The Liberal Party notes with concern the recent bill passed by the SNP to alter the landscape of freedom of expression in Scotland by imposing restrictions on certain facets of speech deemed threatening or abusive.
The new legislation will make it an offence to stir up hatred against protected characteristics, including age, disability, religion, sexual orientation and gender identity following on from prior legislation in respect of race.
The Liberal Party believes that in a liberal and tolerant society, freedom of expression should be valued and thus enshrined into law providing it doesn’t infringe on someone’s else liberty.
In respect of the bill recently passed by the SNP, we believe that the act is, legislation overreach, in a number of areas:
Firstly, the party believes that the legislation will be used as a weapon by some to try and criminalise those who don’t share their beliefs.
Secondly, the law does not just apply to social media posts or newspaper articles. It covers anything said anywhere at any time – even in the confines of someone’s own home. Children will in theory be able to report their parents. In addition, people can inform on each other anonymously, through an expanded network of ‘third-party reporting centres’.
Lastly, the Act states that Scots still have freedom of expression under the European Convention on Human Rights but the fact that this needs to be stated shows the legislation’s architects have doubts about its internal clarity and likely consequences.
As the old adage says, ‘stick and stones, may break my bones but names will never hurt me’, unfortunately, under the SNP this clearly is no longer true!
Kayed Al-Haddad
(Scottish Liberal Party Chair)
The Liberal Party notes with concern increasing media reports on the long-term viability of Thames Water.
An urgently needed injection of fresh capital is reported to have been withdrawn by its shareholders as they believe the company to be no longer financially viable, saddled with a debt pile of over £18 billion pounds.
The Liberal Party rejects any concession being given to its owners over its refinancing, such as increasing consumer bills by 40% or a resumption or dividend payments as unjustified and unwarranted.
The Liberal Party has a well established policy of bringing the water companies back into public ownership. This would protect both consumers and the wider environment from pollution, over extraction and the wastage of one of the most precious of natural resources, fresh water.
The Liberal Party NEC
The Liberal Party welcomes the publication of the report produced by Dr Hilary Cass and her recommendations to NHS England in her role as Chair of the Independent Review of gender identity services for children and young people.
The report makes it clear that "the rationale for early puberty suppression remains unclear, with weak evidence regarding the impact on gender dysphoria, mental or psychosocial health" and that "(t)he effect on cognitive and psychosexual development remains unknown". The report also states that "(c)linicians are unable to determine with any certainty which children and young people will go on to have an enduring trans identity".
The Liberal Party's position on this matter has always been that there was no medical evidence to support the treatment of gender distressed children and young adults with early puberty blockers and hormones. Dr. Cass' report agrees with this position and further states that "(f)or most young people, a medical pathway to manage their gender-related distress. For those young people for whom a medical pathway is clinically indicated, it is not enough to provide this without also addressing wider mental health and/or psychosocially challenging problems".
In view of the findings of this report, The Liberal Party urges the Scottish Government to:
- With immediate effect stop all further medical treatment of children and young adults at by NHS Scotland, including but not limited to the Sandyford Clinic and private health providers.
- Publish an evidence based, clinically informed strategy to provide lifelong support where sought to all those children and young children that have been treated with puberty blockers and masculinising/feminising hormones to date in Scotland.
- Revisit the End of Conversion Therapy legislative proposal to incorporate the findings of Dr. Cass' report.
Promoted by Stephen Graham on behalf of the Liberal Party, 12 Dayworth Mews, Lundy Lane, Reading, RG30 2RR.
Previous Press Releases can be found here.
"Yesterday I spoke at the end of worship at the end year feedback on the Christ Church Kensington oral history project. I spoke about Liverpool being a melting pot of the UK nations at the time of building,1870, 10 per cent of city had Welsh as their first language. Today Kensington being a melting pot of so many nations many of whom are our partners in the Commonwealth. However, the social mission of the church is as valuable today than it was at the time of the building foundation".
Liberal Party Leader Cllr Steve Radford
The accompanying photo shows the Reverend Samual Sarpong and Liberal Leader
Cllr Steve Radford.
