Scottish ministers have U-turned on a promise to legislate against misogyny and will revert to including protections in the controversial Hate Crime Act.

SNP ministers have been accused of a “humiliating U-turn” after dropping their misogyny legislation plans.

The Scottish Government will instead “add the protected characteristic of sex“ to the controversial Hate Crime Act despite initially refusing to do so, as it was confirmed the misogyny law plans were being dropped.

The move comes after the Government came under fire for refusing to include it in the original hate crime proposals, with ministers insisting it should form its own legislation.

In documents that went before the misconduct panel, Mr Beggs said a ‘theme of misogyny and abuse of women’ led to the criminal investigations by Northants Police and Lincolnshire Police; and was, in turn, compounded by Mr Boulter’s ‘failures’ to disclose those investigations in vetting forms. | 3rd party

The Government has previously delayed the proposed legislation against misogynistic behaviour, but has now admitted it will not have enough time before next year's Holyrood election to bring forward the plans.

A review by Baroness Helena Kennedy recommended a separate law should be drawn up to tackle "the spectrum of misogynistic conduct", rather than including it in the hate crime law.

Speaking in April last year, then-first minister Humza Yousaf said the specific misogyny legislation would be pushed forward with "urgency and pace".

The proposed Bill would have handed protection to women and girls at risk of gender-based violence , with new laws against misogynistic harassment and behaviour, stirring up hatred against women and girls and protections from abusive communications.

First Minister John Swinney said: “We have to recognise that the issues that arise out of the Supreme Court judgment will take us longer to consider in developing a misogyny Bill.

“So what we can do is take action at an earlier stage, amend the hate crime legislation to ensure the issue of misogyny can be addressed.”

First Minister John Swinney during a press conference in Bute House, Edinburgh

SNP Parliamentary Business Minister Jamie Hepburn said the government would introduce regulations at Holyrood before the summer recess “to ensure there are protections for women and girls in law” by adding “the protected characteristic of sex to the Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act”.

Scottish Conservative deputy leader Rachael Hamilton said: “The Misogyny Bill is just the latest in a litany of paused, ditched or botched [Nicola] Sturgeon-era policies. It’s little surprise it has been scrapped. Who would trust SNP ministers to legislate to criminalise misogyny when they can’t even say what a woman is?”

Scottish Labour justice spokesperson Pauline McNeill said: “The SNP has spent years kicking this issue into the long grass by insisting this approach wouldn’t work, only to perform a screeching U-turn.

“If the SNP had listened to Scottish Labour and other women MSPs who argued for this in 2021, we would already have this protection in place.”

The Scottish Government has also come under fire for confirming no ban on conversion practices will be tabled at Holyrood until after next year's election.

The First Minister faced initial criticism after legislation to outlaw conversion therapy was absent from his first Programme for Government in September. But Mr Swinney insisted the law would be brought forward in lockstep with Westminster.

SNP equalities minister Kaukab Stewart said while the Scottish Government would “continue to work” with Westminster on a UK-wide approach, Holyrood ministers would “get on with the job of ending these harmful practices” if there was no progress.

She promised if the UK Labour government failed to legislate on the issue, an SNP Scottish Government would “publish its own Bill in year one of the next parliamentary session”.

The Scottish Government previously committed to banning conversion therapy, which aims to change or suppress a person’s sexual orientation or identity, as part of the power-sharing deal between the SNP and the Scottish Greens.

The Bute House Agreement ended before legislation was brought forward.

Scottish Greens MSP Maggie Chapman hit out at SNP ministers for the "shameful backwards step”, claiming the move “sends a worrying message about the Government’s commitment to equalities”.

SNP accused of 'humiliating U-turn' as delayed misogyny legislation scrapped

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