The story commanding most of Tuesday’s front pages is the bid by the UK government to try to block Scotland’s gender recognition reforms. The Metro reports that Scottish Secretary Alister Jack confirmed he would make an order under Section 35 of the Scotland Act in an attempt to stop it gaining royal assent.
“We’ll see you in court” is the Daily Record’s splash as it pictures Nicola Sturgeon, who it reports has branded the move as “an attack on Scottish democracy”. The story says the first minister has vowed to fight for her gender recognition bill.
The Scottish Sun calls it a “historic veto” as it is the first time such an intervention has been made since devolution. The paper goes on to say that Mr Jack will lay his order before Westminster today. It also claims the first minister fears the action could pave the way for more vetoes.
The Times focuses on the “attack on democracy” angle, and says that Rishi Sunak’s government felt the Scottish gender recognition reforms risked “fraudulent applications” from people seeking to access single-sex spaces. It says the government also feared the impact on UK-wide equality law.
The Scotsman predicts as “unprecedented constitutional battle” between the SNP and Westminster and says Ms Sturgeon has pledged to “defend the legislation and stand up for Scotland’s parliament”.
The Telegraph pulls out Rishi Sunak’s comment that the legislation could have a “chilling effect” on the safety of women-only spaces. It reports that the Section 35 order will set out in full the adverse effects of the law.
The National simply calls the UK government’s position the “nuclear option” Inside the paper, SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn says the constitutional debate has become a “full-blown crisis of democracy”.
“Sturgeon’s fury” is covered by the Scottish Daily Express which also reports on the scandal surrounding Metropolitan Police officer David Carrick who has admitted dozens of rape and sexual offences against 12 women. The paper asks how the force missed a “serial rapist in its ranks”.
The attempted block of Nicola Sturgeon’s gender law makes the front of the Scottish Daily Mail too, which reports that legal advice to the UK government suggested the legislation would cut across UK equalities legislation and would have a detrimental effect on it. The Scottish bill, which was passed by cross-party MSPs, makes it easier for people to change gender in law.
The Herald’s story explains that the new legislation means a diagnosis of gender dysphoria is no longer needed by a trans person to obtain a gender recognition certificate and that the self-ID model is used in several other countries.
“Sunak sparks constitutional battle with Sturgeon” says the i newspaper which also notes that the decision will delay reforms of gender recognition law in Scotland.
The Evening Express reports on the discovery of a woman’s body at a flat in Aberdeen. It says a residential property on Sunnybank Road was cordoned off by police following a major incident.
The P&J’s lead comes from the courts, where an ex-prison guard from Inverness was jailed for an “appalling” campaign of child sex abuse against a girl from the ages of 12 to 16. Melvin Walker was jailed for 40 months.
Women’s groups tell The Courier that the pandemic had a damaging effect on survivors of domestic abuse and that it could take years to fully undo the harm done. The paper reports that while waiting lists for support remain long, women and children are at increased risk of harm.
Occupation of a city high rise by campaigners trying to stop its demolition makes the front page of the Glasgow Times.
Funding cuts for the local council will mean the most vulnerable will feel the impact, says the Evening Telegraph.
The issue of abandoned shopping trolleys is explored by the Edinburgh Evening News, which reports that shops have been asked to do more to stop eyesores building up in the city. Dealing with the items is costing time and money for the city council, the paper says.
And the arrest of Italy’s most-wanted Mafia boss, Matteo Messina Denaro, inspires the Daily Star headline “Bada bing!” – referring to the popular phrase from The Godfather film series. Alongside is an image of the moment Denaro was taken into custody after 30 years on the run.
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