Does medical science change at the Border?
Last week’s publication of the Cass Review of gender identity services – and the various parties’ reactions to it – caused severe ructions in Holyrood and played a significant part in the ending of the Bute House Agreement, with the Greens unhappy with the Scottish Government’s response.
Today one of our readers condemns both parties over the issue.
Colin Montgomery of Edinburgh writes:
"When does science matter? It's an interesting question; never more so, perhaps, than when considering Scotland's political response to the Cass review of medical treatments for transgender young people - especially that of the Scottish Greens. See, I thought that the Scottish Greens would - being so keen on science when it comes to climate change - have welcomed the informed observations of a world-leading paediatrician. After all, if climate evidence is good enough to decide Scotland's approach towards the wellbeing of our planet, then medical evidence should be good enough for our approach towards the wellbeing of Scotland's young people, right?
"It seems not. The response from the SNP-Green administration has been, at best, a guarded froideur. Or at worst, in the case of some elected members of a Green persuasion, outright dismissiveness; the Cass report traduced on nakedly partisan political grounds. Then, during today's debate on the matter at Holyrood, it was said, and at no less than ministerial level, that Scotland should carefully consider the report because it was commissioned by NHS England and thus may not fit Scotland's needs. That struck me as quite strange. Medical science doesn't stop at borders, does it? We're a' Jock Tamson's bairns are we not? Or do they know different?
"The truth is of course, that as with so many issues in Scotland now - a land that was once home of the Enlightenment and empiricism - facts are trumped by ideology in order to serve agendas instead of people. Where once we Scots championed intellectual analysis and sober observations, we now indulge performative political posturing from people drunk on their own worldview. Fanaticism was once defined as 'redoubling your effort, when you have forgotten your aim'. If the true - and stated - aim of those currently in power at Holyrood is to help our nation's young people (whether transgender or not) then they ought to heed those words very carefully indeed."
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