Four in 10 Scots think Nicola Sturgeon should stand down, poll finds
More than four in 10 voters in Scotland think First Minister Nicola Sturgeon should resign immediately, according to a new poll carried out amid controversy over gender recognition reforms.
The Panelbase survey for the Sunday Times found that 42% of respondents thought she should stand down now, while 45% said she should remain as First Minister at until at least the next Holyrood election, and 13% didn’t know.
The poll also found that the majority of those who expressed a view had safety concerns around the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill, which was passed by MSPs in December and blocked by the UK Government.
The reforms would allow trans people to obtain a gender recognition certificate (GRC) without the need for a medical diagnosis.
The Bill would also allow 16 and 17-year-olds to apply for a GRC for the first time, and reduce the amount of time a person has to live in their acquired gender before they can be granted the document.
Of those who expressed a view, more than three-quarters (76%) said they think the Scottish Government’s plans to change the law on gender recognition would pose a safety risk in women-only spaces, such as changing rooms, hospital wards and prisons.
Just under a quarter (24%) disagreed.
Section 35
Ms Sturgeon has said she intends to challenge the UK Government’s use of Section 35 to block the Gender Recognition Reform Bill from becoming law.
The survey, among 1,415 voters in Scotland, was carried out in the past week as the Scottish Prison Service published its review on the management of transgender prisoners in the wake of the Isla Bryson case.
Transgender prisoner Bryson, who was convicted last month of raping two women while known as Adam Graham, was initially housed in an all-female prison before being moved to the male estate.
The poll also found that 15% of those who voted SNP at the last Westminster election said they wanted Ms Sturgeon to resign, as did almost one in five (19%) people who backed independence in the referendum in 2014.
Just over three-quarters (76%) of SNP voters and 72% of Yes voters said they wanted her to remain.
The poll found that finance secretary Kate Forbes, who is on maternity leave, was the most popular choice to succeed Ms Sturgeon, with 7% of respondents backing her.
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I’m a huge support of diversity but genuinely don’t understand why governments become so heavily involved in gender issues. People should be allowed to be who they want to be. The tiny percentage of people with gender related concerns should be treated with dignity. However, gender related debates have damaged the Scottish Government and in the past damaged Yes Cymru.
Governments and Yes Cymru should devote their time to big picture issues and let matters of diversity evolve naturally – stop forcing the issue!
Agree. Same with the environment. I haven’t met anyone who wants to trash our world, but….has put back Indy by a generation
Agree, most people are as you say, fine with people doing or being what they want to be or do.. What they aren’t fine with is the expectation that we must also think and feel as they do. And if you view the world in a more Historical way you are some how Anti them. When you aren’t at all. It’s not that you can’t do what you want to do, or be what you want to be…you can’t force people to “Think” and “Feel” the way you do. This is what I think they can’t understand. Actions, Thoughts, and… Read more »
the communities across Wales at serious risk of coastal flooding would beg to disagree with you with regards to the need to address climate change Jonathan
The problem with that approach is matters of diversity dont ‘evolve naturally’ hence – taking the uk as a example’ – weve seen that it’s often been necessary to introduce legislation to address inequalities in society with regards to rights for women, ethnic minorities and lgbt people etc. And the SNP are simply doing the same with this legislation. Legislation incidentally which has been introduced in many countries around the world without any problems arising.
40% of Scots are unionists?
Without context, I would ignore a times survey. The right wing are desperate now. Even if credible, it means a majority didn’t believe the English media’s lies on the whole subject they are trying hard to be offended by.
I hate to say it but we all know that the strength and weakness of the group wanting independence is that it reaches out to people across political divide. In this immediate term it’s a weakness largely, not wholly, because right-wing media are creating a storm, more right aligned supporters of independence are picking up on it and that one group is now at odds with each other. Nicola Sturgeon wins if can get people to see that something voted for in Scotland is being threatened by a Westminster very few in England voted for let alone backed by Scottish… Read more »
They are only second to us in self destruction. Whereas the Irish had a bit of Pride and common sense, and fought to free their nation and people. Us and The Scots revel in our abuse and Misery. It’s truly pathetic at times.
I commented in a nearly Nation Cymru article about support for independence dropping in Scotland.
Nicola Sturgeon is in a hole of her own making. Gender identity might be an issue for some, that is for them
Like it or not, it is a minor issue in the greater scheme of things. What matters is the cause of independence and making a mess of a woke issue of little or no interest to most Scots, must have them questioning her and by implication, the cause of independence.
I started banging on about this some years ago when schisms started appearing within SNP and the broader movement. The issue has merit and needs to be secured BUT it has become a stage for a small band of self promoting activists who would not settle for anything other than disproportionate priority. And politicians gave that to them. It has presented the Unionist negative propaganda machine with the kind of nasty ammo that drives wedges into movements and right now it jeopardises the much bigger goal. Beyond that goal Scotland could have resolved the matter within its own domestic jurisdiction… Read more »
Wasnt the proposed legislation in the manifesto of the SNP? It’s strange to see Nicola Sturgeon being subject to such savage criticism when all she is doing is carrying out part of the programme on which she was elected by the scottish people. Is also strange to see some here who purport to support independence for Wales seemingly approving of the UK Govt blocking legislation approved by Scotland’s Parliament
The SNP may be the largest party in Scotland but most Scottish people did not vote SNP.The SNP didn’t even get 50% of the vote they are proped up in The Scottish Parliament by the Scottish Green Party.
So what if the UK government is trying to block legislation, Scotland is still part of The United Kingdom.
“The SNP didn’t even get 50% of the vote…”
But now 60% want the SNP’s Nicola Sturgeon to continue as first Minister.
As the Scottish Green Party is supported by less than 10% of the electorate, from the poll it looks like support for NS has risen!
So thats 6 out of 10 not wishing her not to stand down 🏴
This identity politics fire being stoked by, let’s face it, the British nationalist establishment and press will burn itself out sooner or later to be replaced by a different identity politics issue.
It’s the latest take on the old ‘Divide and Rule’ tactic.
It may not have started that way but you can safely bet that some schemer working for the London regime and its mates in MSM Will have spotted this as a wedge issue some time ago and piled resources into its exploitation.