own deviant policies in, under the radar. Instead they are gifting them our money.

    I am horrified and furious at this.

    Where is Doctor Phillipa Whitford on this? Hmmm, she has expert medical knowledge to hand, and expert Police knowledge in her family, and a family history with personal
    knowledge of the damage that a wife battering husband can do to his wife and family (not talking about her husband – just to clarify).

    Where is Tommy Shepherd?

    Chris (I’ve got a Castle) Law?

    And Jim Fairlie? Stood quietly by when they falsely accused Alex of sex crimes – after what your father went through?

    The ONLY SNP MP to stand up and speak in respectful and lawful terms was Joanna Cherry – and you cowardly, spineless, greedy little hypocritical SHITS slipped away and let them.

    And don’t even get me started on Mharie Black – KitKat Mharie – Low Flying Jimmie of today.

    Did the gravy get so thick that you could no longer see, read or think?

    The SNP are going to lose this election. Thank goodness. They are a disgrace. Utter, utter, reprehensible disgrace.

    And if there are ANY decent ones left – then start showing it now, or just don’t bother. When you absolutely have to, when its too late not to – is just not good enough.

    SNP – Spineless Nonce Party

    SNP – Support the Nonces Party

    SNP – Scumbag Nasty Party

    SNP – Sometime Never Party

    S’NomoremyParty.

    Only Alex had made it possible for me to hold my nose and vote SNP1.

    I am so very sorry Alex, even for you, I cannot, and I will not vote for this lot.

    My Alba vote is secure.

  124. Lorna Campbell
    Ignored
    says:

    Twathater: you make an excellent point: the 2004 GRA was the middle ground for women’s rights and spaces; it was the compromise. Reform of it, since it is redundant now, anyway, since the introduction of same-sex marriage legislation, is a step too far. If you offer to meet these people in a people’s assembly to discuss reform, you are already conceding ground by acknowledging that there is a need for reform. The only need there is, is for third spaces. Having to wait a couple of years for recognition is not the end of the world. Some older women have had to wait six years for their stolen pensions. Maybe they should have registered as men and self-ID-ed?

    Trans people are the ones who are seeking to overturn science and biology. I think this is just another attempt by government to make things easy for themselves by allowing people to self-ID and become women legally – a minefield for the future of women’s rights and spaces. Of course, it would be cheap and easy, with much less expense. Never do they look at the longer-term impact – which almost always works out to be prohibitively expensive in trying to repair the damage that could have been avoided in the first place.

    Trans people will have to accept that they need to establish their own spaces. No more compromises. No more reforms. They have all their civil and human rights like the rest of us. They must exist and work within those parameters like the rest of us. Their sense of entitlement is bigger than the sky and deeper than the deepest ocean, and that is all it is: entitlement; nothing whatsoever to do with a lack of rights. A lack of spaces for them, yes, and that can be addressed, but not at the expense of women’s. No more giving ground.

  125. PaulaJ
    Ignored
    says:

    The bit I’m still struggling with, regarding the aim of a ‘supermajority’ for indy, is that I no longer believe that the SNP (even without the Nicola cabal) have any intention of pursuing it.
    When someone’s cried ‘wolf’ this often, you have to start to disbelieve.
    Meantime, I’m being asked to give my first vote to people whose policies I find rancid.
    It’s a dilemma, to say the least.

  126. TPee
    Ignored
    says:

    Robbo
    It’s a fetish and we are being compelled to collude in it.

    Have a Google on Autogynephilia. This is not gender dysphoria. The trans rights activists are campaigning to NOT have gender dysphoria diagnosed as a prerequisite to gaining a GRA.

  127. Tom Kane
    Ignored
    says:

    What a superbly writtin manifesto. Broad and humane and detailed in regard to specific women’s rights. I really like the expression in the text – it has a classic ring of true for all time about it… “We hold these truths to be self-evident ” kind of classic ring.

