As the SNP’s Hate Crime Bill crashed through Holyrood last year, its loudest critics were the Scottish Tories. To their credit, conservative MSPs were the only politicians to oppose censorious ‘stirring up hatred’ offences at every turn. They listened to the warnings of lawyers, academics, journalists, and campaigners about the potential these vague provisions had to undermine free expression.Continue reading “Tory online safety plans risk same mistakes as SNP Hate Crime Bill”
Author Archives: Jamie Gillies
MPs must seize the opportunity to hold the porn industry to account
The announcement of an official parliamentary inquiry into the harms of pornography is welcome and long overdue. The APPG on Commercial Sexual Exploitation, a cross-party group of MPs, will assess “how the modern-day pornography industry operates, harms associated with the production and consumption of pornography, and the adequacy of existing laws to address these harms”. Many peopleContinue reading “MPs must seize the opportunity to hold the porn industry to account”
Why parliamentarians should oppose the Assisted Dying Bill
In May this year, crossbench Peer Baroness Meacher lodged new legislation to usher in assisted suicide for adults in England and Wales who have a terminal illness. The ‘Assisted Dying Bill’ will have its Second Reading in the House of Lords on Friday 22 October 2021. History of UK assisted suicide proposals Baroness Meacher’s BillContinue reading “Why parliamentarians should oppose the Assisted Dying Bill”
Better Way
In 2021, Jamie helped found Better Way, a campaign that opposes assisted suicide and champions safety, dignity and equality. It raises awareness of dangers associated with assisted suicide and euthanasia, shares testimonies from people who stand to be affected by a change in the law, and highlights positive, alternative ways to help people facing terminal illnesses.Continue reading “Better Way”
West must respond to Afghan human trafficking threat
The crisis in Afghanistan is tragic to behold. Citizens, desperate to excape the incumbent Taliban regime, have swarmed the airport at Kabul. They cling to the undercarriage of military jets, swamp the stairways to passenger planes, and hand their babies to complete strangers, hopeful that they will end up somewhere safe. The fear of reprisals,Continue reading “West must respond to Afghan human trafficking threat”
OnlyFans pornography u-turn is case study in corporate greed
On Wednesday, online streaming platform OnlyFans announced that a decision to curb sexually explicit content has been reversed. In a statement posted on Twitter, the site, which has become one of the world’s largest platforms for pay-for-view pornographic content, said it will “continue to provide a home for all creators”. The move towards a banContinue reading “OnlyFans pornography u-turn is case study in corporate greed”
SNP-Green deal jeopardizes freedoms
On Friday, a power-sharing agreement between the SNP and the Scottish Green Party was announced. For the first time in UK history, Green party politicians will be ushered into government, with Scottish Green co-leaders Patrick Harvie and Lorna Slater handed cabinet positions. On paper, the ‘informal’ coalition is a means of achieving an official, pro-independence majority atContinue reading “SNP-Green deal jeopardizes freedoms”
Scotland’s controversial schools’ guidance on trans issues
In July 2016, the UK Supreme Court struck down the Scottish Government’s controversial named person policy in a seminal ruling. One widely-quoted line from this judgment notes: “The first thing that a totalitarian regime tries to do is to get at the children, to distance them from the subversive, varied influences of their families, and indoctrinateContinue reading “Scotland’s controversial schools’ guidance on trans issues”
Why are politicians reluctant to condemn sex-selective abortion? The Spectator
Women have faced increasing attacks on their rights in recent years. Moves to accommodate gender ideology have resulted in women-only spaces being opened to male-bodied individuals. In the medical sphere, dystopian terms like ‘menstruators’, and ‘birth parents’ have even been coined to appease activists. These kinds of stories hit the headlines and often receive aContinue reading “Why are politicians reluctant to condemn sex-selective abortion? The Spectator”
Time to get tough on porn – The Critic
In June, shocking analysis of the Everyone’s invited website, set up to allow women and girls to anonymously report sexual abuse, revealed numerous reports of sexual harassment in primary and secondary schools across Scotland. A few weeks earlier, English schools’ regulator Ofsted warned that sexual harassment has become “normalised” among school-aged children. Ask female pupilsContinue reading “Time to get tough on porn – The Critic”