By Susan Dalgety
Last week she took to X (formerly Twitter) to chastise them and she didn鈥檛 mince her words. 鈥溾oters are sick of politicians with no life experience virtue signalling鈥hile wholly failing to meaningfully address everyday issues鈥︹ She was referring to Emma Roddick, an SNP MSP well known for her large collection of campaign lanyards and fashionable causes, but she could just as well have been talking about any number of politicians, from backbenchers to government ministers. Take Siobhian Brown for example. She is Scotland鈥檚 Community Safety minister, a role once held by Edinburgh Eastern MSP Ash Regan, before she resigned in protest at the SNP鈥檚 Gender Recognition Reform Bill. Ash Regan is steering a private member鈥檚 bill through Holyrood, which if passed would criminalise the buying of sex. This approach to prostitution is called the Nordic Model, which the Scottish Government largely supports, so the average voter would expect Siobhian Brown to back her erstwhile colleague鈥檚 bill. But in a letter to the parliament鈥檚 criminal justice committee, the minister has expressed deep misgivings. She wrote, 鈥淭here remain significant questions and concerns regarding the measures within the Bill and how they would work in practice, the extent to which they would deliver on the policy intent鈥︹ A more cynical observer might suggest that Brown鈥檚 objection to Ash Regan鈥檚 bill is more about internal party politics than effective lawmaking. After all, Regan left the SNP and is now a member of ALBA 鈥 but I wouldn鈥檛 dream of making that connection. But if Siobhian Brown鈥檚 concerns are genuine, and not just sour grapes, then that begs the question about her government鈥檚 previous support for the Nordic Model. Was that just another case of virtual signalling? Talking of which, Chris Murray, the Labour MP for Edinburgh East and Musselburgh, was the only Scottish MP to sign a letter to the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) last week, accusing the organisation of causing 鈥渄istress and confusion鈥 among people who identify as transgender. The letter, drafted by another MP, one Tony Vaughan, is a response to the Supreme Court鈥檚 recent ruling that, in the 2010 Equality Act, sex means biological sex. It seems that Murray and the other signatories think this is harmful. Clearly Chris Murray forget to check the Labour Party鈥檚 official position before adding his name to the letter. The party鈥檚 manifesto, published in advance of last year鈥檚 general election when Murray was elected, states Labour is 鈥減roud of our Equality Act and the rights and protections it affords women; we will continue to support the implementation of its single-sex exceptions.鈥 Chris Murray is a young politician, full of enthusiasm for his new job, but I hope he learns quickly that real life is not the same as student politics. He could start by reaching out to his geographical colleague, Ash Regan, and offering to support her campaign to end the purchase of sex and the exploitation of women. It would be more challenging than signing a round robin letter, but it would be an act of political courage.