    It’s worth bearing in mind… The GRA is not a policy that was discussed at any SNP party conference and the SNP membership did not even have a chance to endorse it at conference. This is the work of a few focused individuals. There is nothing wrong in SNP policy-making that could not be swiftly and democratically fixed.

    An SNP/ALBA partnership, with discursive party conferences and citizen’s assemblies is just what the doctor ordered. And that is not far off.

  128. twathater
    Ignored
    says:

    Could someone PLEASE tell me the reason for all the celebration on this post , admittedly the ALBA womens conference used words to convey their intention to protect and preserve womens rights and places of safety.

    BUT then they immediately undermine their own proposals by stating their intention to endorse a citizens’ assembly on how best to reform the Gender Recognition process in a respectful, sensitive and positive fashion.

    So can anyone tell me what has changed when ALBA are ADMITTING by their own statements that the GRA currently is not fit for purpose and it appears only that the problem is being kicked down the road for further discussion

    Let me be clear I am a 70 year old male who has been vehemently opposed to the reformation of the GRA as IMO it is dangerous to females so I don’t understand what is being celebrated by the wishy washy pronouncements being made by ALBA women , to indicate discussion indicates a weakness in their beliefs

  129. SilverDarling
    Ignored
    says:

    @twathater

    Maybe at the end of the process, there will be safeguards put in place that will make the process of transition better for all invested groups?

    GRA reform means different things to different people – the opportunists will see no documentation or mental health assessment as their aim. Others might see stricter assessments but with an easier cheaper way to access help if it is needed. Whatever happens, it cannot carry on the way it is with ‘no debate’.

  130. twathater
    Ignored
    says:

    @ SilverDarling 4.51pm I understand the points you are making but unfortunately to me it just reeks of submission and quite honestly when people become properly aware of the proposals I think they will feel betrayed again

    Stuart’s posts recently and currently (my god) are showing that these perverts are NOT interested in debate or negotiation at any time , their ONLY FOCUS is on winning and it appears nothing is off limits

    I am not in any way a proponent of violence but I have always felt that in our dealings with WM and others we have been too accommodating and conciliatory, too placid, and I feel we are being the same dealing with these self obsessed lunatics we are allowing them to determine our choices instead of giving them a direct challenge and openly saying NO , these people don’t want anything less than total capitulation and total access to EVERYTHING female

  131. SilverDarling
    Ignored
    says:

    @twathater

    I know how you feel. Honestly, it is so exhausting – it’s like we are in some weird through the looking glass nightmare trying to communicate with toddlers.

    The awful thing is many of these folk will grow out of whatever stuff they are going through. It’s the damage they do to all of us in the meantime. I guess we have to realise we are dealing with a lot of under 25s with immature brains swimming in synthetic hormones and blockers and psychotropics. We need to tread carefully because there is real hatred of women out there as we have seen today and last night.

    The horrible part is some won’t grow out of it and will go on to positions of power.

  132. GRUNT
    Ignored
    says:

    Glen Campbell never mentions Alba on his reports, today he said it was “manifesto week” and listed off every party even the greens.

    They must be getting worried…

  133. A wiman
    Ignored
    says:

    Look, this isn’t some recent development. It’s being going on for years.

    Here is Scottish Trans Alliance’s submission to the UK Women and Equalities Commission. The Tories kicked this off for woke points but have now dropped the ba’ and ran away.

    Look at the aims of this submission, to remove the protections for women from the Equality Act. Look at the definition of transgender – to include cross dressers and variants.

    The Equality Network (sic) and LGBT Youth Scotland both EXPLICITLY endorsed these definitions. I can post them but they are availble on the same governement sites. These submissions are ScotGov funded NGOs, lobbying to remove protections from women, for cross dressing males.

    http://data.parliament.uk/WrittenEvidence/CommitteeEvidence.svc/EvidenceDocument/Women%20and%20Equalities/Transgender%20Equality/written/19659.html

  134. Lothianlad
    Ignored
    says:

    Just for the SNP…. that’s how you do equal rights!

