Trans person former Labour candidate Heather Herbert has been charged for disgusting comments about Ann Widdecombe

I think there is also a problem when it is reported in the press etc as an alleged crime by a woman. That isn't true. It is one of the reasons that trust in institutions is an issue.

ViceVersa- you live in Scotland and I bow to your superior knowledge of what charge may be applied to HH.

Wyllow3

This is getting bizarre? Of course the The Malicious Communications Act applies to Men and Women whatever their gender identification. It applies to all people.

The statement in question could have been made by a malicious women.

I agree Wyllow3 HH made posted vile, morally repugnant comments in social media. The crime is the crime- the fact that HH is transgender does not aggravate or mitigate the crime in the eyes of the law.

Galaxy

He is a man. If there is a crime it was committed by a man

And as long as it is recorded as committed by a man (or a male to avoid the fudging liked by some), then there’s no problem.

LemonJam

A charge of malicious communication/s under The Malicious Communications Act is neither a female or male crime or a sexual crime- if indeed that is the charge the police decide to apply. The MC Act law is applied in the same way to both sexes equally.

Scotland's Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service has published Guidance for prosecutors in relation to transgender accused is easily available on line if interested. It looks very similar to England Wales guidance.

As I pointed out earlier in this thread, here in Scotland we have the Hate Crime and Public Order (2021) Act, and it seems likely that any charges would be brought under that. When various posters spoke about certain crimes not being women's crimes, it was in a more general sense and not strictly to this particular case.

It could have been Wyllow but it wasn't. I am not sure what is ridiculous about that.

Most posters know the law Galaxy.

Scotland's Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service has Guidance for prosecutors in relation to those who identify as transgender as already posted. We understand a person's birth sex doesn't change and we understand gender identity.

You may or may not have an issue with the guidance for how in Scotland prosecutors manage cases involving individuals who have a gender identity other than the birth sex. That is not the fault of any Gransnet posters.

This is getting bizarre? Of course the The Malicious Communications Act applies to Men and Women whatever their gender identification. It applies to all people.

The statement in question could have been made by a malicious women.

He is a man. If there is a crime it was committed by a man

A charge of malicious communication/s under The Malicious Communications Act is neither a female or male crime or a sexual crime- if indeed that is the charge the police decide to apply. The MC Act law is applied in the same way to both sexes equally.

Scotland's Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service has published Guidance for prosecutors in relation to transgender accused is easily available on line if interested. It looks very similar to England Wales guidance.

Galaxy

None of that changes your sex, they are all men. Whether they are nice or nasty. All men. None of these 'crimes' are women's crimes.

And this is what we need to keep repeating. These are not women's crimes and it makes a mockery of the statistics when anyone claims otherwise.

None of that changes your sex, they are all men. Whether they are nice or nasty. All men. None of these 'crimes' are women's crimes.

He sounds like bad news all round then.

I remain with my POV: it's all about how you act, what you say, how you treat women: not whether you are trans or not.

Wallis too is a man, with quite a history of criminal behavior.

I imagine he will attach himself to any organisations/party where there is power/influence or what he perceives as status. Parties like the greens have form with this kind of thing, small parties are quite vulnerable to it.

"Katie Wallis (formerly known as Jamie Wallis) is the former Conservative MP for Bridgend who received a community order for harassing her ex-wife, Rebecca Lovell.

A Cardiff Magistrates' Court sentenced Wallis in July 2025 to the following penalties:

Community Order: 12 months, which involved 12 days of rehabilitation activity.

Fines and Costs: Fined £500, plus £650 in costs and a £114 victim surcharge.

Restraining Order: A 12-month order to prevent any contact with her ex-wife"

Heather Herbert's statement were unacceptable and I'm glad it looks likely that prosecution will take place but there are no previous convictions.

OK. Fact Time.

"Heather Herbert last stood in a local election during the May 2022 Scottish council elections. She ran as a Scottish Green Party candidate for the Kincorth/Nigg/Cove ward on the Aberdeen City Council.

Ie 4 years ago.
This is not"Recent".

Casdon

Primrose53

Wyllow3

Stop trying to pin everything on the Labour Party or lefties, Primrose. She was only a candidate.

Jamie (now Katie) Wallis was the first openly transgender Member of Parliament.
Wallis served as the Conservative MP for Bridgend in Wales from 2019 to 2024.

*Its all about how you treat people - ie with decency, honesty and respect that matters, not your gender issue*

See the thread title. I said he/she was a candidate.

Why did you forget to mention that the Labour candidacy was in the past, and this person was now a Green Party member and had stood for them in the most recent council elections?

Cos I didnt know.

They are different people.

Heather Herbert ( ex labour candidate) is the one who has been charged with disgusting comments.

Katie Wallis (ex Conservative MP) is the one who has been given a community order for harassing his ex wife.

Maremia

They are one and the same.
In the OP, the one who made those comments is described as a Labour candidate, but the Poster has left out the equally valid detail that they had been an actual voted in Member of Parliament as a Conservative.

Heather Herbert has never been an MP, let alone a Conservative MP. What on earth made you think that.

They are one and the same.
In the OP, the one who made those comments is described as a Labour candidate, but the Poster has left out the equally valid detail that they had been an actual voted in Member of Parliament as a Conservative.

TerriBull

This person has demonstrated the very nasty side of the vitriolic trans women element. No hold bars on what they say think or would do to anyone they view as an adversary if they had the chance., There's not a "be kind" bone in their violent bodies, a big like the worst type of the thuggish male, who they proclaim they aren't. At least it's out there in the public domain.

Agree

Maremia

Wonder how the Tories feel, who actually gave this person enough votes to have them elected? 🤔

I’m a little confused, which person are you commenting about?
The one who was elected or the one making the appalling comments about Annes death? Katie or Heather.

A statement from Stonewall maybe?

No it is the silence of the trans community that implies that Reurningfromexile.

It would be good to see Pink News expressing rejection of her stance.

Or even some denial of that stance by those who are so vocal on social media about hate crimes.

Anybody seen anything like that?