JK Rowling blasts Sturgeon memoir as 'Trumpian denial'

2 godzin temu

JK Rowling has launched a blistering attack on Nicola Sturgeon's memoir "Frankly" in a scathing review published on her website on the day of the book's official launch. The Harry Potter author called the former Scottish First Minister "flat out Trumpian" in her "shameless denial of reality and hard facts."

The review represents a dramatic escalation of their long-standing public feud over gender policy. Rowling, who previously wore a t-shirt labelling Sturgeon a "destroyer of women's rights," tore into the former First Minister's "stubborn" attachment to controversial gender reform legislation.

Gender policy criticism

Rowling accused Sturgeon of maintaining dangerous beliefs about gender self-identification policies. She wrote: "She remains stubbornly wedded to her belief that it is possible to let some men into women's spaces on the men's say so, without letting any man who fancies it come inside."

The author criticised Sturgeon for denying risks to women from such policies. Rowling said: "She can't imagine any male predator capitalising on such policies, in spite of the fact that it has, demonstrably, happened many times."

Specific confrontations

Rowling referenced the case of nurse Sandie Peggie, who was expected "to deal with a heavy menstrual flood in front of a cosplaying man." She also criticised Sturgeon's handling of the Isla Bryson case, where a double rapist was initially placed in a women's prison.

Rowling said Sturgeon's composure crumbled when the Bryson case became headline news. She wrote: "The First Minister, whose composure and articulacy under fire had, for years, been her most potent political asset, made herself look - and forgive me for employing a PR term here - a complete f******."

Personal threats and abuse

The bestselling author revealed she had not held Sturgeon accountable for previous abuse from nationalist supporters. Rowling wrote: "Eleven years ago, when she and I found ourselves on opposite sides of a different public debate, I didn't hold her accountable for all the threats I received from nationalists, nor for the porn her supporters circulated, with my face pasted onto a naked actress's body."

She added that threats against her have "twice necessitated police action" during the gender debate. Rowling accused Sturgeon of encouraging a culture where women have been "silenced, shamed, persecuted and placed in situations that are degrading and unsafe."

Broader political failures

The review extends beyond gender issues to criticise wider political shortcomings allegedly omitted from Sturgeon's memoir. Rowling highlighted the "mysteriously vanished government WhatsApp messages from the pandemic, the tanking educational outcomes, the CalMac Ferry disaster, the disappearance of a half a million pounds" from independence campaign funds.

Rowling called the omission of Scotland's drug death crisis "the most disgraceful." She revealed her doctor husband once ran a methadone clinic, saying she "saw the national scandal up close" as Scotland continues to lead Europe in drug deaths.

Literary comparison

In an unexpected turn, Rowling compared Sturgeon to Bella Swan from the Twilight series. She drew parallels between the fictional character's humble beginnings and Sturgeon's early political life as "a shy, awkward, bookish girl" who knocked on doors for the SNP as a teenager.

However, Rowling concluded harshly: "Nicola Sturgeon, unlike the eventually undead Bella Swan, isn't a Good Vampire at all. She's caused real, lasting harm by presiding over and encouraging a culture in which women have been silenced, shamed, persecuted and placed in situations that are degrading and unsafe, all for not subscribing to her own luxury beliefs."

Sources used: "Daily Mail", "Daily Record" Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.

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