  135. anon
    Ignored
    says:

    13 paragraphs. 6 of them promoting the rights of women. None of them promoting the rights of men.

    The last paragraph is a lie. I couldn’t vote for this sexist party.

  136. Meg merrilees
    Ignored
    says:

    O/t
    I read that Sturgeon is furious because of the jaw-dropping decision WM has taken to present two bills unanimously passed in Holyrood to the Supreme Court for them to decide if the Scot Gov has legislated beyond its powers. One of the bills concerns children’s rights.
    When asked for comment Mr. Swinney who supported the Scottish gov. Bill addressing children’s rights said:
    “The only people who need fear this bill are people who want to breach children’s rights.”
    Pity he doesn’t listen to his own opinion especially on other proposals regarding children’s rights.

  137. Kcor
    Ignored
    says:

    “These include female only spaces such as changing rooms, hospital wards, sanitary and sleeping accommodation, refuges, hostels and prisons.”

    Have they not missed toilets?

  138. Thistle's Bristles
    Ignored
    says:

    Re: the two comments below,
    could it be that ALBA is being canny as well as democratic here, in punting any decision on GRA to be made by a proposed future Citizen’s Assembly?

    I mean that a representative C.A. of Scots might well decide that the status quo should stand, or even that tighter controls (restrictions, limits) need to be brought in? Say,..

    ..Controls that would not entertain abuses, such as a violent male sex offender declaring – on being caught – that he identifies as female and so requires to serve his sentence in a women’s prison (i.e. be be housed where he can have continued access and do further wrong to women held captive).

    ..Controls that would bar prescription or supply of gender-blocking chemicals to minors, and/or forbid schools from promoting and enforcing gender-reassignment-compliant names and dress codes on their premises.

    That could see rollback of some of these dangerous modern follies, a return of sanity, mandated by public acclaim!

    Of course there’d need to be safeguards to ensure the Citizen’s Assembly was truly representative, sufficiently well informed, and guided by sound law, so as not to be infiltrated nor inveigled by lobbyists with their own agenda.

    =============================================

    twathater says:
    12 April, 2021 at 3:14 am
    Well done the ALBA women , but unfortunately I still have concerns about this
    ————————————-
    “ALBA invites and will endorse a citizens’ assembly on how best to reform the Gender Recognition process in a respectful, sensitive and positive fashion.”
    ——————————————

    WHY is there a need to discuss the reformation of the GRA when it has been extensively discussed and ruled on in the 2010 equality act , this has been a contentious issue since the SNP first proposed it and irrespective whether ALBA now supports a discussion on it , the reality is it is still reviled by a majority of the population who STRONGLY object to any reform

    It is NOT a citizens assembly that is required to discuss and reform the GRA because that infers that people are happy to accept that it requires reform when the opposite may well be the case that people want the status quo

    What IS needed is a referendum after independence to ascertain if the general population want and need the present GRA to be amended or if the present conditions to gain a gender recognition certificate are adequate

    TBQH this imposing regulations and rules on a we know what’s best for you attitude isn’t any more acceptable from the ALBA party than it is from the SNP or any other party

    They work for us

    Jacqueline McMillan says:
    12 April, 2021 at 6:08 am
    This is great news but I do however agree with twathater re the gender woo woo. That nonsense needs sorted once and for all, perhaps tighter controls would suffice?

  139. Thistle's Bristles
    Ignored
    says:

    Kcor says:
    13 April, 2021 at 1:22 am
    “These include female only spaces such as changing rooms, hospital wards, sanitary and sleeping accommodation, refuges, hostels and prisons.”

    Have they not missed toilets?

    No, because they both wrote ‘such as’, and then specifically listed ‘sanitary.. accommodation’.

  140. Brian Doonthetoon
    Ignored
    says:

    What do you make of the reference to “sanitary accommodation”, if not toilets?



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