Scotland’s still passing the buck on ‘conversion therapy’

The Scottish Government has published its Programme for Government – setting out its five-year legislative agenda.

Contrary to what the headlines suggest, the Scottish Government has not abandoned its plans for a conversion therapy ban.

Rather, the Programme for Government reiterates the Scottish Government’s commitment to work with the UK Government on a legislative ban applying to Scotland, while making clear that, should the UK Government fail to deliver, it “will not hesitate to bring forward Scottish legislation”.

This carries forward the SNP’s manifesto pledge on conversion therapy – with one notable exception.

Unlike the SNP manifesto, which gives the UK Government a deadline for delivering legislation – “Should the UK government fail to bring forward legislation… [we] will introduce legislation within the first year of the new [Scottish] parliament” – the Programme for Government includes no such ultimatum.

As we’ve pointed out previously, the SNP’s decision to invite Westminster to legislate for Scotland in a devolved area of law is telling, particularly given its previous determination to go it alone.

Yet, two years after its own draft Bill was pilloried by the press and public, the Scottish Government appears more than happy to pass the buck to Westminster. And by quietly dropping the manifesto’s one-year deadline, it has ensured there is no immediate pressure to take the legislation back.

Check out our previous blog: Will Westminster’s draft conversion therapy Bill apply to Scotland?