Joanna Cherry’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe show to go ahead with extra checks over safety fears

Published

2 years ago

August 7, 2023

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Extra security checks such as bag searches and metal detectors will be in place at the Edinburgh Fringe show of SNP MP Joanna Cherry over safety fears.

There will also be no alcohol served at the venue while the show is going on.

The MP for Edinburgh West is due to speak at The Stand on Thursday in an event that was initially cancelled after some members of staff refused to work it, citing opposition to her “gender critical” views.

Ms Cherry has been a vocal critic of the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill – which aims to simplify the process for people to change gender in the eyes of the law – that passed through the Scottish Parliament late last year.

The bill, which will see the Scottish and UK governments battle it out in court, has been a contentious issue with critics arguing it undermines women’s rights and single-sex spaces.

Following criticism over its cancellation of her show, The Stand later apologised to Ms Cherry and performed a U-turn, saying its initial decision was “unfair and constituted unlawful discrimination” against the SNP MP.

Ms Cherry had threatened the venue with legal action, claiming she was removed from the billing as a result of “being a lesbian with gender critical views”.

On Sunday, after the heightened security measures were reported in The Herald, Ms Cherry tweeted: “Today’s Herald reveals the price of free speech in modern Scotland.

“It’s a disgrace that any public speaker should face threats to personal safety on account of their sexuality and feminist beliefs. Those responsible should hang their heads in shame.”

A statement from The Stand said: “Following an external risk assessment and in consultation with Police Scotland, The Stand will employ extra measures to ensure the safety of everyone involved with staging the show and members of the audience.

“Unfortunately, to allow extra bag searches to take place on entrance to the theatre, we have had to close our bar for the hour-long duration of the event which starts at 12 noon on Thursday.

“We apologise for any inconvenience caused to customers but clearly we can’t compromise on safety for this or any other show.”

The Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill was passed by MSPs just before Christmas.

It then became a constitutional dispute in January when the UK government took the unprecedented step of using section 35 of the Scotland Act to block the bill from receiving royal assent and becoming law.

The Scottish government then lodged a petition for a judicial review over Westminster’s veto of the bill, setting the stage for a prolonged legal battle.

Politics

25% of young children and pregnant women malnourished in Gaza, charity says, as PM vows to fly critical medical cases to UK

Published

2 hours ago

July 26, 2025

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25% of young children and pregnant women malnourished in Gaza, charity says, as PM vows to fly critical medical cases to UK

A charity has warned 25% of young children and pregnant women in Gaza are now malnourished, with Sir Keir Starmer vowing to evacuate children who need “critical medical assistance” to the UK.

MSF, also known as Doctors Without Borders, said Israel’s “deliberate use of starvation as a weapon” has reached unprecedented levels – with patients and healthcare workers both fighting to survive.

It claimed that, at one of its clinics in Gaza City, rates of severe malnutrition in children under five have trebled over the past two weeks – and described the lack of food and water on the ground as “unconscionable”.

The charity also criticised the high number of fatalities seen at aid distribution sites, with one British surgeon accusing IDF soldiers of shooting civilians “almost like a game of target practice”.

MSF’s deputy medical coordinator in Gaza, Dr Mohammed Abu Mughaisib, said: “Those who go to the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation’s food distributions know that they have the same chance of receiving a sack of flour as they do of leaving with a bullet in their head.”

The UN also estimates that Israeli forces have killed more than 1,000 people seeking food – the majority near the militarised distribution sites of the US-backed aid distribution scheme run by the GHF.

In a statement on Friday, the IDF had said it “categorically rejects the claims of intentional harm to civilians”, and reports of incidents at aid distribution sites were “under examination”.

The GHF has also previously disputed that these deaths were connected with its organisation’s operations, with director Johnnie Moore telling Sky News: “We just want to feed Gazans. That’s the only thing that we want to do.”

Israel says it has let enough food into Gaza and has accused the UN of failing to distribute it, in what the foreign ministry has labelled as “a deliberate ploy” to defame the country.

‘Humanitarian catastrophe must end’

In a video message posted on X late last night, Sir Keir Starmer condemned the scenes in Gaza as “appalling” and “unrelenting” – and said “the images of starvation and desperation are utterly horrifying”.

The prime minister added: “The denial of aid to children and babies is completely unjustifiable, just as the continued captivity of hostages is completely unjustifiable.

“Hundreds of civilians have been killed while seeking aid – children, killed, whilst collecting water. It is a humanitarian catastrophe, and it must end.”

Sir Keir confirmed that the British government is now “accelerating efforts” to evacuate children from Gaza who need critical medical assistance, so they can be brought to the UK for specialist treatment.

Israel has now said that foreign countries will be able to airdrop aid into Gaza. While the PM says the UK will now “do everything we can” to get supplies in via this route, he said this decision has come “far too late”.

Last year, the RAF dropped aid into Gaza, but humanitarian organisations warned it wasn’t enough and was potentially dangerous. In March 2024, five people were killed when an aid parachute failed and supplies fell on them.

For now, Sir Keir has rejected calls to follow French President Emmanuel Macron and recognise a Palestinian state – despite more than 220 MPs signing a cross-party letter to demand he takes this step.

The prime minister is instead demanding a ceasefire and “lasting peace” – and says he will only consider an independent state as part of a negotiated peace deal.