A TORY MSP has told off for a point of order to a question from Patrick Harvie during a fiery Holyrood debate following the interim guidance from the UK’s equality watchdog on single sex spaces.
The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) released an update on Friday that trans women should not be permitted to use women’s facilities in areas such as hospitals, shops and restaurants.
The judgment defined the term sex in the Equality Act 2010 as meaning biological sex and is expected to have far-reaching implications, with the EHRC expected to provide full guidance in the coming months.
In a debate in Holyrood, several Scottish Tory MSPs pressed the Scottish Government to act more quickly following the EHRC update and the recent Supreme Court judgment.
The Scottish Greens co-leader took a different angle, however, in a question to Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville.
“Those who have been trying to undo decades of progress on LGBT people's human rights and inclusion of society may be keen to carry on doing more as quickly as they can, but does the Cabinet Secretary recognise that the extraordinary level,” Harvie said.
NEW: Holyrood's Presiding Officer has hit out at a Tory MSP for her point of order to a question from Patrick Harvie. The MSP was asking the Scottish Government about the 'extraordinary degree of fear' felt by Scotland's trans community due to the recent EHRC guidance 👇 pic.twitter.com/XNzXTdVFSQ
— The National (@ScotNational) April 29, 2025
But he was then interrupted by a point of order from Tory MSP Tess White saying it “bears no relation to the question in hand” – which asked the Scottish Government for their response to the EHRC update.
But Presiding Officer Alison Johnstone hit out at the intervention.
“Thank you, Ms. White, but I am chairing this meeting of Parliament, and I will do that as I see fit,” she said.
Harvie then continued: “I was about to ask if the Cabinet Secretary acknowledges the extraordinary degree of fear and anxiety that is being caused to the trans community around the country as a result of this late Friday night update from the EHRC.”
He added: “I've heard from people who, the next morning, weren't even sure if they should go to work or not because they didn't know if they'd be able to do something as simple as go to the toilet.
Harvie then asked: “Does the Cabinet Secretary agree that the UK is now at risk of breaching trans people's human rights just as it did decades ago before the GRA was in place? As well as breaching the freedom of the wider LGBT community to organise in the inclusive manner that the vast majority of our members wish to? And when the Scottish Government meets with the EHRC, will the Cabinet Secretary make it crystal clear that it is unacceptable to see decades of progress on equality and human rights rolled back in this way?”
Somerville responded that Harvie is “quite right” to point to the fact this was an update rather than full guidance and also said it has caused “real fear and concern” within the Trans community.
She also pointed to comments made by STUC general secretary Roz Foyer who called it “problematic”.
