The Proclaimers, twin brothers Craig and Charlie Reid, have said they no longer support the SNP because of former first minister Nicola Sturgeon's policies on gender self-identification, and have branded trans rights activists "truth-phobic". The lifelong liberals, known for hits including 500 Miles and Sunshine on Leith, had long backed the SNP and Scottish independence but say they could not vote for the party in this year's Holyrood elections, accusing its leadership of causing "real damage to the cause". Their comments are notable given the band's previously firm alignment with left-wing and independence politics, and underline continuing divisions within Scottish nationalist and progressive circles over gender recognition reform.

Craig criticised Sturgeon's 2022 Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill, which was backed by Scottish Labour, the Lib Dems and the Greens but blocked by the Westminster Conservative government, saying her support for self-ID had been "unforgivable" and had led to "violent men, including convicted rapists" being placed in women's prisons. Charlie meanwhile pointed to figures such as Graham Linehan and JK Rowling, arguing that campaigners for expanded trans rights were "truth-phobic", while insisting he was not transphobic himself. The pair's views feature heavily on their forthcoming 13th album, You May Offend, alongside tracks criticising Donald Trump, breaches of international law, and the "grooming" of children into the military. Despite Sturgeon's departure and John Swinney now leading the SNP—a party also hit by the embezzlement conviction of Sturgeon's estranged husband Peter Murrell—the brothers show no sign of returning to support it.