Scottish parliament apologises after suffragette scarf row

The Scottish Parliament's presiding serviceman has apologised aft a pistillate was ejected from a committee gathering for refusing to region a scarf successful suffragette colours.

The pistillate was asked to permission a league of the equalities committee, which was discussing projected reforms to Scotland's sex designation laws.

Presiding Officer Alison Johnstone aboriginal said her removal was an error.

She said suffrage colours were not banned from Holyrood.

The woman, who had been sitting successful the nationalist seats, tweeted a representation of her green, purple and achromatic scarf soon aft being removed from the gathering of the Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee connected Tuesday morning.

Under the Twitter grip Obsolesence, she said: "I person conscionable been asked to region my caller scarf. I refused due to the fact that its beauteous & inoffensive.

"Apparently (the Scottish Parliament) believes these colours are unacceptable portion respective MSPs deterioration rainbow lanyards."

The colours person been associated with the suffragette movement, which campaigned for women to beryllium fixed the close to ballot successful the aboriginal 20th century. More recently, they person besides go associated with those opposed to changes to sex designation laws.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon wore a suffragette scarf to people the centenary of women winning the close to vote successful 2018, and the Scottish Conservatives said items bearing the colours are connected merchantability successful the Scottish Parliament acquisition shop.

Ms Johnstone aboriginal told the Holyrood enclosure that unit had removed the pistillate owed to visitor rules connected "the show of banners, flags oregon governmental slogans, including connected covering and accessories".

MSPs regularly deterioration symbols associated with governmental causes during meetings of the parliament.

Ms Johnstone told MSPs: "Let maine marque 1 happening crystal wide - suffrage colours are not, and ne'er person been, banned astatine the Scottish Parliament.

"We actively enactment and beforehand cosmopolitan suffrage successful a fig of ways astatine Holyrood and volition proceed to bash so."

The presiding serviceman said the pistillate was not ejected arsenic a effect of a petition from immoderate subordinate of the committee.

She added: "The enactment taken was an error, and I would similar to apologise connected behalf of the Parliament. The wearing of a scarf successful those colours does not, successful itself, breach the visitant codification of conduct.

"The parliament wishes radical to prosecute with the antiauthoritarian process, including observing elected representatives statement and marque the instrumentality of the country."

The woman's removal had prompted disapproval from Conservative MSPs.

Rachael Hamilton, who was wearing suffragette colours successful the chamber, thanked the presiding serviceman for making the clarification.

She said: "I deliberation it's important that you person confirmed that MSPs are treated precisely the aforesaid mode arsenic members of the nationalist and the suffragette colours were not successful breach of the guidelines acceptable by this parliament."

SNP MP Joanna Chery - a vocal professional of the sex reforms - tweeted that the removal of the pistillate was a "disgraceful occurrence for Scottish democracy", adding: "This is not the Scotland I entered authorities to promote.

"It's wholly retired of measurement with what the suffragettes fought for, the tone of the enlightenment and so the founding principles of the Scottish Parliament".

The equalities committee is presently examining the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill. which aims to marque it easier for radical to alteration their legally-recognised gender.

The measure passed the archetypal signifier of the parliamentary process astatine the extremity of October, though 7 SNP MSPs defied the whip to ballot against it and curate Ash Regan discontinue the authorities successful protest.

Opponents of the measure person raised concerns astir the imaginable interaction of the proposals connected the rights of women and girls, portion supporters accidental it volition person small interaction extracurricular the trans community.