Scotland’s new leader John Swinney: Gender recognition reforms ‘cannot be implemented’
Scotland’s new first minister has told Sky News that the controversial gender recognition reforms “cannot be implemented.”
John Swinney, who became first minister this week, has faced questions over his stance on gender recognition after MSPs voted in 2022 to pass a bill to make it simpler for people to change their gender without having to obtain a medical diagnosis.
The UK government blocked the bill from being made into law and the Supreme Court rejected a request by the Scottish government for a judicial review.
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Asked if he would be fighting to push the bill through, Mr Swinney told Sky News: “The reality of the situation we face is that the Supreme Court has said that we can’t legislate in that area. We can’t take forward that legislation.”
His predecessor Humza Yousaf had previously suggested he wanted to work with the UK Labour Party to amend the laws ahead of the general election.
Scottish ministers said the scheme, dubbed self-ID, was aimed at making life easier for the trans community but women’s campaigners said it threatened their rights.
Mr Swinney made former leadership contestant Kate Forbes his deputy this week, which has caused some consternation within the party as she previously said she would have voted against gay marriage but would not seek to overturn the law if she became first minister.
But Mr Swinney sought to reassure the LGBT community, saying he had voted for gay marriage and introduced inclusive education into schools when he was education secretary.
Kate Forbes said she would have voted against gay marriage
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Mr Swinney said: “I think what’s the most important thing that I can see is that to LGBT people in our society, the Scottish government is on their side.
“We have been on their side and we will be on their side in the years to come.”
A Scottish government spokeswoman said: “The Gender Recognition Reform Bill was passed by the Scottish Parliament.
“If the UK government lifted its legal block – the section 35 order – it would become law.
“The problem is that the current UK government has said they will not.
“The Scottish government’s position is simple – UK government should lift their section 35 order.
“They have made clear however that they will not, and until they do, it is simply not legal to implement the legislation.”
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Independence ‘can be achieved in five years’
Mr Swinney also said he believes Scotland could split from the rest of the UK in five years thanks to Brexit and the cost of living crisis.
He told Sky News: “I think independence can be delivered in that timescale because the arguments for it are compelling.
“If we look at two of the biggest issues we face as a country in Scotland; the effect of the cost of living and the implications of Brexit.
“Both of those are major strategic factors that are doing severe economic and social damage to Scotland because of bad decisions taken in Westminster.
“And independence is the answer to that.”
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‘Independence can be delivered in five years’
He said Scotland was “forced out of the European Union against our will” as a majority in the country voted to remain.
“If we’d been an independent country, we will be able to take part in Europe and not have all the damaging disruption that we faced,” he added.
Mr Swinney was deputy first minister under Nicola Sturgeon, who was leader of the SNP and first minister from 2014 to 2023 when she stepped down.
Ms Sturgeon wanted to use the next general election as a de facto second referendum on independence after the Supreme Court ruled a vote cannot be held without the UK government’s consent – but it is yet to be seen what Mr Swinney favours.
A group of US Senate Democrats known for supporting the crypto industry have said they would oppose a Republican-led stablecoin bill if it moves forward in its current form.
The move threatens to stall legislation that could establish the first US regulatory framework for stablecoins, according to a May 3 report from Politico.
Per the report, nine Senate Democrats said in a joint statement that the bill “still has numerous issues that must be addressed.” They warned they would not support a procedural vote to advance the legislation unless changes are made.
Among the signatories were Senators Ruben Gallego, Mark Warner, Lisa Blunt Rochester and Andy Kim — all of whom had previously backed the bill when it passed through the Senate Banking Committee in March.
The bill, introduced by Senator Bill Hagerty, is formally known as the Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for US Stablecoins (GENIUS) Act.
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The Senate is expected to begin floor consideration of the bill in the coming days, with the first vote potentially taking place next week.
The bill has been championed by the crypto industry as a landmark step toward regulatory clarity. However, the Democrats’ about-face reflects growing unease within the party.
Although revisions were made to the bill after its committee approval to address Democratic concerns, the lawmakers said the changes fell short. They called for stronger safeguards related to Anti-Money Laundering, national security, foreign issuers, and accountability measures for noncompliant actors.
The statement was also signed by Senators Raphael Warnock, Catherine Cortez Masto, Ben Ray Luján, John Hickenlooper and Adam Schiff.
Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and Senator Angela Alsobrooks were absent from the list, who co-sponsored the bill alongside Hagerty.
Despite their objections, the Democratic senators emphasized their commitment to shaping responsible crypto regulation. They reportedly said they “are eager to continue working with our colleagues to address these issues.”
Related: US banks are ‘free to begin supporting Bitcoin’
Crypto needs a stablecoin bill
On April 27, Caitlin Long, founder and CEO of Custodia Bank, criticized the US Federal Reserve for quietly maintaining a key anti-crypto policy that favors big-bank-issued stablecoins, despite relaxing crypto partnership rules for banks.
Long explained that while the Fed recently rescinded four prior crypto guidelines, a Jan. 27, 2023, statement was left intact in coordination with the Biden administration.
The guidance, according to Long, blocks banks from engaging directly with crypto assets and prohibits them from issuing stablecoins on permissionless blockchains.
However, Long noted that once a federal stablecoin bill becomes law, it could override the Fed’s stance. “Congress should hurry up,” she urged.
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Bitcoiners and United States government officials have criticized Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs’s decision to veto a bill that would have allowed the state to hold Bitcoin as part of its official reserves.
“This will age poorly,” Casa co-founder and cypherpunk Jameson Lopp said in a May 3 X post. Bitcoin (BTC) entrepreneur Anthony Pompliano said, “Imagine the ignorance of a politician to believe they can make investment decisions.”
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“If she can’t outperform Bitcoin, she must buy it,” Pompliano said. Crypto lawyer Andrew Gordon said, “We need more elected officials who understand that Bitcoin and crypto are the future.”
Wendy Rogers, who co-sponsored the bill with State Representative Jeff Weninger, also voiced her disappointment.
“Politicians don’t understand that Bitcoin doesn’t need Arizona. Arizona needs Bitcoin,” Rogers said.
On May 2, Hobbs vetoed the Arizona Strategic Bitcoin Reserve Act, which would have permitted Arizona to invest seized funds into Bitcoin and create a reserve managed by state officials. “Today, I vetoed Senate Bill 1025. The Arizona State Retirement System is one of the strongest in the nation because it makes sound and informed investments,” Hobbs said.
Rogers said she would refile the bill during her next session. Rogers also pointed out that Arizona’s state retirement system already holds stocks of Michael Saylor’s Strategy (MSTR).
“Which is basically a leveraged Bitcoin ETF. Arizona’s Strategic Bitcoin Reserve bill will be back. HODL,” Rogers said. The stock price of Strategy rose 32% in April, the most significant monthly gain since November 2024.
Related: US gov’t actions give clue about upcoming crypto regulation
However, well-known crypto skeptic Peter Schiff sided with Hobbs. “The government should not be making decisions to use public funds to speculate in cryptocurrencies,” Schiff said.
Arizona would have become the first US state to establish a Bitcoin Strategic Reserve if it had passed.
Arizona joins several other US states where similar efforts have failed. Similar proposals in Oklahoma, Montana, South Dakota and Wyoming have stalled or been withdrawn recently.
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