Latest updates: Gillian Keegan, education secretary, says 16 not too young for some people to change gender but government was right to intervene
Good morning. Alister Jack, the Scottish secretary, is one of the least known and most powerless members of the cabinet. The Scottish government largely decides how public services are delivered in Scotland, and where the UK government is in overall charge, it is generally another cabinet minister, not Jack. But today he finds himself at the centre of an unprecedented row between Westminster and Holyrood, because he is the minister who has to issue the section 35 order that the UK government is using to block the Scottish government’s gender recognition reform bill. It is the first time a section 35 order has been issued since devolution started almost a quarter of a century ago.
Jack issued a statement about this last night, but he is expected to face questions from MPs when he delivers a statement to the Commons later. Here is our overnight story.
No, I don’t actually [think 16 is too young]. I was working at 16, I was paying tax at 16, I was making decisions for myself at 16.
I said ‘Look, you know, at 16, I was working, I was paying tax’, but all 16-year-olds are different.
Obviously, everybody has a different view. It’s really, really important that we take into account parents’ views, teachers’ views, children’s views, and other stakeholders’ views as well because it is quite tricky.
The secretary of state for Scotland has used this power because we can’t have two competing gender and equality legislations.
So we need to look at that and need to work out what to do, and he’ll be setting out and making a statement later on today in parliament.
Latest updates: Gillian Keegan, education secretary, says 16 not too young for some people to change gender but government was right to interveneGood morning. Alister Jack, the Scottish secretary, is one of the least known and most powerless members of the cabinet. The Scottish government largely decides how public services are delivered in Scotland, and where the UK government is in overall charge, it is generally another cabinet minister, not Jack. But today he finds himself at the centre of an unprecedented row between Westminster and Holyrood, because he is the minister who has to issue the section 35 order that the UK government is using to block the Scottish government’s gender recognition reform bill. It is the first time a section 35 order has been issued since devolution started almost a quarter of a century ago.Jack issued a statement about this last night, but he is expected to face questions from MPs when he delivers a statement to the Commons later. Here is our overnight story.No, I don’t actually [think 16 is too young]. I was working at 16, I was paying tax at 16, I was making decisions for myself at 16.I said ‘Look, you know, at 16, I was working, I was paying tax’, but all 16-year-olds are different.Obviously, everybody has a different view. It’s really, really important that we take into account parents’ views, teachers’ views, children’s views, and other stakeholders’ views as well because it is quite tricky.The secretary of state for Scotland has used this power because we can’t have two competing gender and equality legislations.So we need to look at that and need to work out what to do, and he’ll be setting out and making a statement later on today in parliament. Continue reading…
