London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Tuesday, Jun 30, 2026

MP Joanna Cherry threatens legal action over cancelled show

MP Joanna Cherry threatens legal action over cancelled show

SNP MP Joanna Cherry is threatening to take legal action against an Edinburgh venue which cancelled a Fringe show in which she was due to appear.

She says she will take "whatever legal action is necessary" unless The Stand admits that it acted unlawfully, issues an apology and reinstates the event.

The venue had cancelled the show after staff said they were not comfortable with her views on transgender issues.

The Stand has not yet responded to Ms Cherry's comments.

The Edinburgh South MP had been due to take part in a series of In Conversation With... events in August.

Ms Cherry is a critic of Scotland's gender recognition reform plans, which make it easier for people to change their legally-recognised sex.

Last week she told BBC Scotland she felt she had been "cancelled and no-platformed" because she was a lesbian who holds gender-critical views.

She said she had been "greatly heartened" by the support she had received since the story became public, and had decided to seek legal advice.

"I am prepared to take whatever legal action is necessary to vindicate my right not to be misrepresented and not to be discriminated against," she said.

"This is not about money. My primary goal is to have the actions of The Stand acknowledged as unlawful and to ensure the event proceeds.

"I have asked The Stand to apologise to me too. If they don't agree with my reasonable requests, I intend to ask the court to decide on the issue."

Scotland's gender recognition reform bill sparked controversy


Ms Cherry said the decision to cancel her show was symptomatic of a wider problem in society.

"I am very concerned that those who hold perfectly legitimate views on a variety of issues, including women like me, are regularly being misrepresented, de-platformed and, in some cases, facing damage to or the loss of our livelihoods," she added.

"This is often accompanied by online abuse and threats.

"The debate on gender self-identification is a very important one which must be allowed to take place, but I am a woman of many parts who was engaged to talk about my political life in general and I see the cancelling of my one-hour event as the thin end of the wedge."

Last week The Stand said that a number of its key operational staff, including venue management and box office personnel, were unwilling to work on the event.

"We will ensure that their views are respected," it said in a statement.

"We will not compel our staff to work on this event and so have concluded that the event is unable to proceed on a properly staffed, safe and legally-compliant basis.

"We advised the show producers, Fair Pley Productions, of this operational issue and they advised Joanna Cherry that it is no longer possible to host the event in our venue."

The Stand - which was co-founded by SNP MP Tommy Sheppard - said it did not endorse the views of any participant in the In Conversation With... series, which is organised by independent producer Fair Pley.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
UK Crime and Policing Act 2026 Comes into Force with New Justice System Reforms
UK Prime Minister Hosts NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte for Security Talks at Downing Street
UK Tightens Oversight of Emissions Trading Scheme Through New Ministerial Directions
UK Issues Statement at UN Security Council on Violence in the West Bank
UK Environment Agency Clears Illegal Waste Site in West Yorkshire After Court Action
UK Resident Sentenced for Fraudulently Claiming £30,000 in Covid Business Loans
UK Launches Taskforce to Help Young People Claim Dormant Child Trust Fund Savings
UK Gambling Commission Fines Betfred Operator Petfre Gibraltar £900,000 Over Social Responsibility Failures
UK Appoints Lord Collins as Global Envoy for LGBT+ Rights
UK Expands Detention Capacity to Support Removal of Foreign Criminals and Failed Asylum Seekers
UK Resident Doctors End Strike Action After Accepting Government Pay Deal
UK Tightens Sentencing for Domestic Killings with 25-Year Starting Point for Murder of Partners
UK to Build at Least Six New Royal Navy Warships Under Expanded Defence Programme
UK Government Unveils £5 Billion Defence Investment Plan Focused on Drones and Autonomous Warfare Systems
UK Economy Records 0.6% First Quarter Growth as Services and Manufacturing Drive Steady Expansion
Welsh Government Unveils New Agricultural Support Plan Focused on Sustainability and Rural Growth
UK Teacher Recruitment Shortfalls Continue in Science and STEM Subjects
Police Scotland Expands Cybercrime Investigations Amid Rising Digital Fraud
UK Universities Warn of Risk to International Student Numbers Amid Visa Changes
UK Defence Ministry Pivots Toward Greater Domestic Military Procurement
UK Launches National Rail Review After Repeated Service Disruptions
Northern Ireland Assembly Debates Long-Term Funding Settlement for Public Services
UK Accelerates Approval of North Sea Offshore Wind Projects to Expand Energy Capacity
UK Retail Sales Fall as Households Cut Discretionary Spending in June
UK Expands Border Intelligence Cooperation with France and Belgium to Target Smuggling Networks
Scottish Government Faces Pressure Over Delays in Major Infrastructure and Transport Projects
UK Launches Multi-Billion-Pound Artificial Intelligence Infrastructure Investment Fund
National Health Service Warns of Continued Emergency Department Strain Across England
Bank of England Signals Interest Rate Hold as Wage Growth Keeps Inflation Elevated
UK Sets Emergency Fiscal Strategy as Inflation Pressures and Weak Manufacturing Growth Persist
UK Launches New Measures to Improve Safety Standards in Night-Time Venues
UK Tightens Import Rules for Low-Value Parcels to Support Domestic Retailers
UK Launches £85 Million Obesity Care Programme Targeting Early Intervention Projects
UK Commits Up to $26 Million to Ebola Response in Democratic Republic of Congo
Security Industry Authority Flags Safety Failures in Night-Time Economy Inspections
Cambridge South Railway Station Opens After £250 Million Investment
UK Moves to Close Import Duty Loophole for Small Parcels by 2028
UK Invests £85 Million in Projects to Transform Obesity Care
Berkeley Group Warns London Housebuilding Falling Far Short of Demand
UK Council Tax Arrears Rise to £9.3 Billion Amid Ongoing Household Financial Strain
Markets Watch Political Transition as Andy Burnham Emerges as Labour Leadership Frontrunner
Extreme Heat Raises Long-Term Risks for UK Inflation and Productivity, Analysts Warn
UK Health Alerts Extended as Record June Heatwave Grips England
UK Parliament Faces High-Stakes Week of Spending, Security and Industrial Legislation
UK Repeals Vagrancy Act Ending Criminalisation of Rough Sleeping in England and Wales
GB News Pundit Charged With Fraud Over Alleged Conduct as Former Labour Adviser
Reform UK Gains Parliamentary Visibility in First Senedd Opposition Appearance
Metropolitan Police Arrest Man on Suspicion of Attempted Murder After London Car Incident
Ocado Chief Executive Tim Steiner Faces Scrutiny Over £100 Million Remuneration Package
British Chambers of Commerce Downgrades UK Growth Outlook to 0.9 Percent for 2026
×