2020

Written by Joanna Cherry QC MP. Posted in 2020.

Independence is the best hope for women and girls

First published in : Visit Website
First published on: 05th Mar 2020

On International Women’s Day this year, women in Scotland can reflect on the sort of country they want to be part of. Would an independent Scotland, (like Ireland did last year) be using the date to ratify the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence – the ‘Istanbul Convention’? Or, like the UK, would we be still languishing as one of only 6 EU countries that have yet to ratify it?

Before I entered politics a significant part of my legal career was spent dealing with the consequences of violence against women and girls. As a student I worked on a project monitoring the effectiveness of rape shield legislation designed to prevent women who made allegations of sexual violence having their sexual history or character attacked while giving evidence.

Why I’m standing to be MSP for Edinburgh Central

First published in : Visit Website

First published on: 28th Feb 2020

Brexit has changed the landscape of UK politics for good. The SNP were at the forefront of the battle to save Scotland and the whole of the UK from Brexit. I believe that was the right thing to do and I was proud to play a leading role. But that battle has been lost.

Although the SNP scored an emphatic win in GE2019 we did not succeed in locking Boris out of Downing Street. With a large Tory majority across England, the UK is now set firmly on a hard Tory agenda for the next decade. Scottish interests are ignored or ridiculed at Westminster. The movement for Scotland to be an independent European nation can only be realised from Holyrood.