£370,000 from public purse on flop bill action

MINISTERS shelled out more than £370,000 of public money trying to force through their controversial Gender Recognition Reform Bill.

- By Douglas Dickie

And in a final humiliation, £170,000 of that went to cover the costs of the then-Scottish Secretary Alister Jack.

The Nationalists reacted with fury when Mr Jack used a Section 35 to block the legislation in January 2023 amid concerns it would impact on the UK-wide Equality Act.

The Bill would have simplified the process by which men could legally identify as women and vice versa.