Shona Robison

Shona McRory Robison (born 26 May 1966) is a Scottish politician who has served as Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government since 2023. A member of the Scottish National Party (SNP), she previously served as Deputy First Minister of Scotland from 2023 to 2024. Robison has been the Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for Dundee City East since 2003 and was an additional member for the North East Scotland region from 1999 to 2003.

Shona Robison in 2024

Quotes

• All of the evidence tells us that the cause of violence against women and girls is predatory and abusive men, not trans people. We must not conflate the two. There is no evidence that predatory and abusive men have ever had to pretend to be anything else to carry out abusive and predatory behaviour.
  • Speaking in the Scottish parliament (3 March 2022), as cited in "Self-ID law will harm the most vulnerable women, says JK Rowling", The Times (7 March 2022)
  • In an article for The Scotsman, journalist Susan Dalgety responded to Robison's comments< and mentioned in passing the date (3 March 2022) Robison made her comments was the first anniversary of the murder of Sarah Everard by Wayne Couzens, at the time a serving officer of London's Metropolitan Police. Everard's murder received significant coverage in the UK.

• I would also like to take this opportunity to restate that this support for trans rights does not in any way conflict with our work and commitment to protect women from discrimination and advance women’s rights and equality.
  • "Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill: letter to MSPs", Scottish Government website (9 December 2023)

• We took all of the factors in the round, around what the case and what the prospects of the case would be, as well as all the other considerations and the impact indeed on the trans community.
  So, we’ve made that decision for all of the reasons that we have set out. [...] The point here is that Scotland's democratic institution overwhelmingly supported a piece of legislation that is within devolved competence.
  And because the UK Government and the secretary of state for Scotland didn't like it, he thought he could ride roughshod over the democratic wishes of this parliament.
• I think I listened to all the arguments when taking forward the Gender Recognition Reform Bill.
  It was clearly a polarising debate, but fundamentally at the heart of it is making the lives of trans people just that bit better.
• I have never said any of the concerns are not truly held.
  I met with a number of women’s organisations and heard their concerns, but I don’t think there is any evidence to show trying to make the lives of trans people that bit better was going to impact on women and girls.
  The safety issues come from predatory men.
  • Comments on The Nine (BBC Scotland), as cited by Rachel Amery in "Gender reform: Shona Robison says she won't apologise after confirming government won't appeal court decision", The Scotsman (20 December 2023)
  • The Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill was blocked from receiving Royal assent by the Westminster government using the Section 35 provision of the Scotland Act 1998 as the Equality Act 2010 allowing for these issues to be considered a reserved matter. The Court of Session in Edinburgh had dismissed an appeal from the Scottish government against the Westminster decision.

See also

• Isla Bryson case (Wikipedia)
• Mridul Wadhwa