Nicola Sturgeon AXES minister over transgender jibes

The SNP leader dropped Gillian Martin (pictured) after the alleged comments, which date from 2007, were revealed

Nicola Sturgeon was today forced to axe a newly-appointed minister after it emerged she had branded transgender students ‘hairy-knuckled, lipstick-wearing transitional laydees’. 

The SNP leader dropped Gillian Martin after the alleged comments, which date from 2007, were revealed.

Ms Martin, MSP for Aberdeenshire East, was only promoted to education minister in a reshuffly carried out by Ms Sturgeon yesterday. 

But her name has now been removed from a list of appointments after The Times published remarks from a blog apparently written while she was still a college lecturer. 

Ms Sturgeon told the Scottish Parliament today that the remarks do not ‘reflect the views of the person that I know in Gillian Martin’.

The SNP chief said had not previously been aware of the blog and she would not be proposing Ms Martin as a minister until she had the ‘chance to reflect’.

She was said to have written: ‘Will they install a third category of loo with a special transgender sign? Are they then going to pinpoint these transgender people and make sure that they get represented fairly on all undisclosed-because-I-don’t-want-to-get-fired-establishment literature in the same way our five endlessly tolerant Asian students do or that guy with the guide dog does?

‘Are we going to see lovely photos in the foyer of hairy knuckled lipstick-wearing transitional transgender Laydees being embraced by the principal of undisclosed college or visiting politicians for the press?’

She also complained that college PR staff ‘froth at the mouth with excitement if anyone in a wheelchair does anything that can be remotely described as an achievement’. 

In a statement this morning, Ms Martin expressed ‘deep regret’ for using ‘inappropriate and offensive language’.

Her name has been removed from a list of Scottish government ministers due to be confirmed this afternoon.

Opposition parties were set to vote against her appointment as further education minister.

Shortly before First Minister questions this morning, Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson tweeted: ‘Pleased the Scottish Government have withdrawn Gillian Martin’s nomination for minister. 

‘We spoke to them this morning to confirm this was not an appointment we could support following comments published this morning.’

Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard said the First Minister knew about the transphobic blog post before Ms Martin was nominated as a minister.

Speaking at First Minister’s Questions he said to Ms Sturgeon: ‘In the end this is not just about the judgment of Gillian Martin, this is about your judgment.’

Ms Sturgeon was taking First Minister's Questions in the Scottish Parliament today after she dropped Ms Martin's appointment

Ms Sturgeon was taking First Minister’s Questions in the Scottish Parliament today after she dropped Ms Martin’s appointment

 Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson tweeted that she was pleased the appointment has been withdrawn by Ms Sturgeon 

 Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson tweeted that she was pleased the appointment has been withdrawn by Ms Sturgeon 

 

 



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