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Why won’t Humza close Scotland’s tartan Tavistock?

(Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)

Another day, another Holyrood mess. This time, it’s hapless Humza Yousaf being criticised for his slow response to the Cass review into gender services. It’s not like the Scottish First Minister to be missing in action when it matters…

If Yousaf’s time as First Minister is defined by anything, it might well be his staggering level of indecision. Just hours after Mr S asked the question about Scotland’s tartan Tavistock, hapless Humza Yousaf finally threw in the towel. This morning, the Sandyford gender clinic in Glasgow has announced it is pausing prescriptions of puberty blockers to new patients under the age of 18 in light of the Cass review. Only took them, er, eight full days after the report was published to react. But the story gets murkier. It has been claimed that two NHS Scotland health boards ‘deferred starting new patients on these treatments in mid-March’ of this year ‘while the publication of the Cass review was awaited’.

Steerpike
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Steerpike

Steerpike is The Spectator's gossip columnist, serving up the latest tittle tattle from Westminster and beyond. Email tips to steerpike@spectator.co.uk or message @MrSteerpike

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