A furious Nicola Sturgeon has blasted back at a Hollywood actor after he referred to her a “witch” while claiming she ruined the arts sector in Scotland. British actor Rupert Everett, 66, unleashed a salvo against Ms Sturgeon during an interview with The Herald in which he told the publication: “As soon as the witch Sturgeon came into power everything changed in Scottish arts and everything had to be about being Scottish.”
Mr Everett, who has starred in such films as Shrek, The Madness of King George and Stardust, told the publication that when he moved to Glasgow aged 18 in the 1970s, the local theatre scene had a “global outlook” before more Scottish-centric changes were made under the SNP and Ms Strugeon.
Responding to Mr Everett’s review, Ms Sturgeon fired back on Instagram: “What is it with [some] men who can’t disagree with a woman without resorting to deeply misogynistic tropes? His substantive point is baseless rubbish too.”
Mr Everett was referring to his work at the Citizens Theatre in Glasgow, which according to their website has upcoming shows like Small Acts of Love, which is set in the town of Lockerbie after the Pan Am 103 bombing, and a production of the The Glass Menagerie, by Tennessee Williams.
For the festive period, the venue also advertises a production of the classic fairytale, Beauty and the Beast.
Last month, the Scottish Daily Express reported the SNP was accused of performing a U-turn on a Nicola Sturgeon-era bill on misogyny. The First Minister John Swinney admitted defeat in bringing forward a bill which would have criminalised misogyny.
Five new offences were proposed by the Scottish Government, including stirring up hatred against females and misogynistic harassment, with this enveloping a wide range of issues, including cat calling or whistling at women in the street as well as loudly boasting about a sexual conquest in public.
Misogyny would also be treated as an aggravating factor in crimes, which could lead to tougher sentencing. But the SNP’s Parliamentary Business Minister Jamie Hepburn confirmed it was being dropped as he said: “The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring people are protected from misogynistic abuse and we had previously committed to the introduction of a Misogyny Bill.
This is a complex area of policy and law, and it would be necessary that any Bill which brought misogyny into criminal law contained clear and unambiguous provisions in regard to the circumstances in which they apply.
“This would include the implications of the recent Supreme Court Judgment. Given the short time left in this parliamentary session, there is insufficient time for a Bill to be finalised and introduced in this session, therefore the Scottish Government has decided not to proceed with this Bill in this parliamentary session.”
The Scottish Tories labelled it a “humiliating u-turn from John Swinney and co.”
Deputy Leader Rachael Hamilton added: “The misogyny bill is just the latest in a litany of paused, ditched or botched Sturgeon-era policies. It’s little surprise it has been scrapped. Who would trust SNP ministers to legislate to criminalise misogyny when they can’t even say what a woman is?
“Misogyny remains a serious problem and it’s crucial that women and girls are protected from all forms of threatening and abusive behaviour in a way that safeguards their rights.”