Rishi Sunak blocks Scottish government gender reforms in constitutional first

Scottish First Minister and SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon described the move on Monday night as a "frontal attack on our democratically elected Scottish Parliament"

PM is on a collision course with Nicola Sturgeon (

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Rishi Sunak has set the stage for a major constitutional row after blocking the Scottish Parliament's landmark gender equality reforms.

In triggering the 'nuclear option', Scottish Secretary Alister Jack said he would use Section 35 of Scots Law to stop the legislation.

This is the first time UK ministers have used this mechanism and, despite warnings, he is said to treat the Scottish Parliament with 'contempt'.

On Monday evening, Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon described the move as a "frontal attack on our democratically elected Scottish Parliament".

The SNP leader has warned that if the 'veto succeeds, it will be the first in a long series'.

In December, Holyrood overwhelmingly approved the Gender Recognition Bill, making it easier for trans people to legally change their gender.

The legislation removes the requirement for a medical diagnosis of gender dysphoria in order to obtain a gender recognition certificate.

Similar laws were proposed by ex-Prime Minister Theresa May in 2017, but scrapped by her successor Boris Johnson and her then equalities minister, Liz Truss.

Nicola Sturgeon earlier warned that blocking reforms would be "scandalous" (

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The reforms will also allow 16- and 17-year-olds to apply for a GRC for the first time, and would reduce the time a person must live in their acquired gender before they can obtain the document.

But in a statement on Monday, Mr Jack said: 'I have decided to make an order under Section 35 of the Scots Act 1998 preventing the Recognition Reform Bill from kind (Scotland) of the Scottish Parliament to pass to Roy...