A ban on conversion therapy will not be introduced ahead of the 2026 Holyrood elections. Photo: Dan Kitwood/Getty
The SNP will overturn the ban on conversion therapy in a bid to win the next Holyrood election, transgender rights activists fear.
Equality Network, Scotland's major LGBT lobby group, privately expressed «disappointment» that nationalist ministers had broken the law by promising to publish a bill criminalizing «conversion practices» by the end of this year.
Instead, there will only be consultations at which activists will express concerns that such a «controversial bill » will not be tabled ahead of the 2026 Holyrood elections, records show.
They called for the legislation to be passed «at the start of the 24/25 parliamentary session» to avoid a clash, although it would coincide with next year's general election.
The ban threatens to become a major political battleground as the Scottish National Party has vowed to enact much more a broader definition of what is commonly understood as conversion therapy, such as forced attempts to turn gay people into heterosexuals.
The group found the Scottish Government has called for a radical definition that would make any action that would «suppress» a person's sexuality or gender identity or their «expression» of it an offence.
Humza Yousaf's government is reluctant to push ahead with a ban after the SNP passes gender identity legislation Photo: Peter Summers/Getty
They said children could be taken into care if parents break the rules, in while there will be no exceptions for religious workers who may lose their «ability to work in Scotland» if they break the law.
Nicola Sturgeon, the former First Minister, has also promised a full ban by the Scottish Greens as part of the coalition pact.
However, it is now believed that some figures in the SNP are reluctant to push for a ban given the unpopularity of the SNP Gender Self-Identification Bill, which has been blocked UK government.
The law was passed. is seen as one of the factors causing a drain on support from the SNP, with the issue marring Ms Sturgeon's final weeks in office after Isla Bryson, a transgender rapist, was initially sent to a women's prison.
Minutes meetings obtained by the Telegraph under freedom of information (FOI) laws suggest activists are nervous that the ban on conversion therapy could be scrapped altogether.
A member of the Equality Network complained on 6 September that the publication of Humza Yousaf's government program the previous day was the first time they had learned that a promise to publish it this year had been rescinded.
Gender issues are thought to have weakened support for the SNP. Photo: Eddie Mulholland
They expressed concern that «the Scottish Government will not want to introduce controversial legislation closer to the 2026 Scottish elections and that to avoid this it should be done at the start of the 24/25 session», minutes show. published under freedom of information.< /p>
Later in the meeting, «the importance of engaging the right contractors to review the consultation responses» was raised. «It would be important to use the consultation as a tool to gather cross-party support and exchange proposals,» the minutes say.
Flawed policy-making process
Robert Piper, emeritus professor of government and public policy at the University of the West of Scotland, said, that meeting minutes indicate a «seriously flawed» policy-making process in Scotland.
He said the «right contractors» needed to be hired to review the consultations. The responses were «worrying but not surprising.»
A Scottish Government spokesman said: “A public consultation on proposals to ban conversion practices is due to be published by the end of this year, and an analysis of the responses will be published.” be independent, fair and impartial.”
The Equality Network did not respond to a request for comment.
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