Sunak blocking the Scottish gender bill is the biggest setback for LGBT+ rights since Section 28

Trans people in Scotland have waited long enough to simply reflect who they are – now they must wait even longer, writes Iain Anderson

The bill would give trans people the basic dignity of legally recognising that they know themselves better than anyone else (PA Wire)

It was with profound sadness that I listened to the secretary of state for Scotland in the House of Commons announce that the UK government would make an order to block Scotland’s Gender Recognition Reform Bill and veto progress for trans rights.

Utilising Section 35 of the Scotland Act in this manner is perhaps the biggest setback for LGBT+ rights we have seen since the dark days of Section 28. Now, trans men and women, just 0.2 per cent of the population, have once again become political footballs in a constitutional battle.

My firm belief is that the UK has and can be better than this, but in recent years it has fallen right down the international rankings for LGBT+ rights–respecting countries. Time after time, reports from respected global bodies, whether the Council of Europe, the UN, or ILGA, cite the recent political and media treatment of trans and non-binary people as a reason for significant concern. When I meet business leaders from around the world they can’t understand how the UK has slipped so far.