Nicola Sturgeon defiant as she is quizzed on Supreme Court trans ruling

Nicola Sturgeon is set to do a show at the Usher Hall later this year reflecting on her career - and for £75, you could meet her beforehand (Picture: Lisa Ferguson)

Former First Minister has been asked about the historic Supreme Court ruling on the definition of a woman, telling a journalist that her “views are well known”.

Ms Sturgeon, who led the SNP government as it pursued the controversial gender recognition reforms, has come under pressure over her silence in the wake of the case, and has been absent from Holyrood.

The Mail on Sunday spoke to her at an event in Glasgow yesterday.

The paper reports she refused to issue an apology, and stated “I think my views are well-known”.

Pressed further on what those views were, she said: “I think you know.”

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Last week, Scottish Tory leader Russell Findlay urged First Minister John Swinney to “end the era of divisive gender politics” in the wake of the Supreme Court’s ruling last week.

The UK’s highest court ruled the definition of a woman in the 2010 Equality Act is based on biology, ending a long-running court battle brought by campaign group For Women Scotland, which had initially challenged Scottish Government legislation around gender representation on public boards.

The ruling is expected to have far-reaching consequences, particularly around the access of transgender people to single-sex spaces and services.

At Holyrood on Thursday, Mr Findlay pushed Mr Swinney on the issue, drawing a parallel to the First Minister and his predecessor Ms Sturgeon.

“John Swinney has got a chance to be his own man and go a different way from his closest ally, who isn’t even showing up for work anymore,” Mr Russell said during First Minister’s Questions.

Responding to Mr Findlay, Mr Swinney pointed to a statement made in Holyrood by former Tory MSP Alison Harris – speaking in place of fellow and current MSP Annie Wells – during the debate on the Gender Representation on Public Boards (Scotland) Bill in January 2018.

According to Holyrood’s official report, Ms Wells was said to be “pleased” by a Labour amendment to the legislation which would “broaden the definition of ‘woman’ so the legislation would be as inclusive as possible, recognising that not all trans women possess a gender recognition certificate”.

The First Minister said: “I’m simply reading that into the official report, because the Conservatives have changed their position on this, and they have changed their position from what they said in 2018.

“What my Government will do is what it always does, follow the rule of law, take careful account of the decisions and the context in which we take our decisions, and act wisely to protect the rights of all within Scotland.

“The first duty of the Government is to protect the rights of everyone in Scottish society.”