UK PM Sunak backs Rowling over her criticism of Scotland’s hate crime law – Times of India

NEW DELHI: British PM Rishi Sunak on Monday backed J K Rowling after she criticised Scotland’s new hate crime law for not being inclusive of women.

In a statement to Daily Telegraph, Sunak said that people shouldn’t be criminalised “for stating simple facts on biology”.

Vowing to “always protect” free speech, he said, “We believe in free speech in this country, and Conservatives will always protect it.”

In a series of posts on X, Rowling said on Monday, “Women gain no additional protections, of course, but well-known trans activist Beth Douglas, darling of prominent Scottish politicians, falls within a protected category. Phew!”

Criticising the Act for only giving protection to transgenders, she said, “I look forward to being arrested when I return to the birthplace of the Scottish Enlightenment.”


Rowling, who often finds herself surrounded with controversy regarding her views on trans people, added, “Only kidding. Obviously, the people mentioned in the above tweets aren’t women at all, but men, every last one of them.”