Scotland votes to lower age to legally change gender; London mulls options to block law

The devolved Scottish government has voted in favour of lowering the age when people can apply to legally change their gender from 18 to 16, prompting a clash with the Westminster government in London which is weighing up its options to step in to block the controversial law. The Scottish Parliament on Thursday evening voted 86 votes to 39 to pass the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill and also to remove the need for a medical diagnosis of gender dysphoria.

The controversial self-identification system would make it easier for people to obtain a gender recognition certification (GRC), which critics warn could put vulnerable people at risk.

The UK government can technically prevent the legislation from becoming law by blocking Royal Assent, which is the process by which a Bill gets formal agreement by the British monarch and becomes an Act of the Scottish Parliament.

''The UK government is now looking at provisions that can prompt reconsideration and allow MSPs [members of the Scottish Parliament] to address these issues,'' UK Minister for Women and Equalities Kemi Badenoch said in a statement.

Under UK law, it can apply to have Scottish laws struck down by arguing they would conflict with UK-wide equalities legislation.

This power has not been used before.

''We will look closely at that, and also the ramifications for the 2010 Equality Act and other UK-wide legislation, in the coming weeks – up to and including a Section 35 order stopping the Bill going for Royal Assent if necessary,'' said Scottish Secretary Alister Jack.

However, a spokesperson for the Scottish government warned that any attempt by the UK ''to undermine the democratic will of the Scottish Parliament will be vigorously contested''.

Scotland First Secretary Nicola Sturgeon, whose Scottish National Party (SNP) has largely been in favour of the reform, said that she would ''never apologise for trying to spread equality, not reduce it, in our country''.

The Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill's opponents, also including nine SNP MSPs who voted against it, have fears over its potential impact on women and girls, in particular single-sex spaces, like toilets.

The Scottish government insists little will change and exceptions barring trans people from single-sex space in some circumstances in the Equality Act will stand.