Readers' letters: Invoking Nelson Mandela's name to back gender reform is unjustifiable

After reading the opinion piece by Angus Robertson (News, 27 December), I came to the conclusion he is just one of a long line of politicians to cash in on the Mandela name to justify a flawed piece of government legislation.

Nelson Mandela raises clenched fist at a rally following his release in 1990

I find it very sad that he has chosen to cherry-pick the great man’s political observations while trying to justify the controversial Gender Recognition Reform Bill.

The SNP MSP for Edinburgh Central and the party’s Secretary of External Affairs and Culture should also know that Mandela not only healed the scars of his divided nation after Apartheid rule was defeated, but he also devoted his time to the empowerment of women.

Back in 1994 at the opening of the first parliament, President Mandela announced: “Freedom cannot be achieved unless women have been emancipated from all forms of oppression… Our endeavours must be about the liberation of the woman, the emancipation of the man and the liberty of the child.” Little wonder Robertson did not refer to that quote.

Having read his autobiography Long Walk to Freedom, in which Mandela acknowledged women played a critical role in the anti-Apartheid movement, and having personally marched for women’s rights alongside Rayne Rose Mandela-Perry and Nodiyala Mandela, Nelson Mandela's daughter-in-law and granddaughter, I’m confident in saying Mandela would have been bewildered and dismayed by the contents of the Gender Recognition Reform Bill which put women’s and trans rights on a course for a head on-collision.

Robertson would do well to realise that his rather self-congratulatory position might be a wee bit premature.

Dr Yvonne Ridley, Convenor Alba Party, Hawick

Hydrogen hype

Angus Robertson MSP says that hydrogen is “Scotland's renewable energy jackpot” (News, 27 December). Wow, that’s great!

But what about “Scotland could become the Saudi Arabia of tidal power”? Oh yes that was from another SNP master of hyperbole, Alex Salmond...14 years and millions of pounds later it's all gone quietly bust on the tidal energy front.

Robertson’s revelation is just another headline announcement from the clan of hype down at Holyrood's inflatable play area where Sturgeon and co take turns to see who can come up with the next daft headline-grabber.

Stan Hogarth, Strathaven

Proud to be woke

When did we start to let those who don’t know what woke means, and are not even prepared to find out, use it in a derogatory manner to belittle those who act in the true meaning of the word?

To be woke is to be alert to the injustices of racism, homophobia, bigotry and the rest; I was sleeping, now I'm awake. Woke is a much needed wake-up call to tackle social discrimination.

Long before the word “woke” entered our everyday parlance, most of us saw the need for new ideas and social reform to combat intolerance, but recently it has become difficult to debate what’s offensive when some of us who refuse to even acknowledge what the word actually means resort to childish “woke” jibes while implying that “wokers” are too quick to take offence. Let's hope that “some of us” can up their game in 2023.

Jack Fraser, Musselburgh

Rail fail

Do the participants in rail strikes not realise that as many now make other arrangements for travel, they may not go back. Where will the rail industry be then?

William Ballantine, Bo’ness

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