Dear Mary,
Thank you for your letter of 30 April 2026 and for the detailed priorities outlined by Women’s Rights Network Scotland to address male violence against women and girls (MVAWG).
I appreciate the evidence-based approach in your letter, informed by survivors, families, and professionals working in this field.
The Alliance to Liberate Scotland is a single-issue party dedicated to achieving Scottish independence.
We believe that only with full control over our resources and decision-making can Scotland build the safer, fairer society women and girls deserve.
At the same time, we are committed to championing robust action against male violence in the current Parliament and beyond. Protecting women and girls from violence must be treated as a genuine national priority.
The statistics you present are deeply troubling: around 15 women killed by men in Scotland each year, together with recent increases in sexual crimes, violent attacks, and reported domestic abuse incidents. Your report “How Safe Are Our Scottish Hospitals?” highlights alarming failures in places where women and girls should feel safest.
These issues demand urgent and sustained attention. I have included a statement from Eva Comrie, Candidate for Clackmannanshire and Dunblane (and Mid Scotland & Fife Region).
“I have long been personally committed to this cause. As a councillor in the 1990s, I argued strongly for secure, long-term funding for Women’s Aid. For four decades I have acted for victims of domestic abuse and sexual violence. I have been appointed by Sheriffs to investigate children’s circumstances and prepare child welfare reports in complex cases. This work has given me a keen awareness that the majority of women in prison have themselves been victims of abuse often suffering serious harm, including head injuries. I have spoken at numerous events defending women’s rights and was involved in drafting women’s policy, which received five-star ratings from women’s groups. I have also consistently argued for wider availability of legal aid for women fleeing violence.
In light of this experience, I strongly support practical, evidence-based measures including:
- Mandatory, age-appropriate education on consent, healthy relationships, coercive control, and the harms of online pornography from primary level onwards.
- Sustained funding for specialist frontline services and dedicated refuge capacity in every local authority, including rural and island communities.
- Comprehensive specialist training for police, prosecutors, judges, teachers, and health professionals in trauma-informed practice and early intervention.
- Stronger action to tackle online harms such as cyber-flashing, deepfakes, and image-based abuse.
- Better integration of support services to help survivors rebuild their lives economically and socially.
On family law and sentencing, I support firm accountability for perpetrators while always placing the welfare and best interests of the individual child at the heart of any decision.
Outcomes regarding parental rights must be determined carefully on a case-by-case basis according to the specific circumstances.
If elected, I will use my voice in the Scottish Parliament to push for real progress on these issues.
I would welcome an early meeting with you and the Women’s Rights Network Scotland team to discuss your priorities in more detail and explore how we can work together constructively.
Please accept this letter as my personal commitment, and that of the Alliance to Liberate Scotland, to engage seriously with WRN Scotland and help keep ending male violence against women and girls high on the political agenda.”
Thank you again for your vital advocacy on behalf of women and girls across Scotland.
Yours sincerely,
Hazel Lyon
Leader – Alliance to Liberate Scotland