Sunday, December 19, 2021

A third poll in quick succession shows Scottish voters are overwhelmingly opposed to legally-recognised gender self-ID

So make that a hat-trick.  The Scot Goes Pop / Panelbase poll on GRA reform in October showed a massive majority against legally-recognised gender self-ID, as did a Survation poll a few days ago for the policy analysis organisation Murray Blackburn Mackenzie.  Now there's also a brand new multi-question Panelbase poll commissioned by For Women Scotland which has produced the same outcome.

The format of the main self-ID question is closer to the Survation poll than to the Scot Goes Pop / Panelbase poll, because it's binary-choice and asks whether people wishing to change their legal gender should need to be assessed by medical experts, or whether they should be able to self-identify.  71% think medical approval should be required, with only 29% in favour of self-ID.  Without having seen the datasets yet, I'm not sure whether those are the figures after Don't Knows were removed, or whether there wasn't a Don't Know option on this occasion.  The equivalent figures in the Survation poll were 53% for a doctor's approval being required, and 27% in favour of self-ID, with the remainder saying 'Don't Know'.  The Scot Goes Pop / Panelbase poll had a four-option format, with 20% of respondents favouring self-ID, compared with a combined 58% for the three options which excluded the possibility of self-ID.

The results of two other questions from the For Women Scotland poll have been released so far.  33% of respondents think trans women who have male genitalia should be allowed to access women's changing rooms, hospital wards and refuges, with 67% saying they should be excluded.  That's substantively the same as one of the questions from the Scot Goes Pop poll (with a very similar result), but I would guess the reason it was asked was that my own question wasn't so specific about "male genitalia", and For Women Scotland probably wanted to see what effect a more direct question wording would have.

Just 27% of respondents think under-18s should be able to change their name and sex in school records without parental consent, while 73% think they should not.

My observation is once again the same.  In a parliamentary democracy, it is entirely legitimate for MSPs to decide that they know better than the public, and to legislate in defiance of public opinion if they genuinely think it is the right thing to do.  But what we do have a right to expect is that MSPs acknowledge that they are indeed disregarding the public's wishes, rather than pretending that the sky is green and that the public are right behind them. The polling evidence is absolutely crystal-clear: Scottish voters overwhelmingly oppose legally-recognised gender self-ID and want the Scottish Government's proposed change to the law to be rejected.

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You can catch up with my Scot Goes Popcast interview with iScot editor Ken McDonald HERE (on video) or HERE (audio only). 

28 comments:

  1. Setting aside any disagreement on the topic, I agree with your point about MSP needing to acknowledge that they are on the opposite side from public opinion.

    The other topic in which they are on the opposite side to public opinion is capital punishment.

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    1. I can't even remember the last time I saw a Scottish poll on the death penalty. I've just checked the Wings Over Scotland poll from seven years ago on the subject, which had 45% in favour, 37% against. That's close enough that it can't necessarily be assumed that a poll conducted now would show support.

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  2. " In a parliamentary democracy, it is entirely legitimate for MSPs to decide that they know better than the public, and to legislate in defiance of public opinion if they genuinely think it is the right thing to do."
    James you are surely at the wind up , with ALL the roasters we have currently serving in the WM colonial HR administration and I include all parties in that
    I have in my 70 years NEVER seen such a gathering of self centred morons in the one place (apart from WM) which is a given , I wouldn't trust ANY of them to put sugar in my tea
    BUT as the saying goes we get the politicians we deserve

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  3. The strategy of the Scotgov has been ,up till now, to ignore any and all criticisms of this proposed legislation until they can get it over the line without its full implications being understood by the public , a bit like Brexit.
    Polls like these only confirm what is a common sense position but do nothing to make the Scotgov actually start to try to defend what they are proposing to do. As usual , our MSM are letting us down badly by giving them a free pass on this, one can't help thinking the MSM are just allowing them to make a huge mistake which is going to cost them dearly at the ballot box , probably through abstention.
    We have to break down that wall of omerta that the Scotgov have built around this issue.

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  4. SPOTY Team Award.

    Scotland Rugy Union team in 1990 the only non England or Great Britain or UK team to win.
    Poor old Wales/NIreland.

    If Rory McIlroy won the gold medal at the Olympics playing for Ireland would he be eligible to win SPOTY ?

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    1. Get your own words you pathetic numpty imposter.

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    2. James, this numpty obviously is just a pathetic troll. I was still in bed at 7.16am.

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  5. 'In a parliamentary democracy, it is entirely legitimate for MSPs to decide that they know better than the public, and to legislate in defiance of public opinion if they genuinely think it is the right thing to do. But what we do have a right to expect is that MSPs acknowledge that they are indeed disregarding the public's wishes'

    And if they do acknowledge that, then it is incumbent upon them, if they believe we live in a democracy, to make the arguments for what they believe in, present the evidence and allow a debate to take place. If they believe it is right, then they will have good arguments and will be able to articulate them.

