Nicola Sturgeon still refuses to call trans double rapist Isla Bryson a man
The former First Minister previously admitted that the row over gender reforms was one of the reasons she suddenly resigned, but still refused to call a rapist a man.
Nicola Sturgeon refused to call trans double rapist Isla Bryson a man or a woman in a new interview, almost two years on since the scandal drove her to resigning. The former First Minister spearheaded gender reforms which saw the beast sent to a woman's prison because he identified as a female after being charged with the serious crimes.
The case got worldwide attention with Bryson, formerly known as Adam Graham, initially being sent to Cornton Vale before a public outcry led to him getting moved. Critics of the SNP Government's Gender Reform Act highlighted this as a major issue with the legislation, as men could legally change gender and access female spaces without the need of a medical certificate.
Ms Sturgeon took part in a notorious car crash interview with ITV where she refused repeatedly to call Bryson a man or a woman, instead stating that they were a rapist. And two years on, she repeated this trick in an interview with the Financial Times.
She was asked by journalist Henry Mance if she can now say if Bryson was a man or a woman, and she responded "That person was a rapist." The row surrounding gender reforms was cited by the former First Minister as one of the reasons why she abruptly resigned from the role in February 2023.
Scottish Conservative shadow equalities minister Tess White MSP said: “Almost two years on from this scandal, Nicola Sturgeon is shamefully still failing to answer this basic question. Common sense should tell her that Isla Bryson is a dangerous male rapist and as such should never have been considered for access to women’s protected spaces.
“Nicola Sturgeon continues to be completely out-of-touch with the public’s views on her deeply flawed gender reforms, which only the Scottish Conservatives opposed. Women find it deeply insulting that the former First Minister cannot describe this vile predator as a man.
“The Scottish public are keen to know if John Swinney, who backed Nicola Sturgeon’s gender reforms every step of the way, shares the same opinion on Isla Bryson, despite it being obvious that he is a biological male.”
Her resignation also came just two months before cops raided the marital home of her and Peter Murrell as they investigated Operation Branchform. Her husband has since been charged with embezzling money from the SNP while she remains an active police suspect after being arrested in 2023.
She was asked whether she thought it was right for the party to be run by her as the leader and him as the Chief Executive and admitted that it was "all-consuming for a long, long time." Questioned whether she thought having a husband and wife in the two top jobs was not ideal, she said: "Yep. I'm not trying to dodge it, I just think it takes us too close to the substance of the issue.”
Since quitting as First Minister Ms Sturgeon has barely contributed in the Holyrood Chamber, instead spending her time on the book festival circuit with her friend Val McDermid. She was asked if the police scandal had scarred her post-politics life and responded: “If you described the scenario before it happened, I would have [said] how on Earth would I be able to function? But I have.”
https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/news/politics/nicola-sturgeon-still-refuses-call-34459039