Soz about the purple green and white scarf:

The presiding officer of the Scottish parliament has been forced to clarify that suffragette colours “are not, and never have been” banned on the Holyrood estate after a woman wearing a purple, green and white scarf was removed from a meeting of the equalities committee.

It’s scarves that have been banned on the Holyrood estate. Yes?

Alison Johnstone – the Holyrood equivalent of the Commons speaker – issued a statement later in the day describing the action by security staff on Tuesday morning as “an error” and apologising on behalf of the Scottish parliament.

The member of the public, who was observing a discussion of amendments to the Scottish government’s controversial gender recognition bill, posted on social media that “the Scottish parliament is now policing clothing colours”.

She later confirmed to the Guardian that she had been asked to remove the item but refused, and was then informed by security staff that the scarf was “political” because it was “associated with the women’s movement”.

In fact, if you think about it, women are political. They should be kept out of everything.

Johnstone’s full statement said: “Let me make one thing crystal clear, suffrage colours are not, and never have been, banned at the Scottish parliament. We actively support and promote universal suffrage in a number of ways at Holyrood and will continue to do so.”

That’s so very interesting. Note what she doesn’t say. She doesn’t say “we actively support women’s suffrage” – no no, that would be an obscenity, and would cause Holyrood to disintegrate into a pile of sawdust. The word “women” must be avoided at all cost.