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Liberal Democrat MP Christine Jardine was involved in a furious clash today after she praised Nicola Sturgeon amid the row over transgender prisoners in Scotland.
The Edinburgh West MP used a TV interview to claim the Scottish First Minister was ‘doing a good thing’ by ordering a review of the management of transgender prisoners.
But, challenging the politician, TalkTV presenter Julia Hartley-Brewer insisted it was not a ‘complicated issue’.
‘You don’t need to do a risk assessment – look down his pants,’ the broadcaster told Ms Jardine in a heated exchange.
Ms Sturgeon has come under severe pressure over the cases of two transgender prisoners – Tiffany Scott and Isla Bryson.
Christine Jardine used a TalkTV interview to claim Nicola Sturgeon was ‘doing a good thing’ by ordering a review of the management of transgender prisoners
The Scottish First Minister has come under severe pressure over the cases of two transgender prisoners – Tiffany Scott and Isla Bryson
It was recently reported how Scott (right), who had been convicted of stalking a 13-year-old girl before her transition, was due to be sent to a female unit. This came days after Bryson (left) was revealed to have been held at Cornton Vale women’s prison while awaiting sentencing for raping two women while she was a man
It was recently reported how Scott, who had been convicted of stalking a 13-year-old girl before her transition, was due to be sent to a female unit.
This came days after Bryson was revealed to have been held at Cornton Vale women’s prison while awaiting sentencing for raping two women while she was a man.
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Amid an outrage over the two cases, Ms Sturgeon has been forced to prohibit any newly convicted transgender person with a history of violence against women from being placed in a female prison.
Her Scottish Government has also put a halt on any transgender prisoner with a history of violence against women from being moved from a male to a female prison.
These measures will be in place until an ‘urgent’ review of the Bryson case and a wider review of the management of transgender prisoners are completed.
Ms Sturgeon’s SNP-led administration in Edinburgh has taken the action amid a broader row over controversial gender identity reforms in Scotland.
These are set to be blocked by Westminster, despite being passed by the Scottish Parliament last month.
Referring to the measures on transgender prisoners announced by the Scottish Government on Sunday, Ms Jardine told TalkTV: ‘Women are in women’s prisons, men are in men’s prisons.
‘What we have in Scotland, the issue is about the risk assessment of all sexually violent and violent prisoners and that is what Nicola Sturgeon has looked at and called for a review.
‘And I think that’s a good thing that she’s reviewing the risk assessment because I know that there are genuine concerns that people have and these concerns need to be addressed.’
But, taking issue with the MP’s comments, presenter Hartley-Brewer said: ‘You don’t need to do a risk assessment – look down his pants, “oh look, he’s a man, he doesn’t go in a prison cell with a woman”. It’s not complicated.’
In her reply, Ms Jardine added: ‘You missed the fact that I actually said Nicola Sturgeon was doing a good thing.
‘I thought you would think that was the strangest thing you have ever heard.
‘But Nicola has called for a review of the risk assessment – what you’re talk about is the risk.
‘The risk of putting a sexually violent trans woman in with other women.
‘That is the risk assessment and that is what they are looking at. You cannot get away from the fact they are trying to address concerns, genuine concerns.’
