Nicola Sturgeon has come under fire for her comment about a convicted rapist (Image: Getty)
The former First Minister has stuck to her guns in refusing to label transgender rapist Isla Bryson either a man or a woman in a new interview, reigniting the row around gender that contributed to her resignation two years ago.
’s government introduced gender reforms which saw Bryson, who was born a man but identifies as a female, sent to a women’s prison after being convicted of attacking two women in in 2019 and 2016.
The case sparked a debate and urgent review of the government’s Gender Reform Act, especially in the nonrequirement of a medical certificate to show gender transition, and Bryson – formerly known as Adam Graham – was ultimately moved to a men’s facility.
Ms Sturgeon, who has also been embroiled in an ongoing controversy surrounding the ’s finances, refused to label Bryson as either a woman or a man in a trainwreck ITV interview in 2023 and two years on, and her views don’t appear to have changed.
She was asked by the Financial Times if she could now say whether Bryson was male or female and responded: “That person was a rapist.”
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Isla Bryson is now in a men’s prison (Image: PA News Agency)
Shadow equalities minister for the Scottish Tess White has hit out at the former First Minister for her latest comment, describing it as a “shameful failure to answer a 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,” she told the Scottish Daily Express.
“Nicola Sturgeon continues to be completely out-of-touch with the public’s views on her deeply flawed gender reforms, which only the Scottish 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.”
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Ms Sturgeon also hit out at ’s Labour government, telling the FT that she thought both Starmer and Rachel Reeves were “just so wooden and stilted”.
As well as criticising the “unbelievably terrible” decision to axe winter fuel payments – something the cabinet may be regretting amid recent subzero temperatures – she also said she didn’t think it was impossible that ’s Reform UK could seize power at an upcoming general election.
“Five years ago, I would have said it’s impossible,” Ms Sturgeon said. “I don’t think that anymore. The more [Starmer] tries to be tougher, and offers solutions that are never going to solve the problem, the more he colludes with the idea that the biggest issue facing the country is out-of-control immigration.”