Rishi Sunak’s government triggered a constitutional battle this week by blocking a new Scottish bill that makes it easier for people to change their gender.
Passed by the government in Holyrood in December, the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Act cuts the waiting time for legally changing gender, lowers the minimum age for applying to 16 and eliminates the need for a medical diagnosis of gender dysphoria. But amid fears about how the new law could impact UK-wide legislation, Rishi Sunak has used Section 35 of the Scotland Act to block the bill, for the first time in the history of the union.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon blasted the decision as a “full-frontal attack” on the Scottish Parliament “and its ability to make its own decisions on devolved matters”.
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Former prime minister Boris Johnson is also back in the headlines, after signing a deal with publisher HarperCollins to write his memoir. The book about his time as Tory leader will reportedly earn him more than £6m.
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