A far left MSP who stood by as a protester went on an expletive laden rant about JK Rowling is now facing calls to quit after attacking the legal system.
Scottish Green Maggie Chapman claimed there was ‘bigotry, prejudice and hatred’ from the Supreme Court which made the landmark ruling that biological sex, not gender choices, was decisive in defining a woman.
Pressure had already been growing on the politician after she failed to step in as trans protester Sophie Molly yelled through a megaphone about the Harry Potter author.
But yesterday it reached boiling point with demands for Ms Chapman, the deputy convener of the Scottish Parliament’s Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee, to go in wake of her comments on Sunday.
Susan Smith, of the For Women Scotland group which successfully defeated SNP Ministers in court last week, backed calls for Ms Chapman to quit the committee.
And she said: ‘Moreover, if she cannot respect the rule of law or the independence of the judiciary, she should resign from Parliament too.
‘Running around Scotland whipping up mobs with histrionic lies about the Supreme Court or clapping men who call women “b******” and say they want to defecate on a woman’s head is not behaviour we should tolerate from MSPs.
‘We imagine many will be hesitant to appear before that committee in the future, knowing she holds and endorses vile views.’
Maggie Chapman accuses the Supreme Court of bigotry, prejudice and hatred during a speech at a rally in Aberdeen
And Trina Budge, also of the group, branded Ms Chapman’s comments ‘inflammatory’ which are ‘incredibly damaging to the reputation of Holyrood and to the committee in particular’.
She said: ‘MSPs have a duty to uphold the independence of the judiciary and any parliamentarian who cannot do so has no business overseeing the development of equality and human rights legislation.
‘If MSPs can’t respect the law and the courts they have no credibility in expecting the public to do so with laws passed by Holyrood.’
Yesterday, footage emerged of Ms Chapman speaking at a rally in Aberdeen on Sunday, and she told the crowd of trans-flag holding protesters: ‘We say not in our name to the bigotry, prejudice and hatred that we see coming from the Supreme Court and from so many other institutions in our society.’
Akua Reindorf KC and a commissioner in the Equalities and Human Rights Commission, tweeted: ‘As a lawyer I am deeply concerned to see an elected politician publicly undermining the separation of powers in our democracy with irresponsible and entirely false allegations of bigotry and hatred against the judiciary. Disgraceful.’
Since then, politicians have joined campaigners in demanding Ms Chapman, who is also rector of Dundee University, quit the committee role.
Tess White, equalities spokeswoman at the Scottish Conservatives, said: ‘It is appalling that any elected MSP would smear the UK’s highest court in this way and she should apologise urgently for her disrespectful comments.
‘The Supreme Court’s ruling, which most Scots see as common sense, was thoughtful and considered but the Greens are still wedded to their extremist ideology that seeks to destroy women’s rights.
Protesters at the rally hurled abuse about the author JK Rowling, a vocal critic of gender ideology
‘There can be no justification for this insulting speech from Maggie Chapman. She should do the right thing and resign from her position on the Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice committee.’
And former SNP MP Joanna Cherry added: ‘It is wholly inappropriate for any parliamentarian to speak about the judiciary in this way and to so misrepresent their judgment.
‘This person is not fit to convene a parliamentary committee on equalities, human rights and justice.
‘She should resign her position.’
Over the weekend, Ms Chapman was in the crowd at a protest in Dundee as protester Sophie Molly raged about the Supreme Court ruling.
On Saturday, Molly, who was born male, yelled: ‘I am going to use a women’s toilet. F*** you JK Rowling, you will never stop me from peeing.
‘The only person who is s**** is you, so we should all take a s**** on you. You heinous creepy old b****.’
It led to JK Rowling criticising Ms Chapman, who was seen chatting as the rant went on, as ‘one of our most enthusiastic anti-women legislators’.
Fiona McAnena, director of campaigns at human rights charity Sex Matters, said: ‘Most people would find Sophie Molly’s rant unsettling, and frankly unhinged.
‘But it’s just one of many trans protests in recent days that show very clearly that they are on the side that is trying to destroy human rights, and which all right-thinking people will recognise as arguments against their position.
‘It will no doubt be embarrassing for politicians who have backed the extreme trans lobby to admit they were wrong.
‘Even so, it’s extraordinary that politicians like Chapman are so determined to keep going, no matter how the evidence mounts up that they backed the wrong side.’