A former minister has said she is reassured that civil servants are continuing to work on a ban on conversion practices in Scotland and that the policy will be brought in.
SNP MSP Emma Roddick unveiled proposals for legislation to outlaw the practices - which seek to change or suppress a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity - when she was equalities minister in 2024 in Humza Yousaf's government.
But the plans were shelved after John Swinney succeeded Mr Yousaf as First Minister.
The Scottish Government confirmed in the Programme for Government that its proposals were being put on hold during the current parliamentary term, which ends in May next year, and that the administration will instead work with UK ministers on agreeing Westminster-led legislation that would include Scottish measures.
A specific ban in Scotland was agreed between former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and the Scottish Greens as part of the Bute House Agreement which saw the smaller pro independence party brought into government for the first time in 2021.
But when the deal collapsed, it was among the policies to be subsequently dropped.
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In an interview with The Herald Ms Roddick was asked if she was disappointed the Scottish Government won't bring in a ban on conversion practices in this parliament.
"When the Programme for Government came forward, I was very clear in the chamber that this was a disappointment," she said.
"I acted very much on the evidence that was presented when I was minister, as I sat down with people who have historically or recently been subjected to the kind of torment that the SNP is committed to banning. I know it [will] continue to happen until we bring this ban in."
She added: "I have had reassurances that work continues and that the Scottish Government, failing an agreement with the UK Government, will bring a bill forward next session. So to me that is reassuring."
The decision signalled another significant shift by the Scottish Government under Mr Swinney’s leadership away from Ms Sturgeon’s rights-focused policy agenda.
But campaigners against conversion practices reacted furiously.
“This is the latest in a growing list of betrayals for LGBTQ+ Scots from this Scottish Government. Scotland could have banned conversion therapy years ago,” a spokesperson for End Conversion Therapy Scotland said at the time.
“LGBTQ+ rights are under attack right now, in a way we haven’t seen since Thatcher’s section 28 ban on ‘promoting homosexuality’. Queer people are crying out for some solidarity from politicians. Instead, this news is a stab in the back.”
During Ms Sturgeon's and Mr Yousaf's governments the SNP became embroiled in major internal rows over equalities policies.
The SNP suffered its biggest backbench rebellion over Gender Recognition Reform Bill (GRRB), designed to make the process easier for trans people to change their legal gender.
Later former rural affairs secretary Fergus Ewing - who was among the SNP GRRB rebels - called for Mr Swinney to drop plans for a ban on conversion practices.
Mr Ewing is now standing as an independent candidate against Ms Roddick in Inverness and Nairn at next year's Holyrood election.
Polls suggest the SNP will remain the largest party at Holyrood after the election in May next year, with a reduced number of MSPs.
Such the polling trend continues, it may mean the SNP will continue as a minority government.
The Scottish Government was approached for comment.
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