A SEXIST joke about Nicola Sturgeon has been cited in a report calling for cultural change in the National Farmers' Union of Scotland (NFUS).
Ahead of its national conference in Glasgow, at which First Minister John Swinney gave a keynote speech opposing the UK Government’s plans for inheritance tax changes for farms, the NFUS published a paper on diversity and inclusion within the union.
Written by Caroline Millar, a former NFUS board member and sector lead for Scottish agritourism, the report made 14 recommendations about how the union could improve practices. The NFUS said it had accepted all of them.
In a section detailing what Millar observed when attending meetings and speaking with members to research the report, a sexist joke about former first minister Sturgeon was specifically cited.
Under “examples of language which were deemed to be inappropriate”, the report pointed to:
- Language which “re-enforces stereotypes and alienates particular segments e.g. encouraging men to come to the conference and saying ‘bring your wife, the shopping is great in Glasgow’”.
- “Derogatory comments about a particular political party or someone within it, with the assumption that everyone in the room votes one particular way”.
- Inappropriate comments, “for example ‘Nicola Sturgeon, only good thing about her is her legs’ – very offensive, and it wasn’t called out by the chair”.
The report warns NFUS members: “Some of the language examples could be used officially as sexual harassment or other forms of harassment.”
Millar said: “During my time as a NFU board member I worked to raise the importance of improving diversity and inclusion within NFU Scotland and to highlight the benefit that this brings for any organisation. “There are many thousands of different people who contribute to Scotland’s vibrant agriculture sector and the research undertaken in 2024 highlighted that more can be done to meet the needs of a wider range of members.
“Following the many hundreds of conversations I had with people across the country, I am pleased that the NFU Scotland board of directors have endorsed all of my recommendations and have agreed a timeline for delivery.
“I look forward to supporting NFU Scotland in this important area going forward.”
The NFUS said it would commit to publishing “a report every six months to track progress and making diversity and inclusion a standing item on every agenda for future board of directors meetings”.
NFUS chief executive John Davidson said: “Publishing this report in full and committing to its recommendations sends a strong and positive signal that NFU Scotland is serious about diversity and inclusion across the organisation.
“We believe that by demonstrating leadership, reforming our operational structures, enhancing training and improving our operational practices, we can create an even more inclusive environment for all our members to get involved and flourish.
“When Caroline presented her report to the NFU Scotland Board, she said herself that there is no one single overnight solution to this issue and that is why I am pleased to see such a wide range of recommendations coming through from the review.
“Progressing the recommendations will take a big effort from everyone across the organisation, but I am committed to leading this from the front to ensure we succeed.
“Our membership is full of inspiring people and creating an environment where more of them are willing to get involved directly with the organisation can only be a good thing. That’s what we will focus on in the weeks and months ahead.”