    The suspicion they create, otherwise, is that they don't have the arguments or articulacy to do so, but are merely carrying out instructions from the small clique who run the SNP and who, in their turn, answer to Stonewall.

    But the totally unacceptable thing to do, in my opinion, is call 'no debate', as if their moral virtue is such that anybody questioning it is by extension a 'bigot', a 'transphobe' etc. You can do that if you are some kind of private pressure group, but coming from elected representatives (note the word 'representative') it is a complete abdication of their responsibilities and obligations.

    What can they be scared of? Oh yes, their own incoherence, inability to argue, and thus ridicule. Of not being able to define the word 'woman', or 'mother', so careful are they of not giving offence to imaginary people whose insecurities must be built into every bit of legislation they pass.

    what a sorry state of affairs.


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  6. Meanwhile the numpty yesindyref2 now says:

    "What Sturgeon has said - repeatedly - is that there will be a ref when the people want one. And who can argue with that?"

    Well I can YA NUMPTY. Sturgeon and her gang has said so many different things about a referendum it allows numpties like you to quote anything and everything you want.

    The current quote in writing is in the draft policy document and it says when the Covid crisis is over there will be a referendum.

    In the history of referendums can so many people have said so many things about when this referendum will take place. Sturgeon will probably soon say something different again and then Blackford will chip in with his version and Russell will chip in with his take on it and big Angus Robertson when asked about the referendum will say I am too busy sticking the boot in to Salmond to comment on that nonsense. Then up will pop wee Patrick and big Lorna to throw in their new thoughts on when the referendum will be held and before we know it it is another most important ever ever election (UK GE ) and we must vote SNP or Greens for independence. The numpties get all excited.

    Alba is the only hope for something different. Sturgeon and her gang will never deliver independence.

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  7. When the SNP/WGD numpties die they can have the consolation of putting on their headstones

    "BOTH VOTES SNP"

    because due to their support of Sturgeon it won't be in an independent Scotland.

    "BOTH VOTES SNP"

    The mark of the numpty tribe.

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    1. Another mark of the numpty tribe is being an imposter.

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    2. And another mark is being a pathetic numpty saddo troll.

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  8. As those who worship Sturgeon keep on stating, the SNP is the only vehicle that will obtain Scottish independence. That is correct and is also why it was essential the British State got it under their control.

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    1. Just which numpty is posting as me? What sort of saddo would do this?

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  9. When having a drink with an SNP pal he told me he delivered a lot of the 8 page Independence supplements.

    I wonder how many pension Pete delivered? Or indeed any of the SNP MSPs.

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    1. James, this numpty is obviously just a pathetic troll.

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    2. What sort of saddo imposter thinks doing this is anything but acting like a numpty.

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  10. WGD numpty of the week this week is that well kent liar Skier

    Skier says

    "I think Salmond doesn’t understand Scotland at all. This isn’t about Sturgeon and it isn’t about Bozo either. I won’t matter if bozo is replaced. The march of the Scottish nation is driven by far more fundamental forces. Baseline Yes has been rising at the same rate whether it was Camerclegg, May or Bozo at the helm. Same for Salmond and Sturgeon.

    And how could Yes even do this? SNP support Johnson in a confidence vote?

    https://archive.md/rTy94

    Alex Salmond says keeping Boris Johnson in power ‘Scotland’s democratic opportunity’

    FORMER first minister Alex Salmond has called on pro-independence supporters to keep the PM firmly inside Downing Street – labelling the chaotic string of events engulfing Boris Johnson as “Scotland’s democratic opportunity”.

    It doesn’t matter which idiot is in No 10. The damage will be the same. English is smashing the UK apart and there’s nothing I can see that will stop this."

    Numpties will be numpties.

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    1. The imposter strikes again. This character is truly a numpty. My guess is that the impersonator is indyref2yespleasenicola. Hopefully someone will give him for Xmas some new model warships to play with as he clearly is bored with his present collection. He may be old in age but certainly infantile in his actions.

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  11. Numpty Dr Jim says:

    "Yeah because the whole of Scotland would thank Nicola Sturgeon big time for lifting a finger to keep Johnson in power so that Salmond and his mob of zoomers could immediately claim the SNP weren’t genuine about Independence and were in league with the Tories

    Nicola Sturgeon isn’t the one who’s best buds with David (I’m a friend of Alex Salmond) Davis Tory MP"

    WGD site really is a mirror image of Britnat propaganda sites. Accuracy, integrity, objectivity nae chance on WGD. Just a bunch of numpties and liars.

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  12. The WGD numpty Skier is even rescuing cats and dogs now

    "scottish skier says:

    After two rescued cats in a row, We’ve now two King Charles spaniels. Really lovely wee dugs. Most dogs were originally bred for some form of hunting / farm work. Not these; they were bred for cuddling up on your lab whenever they can!"

    Wonder if the weel kent liar is still too much of a pussy to push for a referendum and independence.

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  13. Sturgeon The Toom TabardDecember 22, 2021 at 11:36 PM

    I got my copy of Grousebeater's book Essays this week delivered by Amazon. A well presented hardcover book.

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