A ROW over transphobic comments made in 2007 has kiboshed Gillian Martin's appointment as minister for colleges, universities and science.

The SNP backbencher was offered the promotion by the First Minister in the Scottish Government’s cabinet reshuffle on Tuesday. Her appointment was due to be voted on by MSPs this afternoon.

But this morning posts from Martin’s old Missy M Missives blog seemingly mocking transgender students and asked whether efforts to promote their rights would lead to “hairy knuckled lipstick-wearing transitional Laydees” appearing in colleges, saw the government withdraw her nomination.

Martin’s role included responsibility for widening access, one of the government’s priority policy areas, which includes promoting interests of minority groups.

In a 2007 blog post Martin told of how her students were asked to fill out a questionnaire asking if they had ever considered themselves to be transgender. She said that all the 18-year-olds in her class had ticked yes “because they thought it was funny” and asked whether more funding would be allocated from an EU “tranny trove” as a result.

She wrote: “What will they use it [the funding] for? Will they install a third category of loo with a special transgender sign? Are they then going to pinpoint these transgender people and make sure that they get represented fairly on all undisclosed-because-I-don’t-want-to-get-fired-establishment literature in the same way our five endlessly tolerant Asian students do or that guy with the guide dog does?

“Are we going to see lovely photos in the foyer of hairy knuckled lipstick-wearing transitional transgender Laydees being embraced by the principal of undisclosed college or visiting politicians for the press?”

On Thursday morning, Martin tweeted an apology: “In 2007 I wrote a blog that I deeply regret. It used language that was inappropriate and offensive. I expressed myself in a way that did not reflect my view then and certain does not reflect my view now.

"That is entirely my fault and I am sorry for it. That's why, when the blog was last raised publicly two years ago, I apologised and I am more than happy to unreservedly apologise again today."

Stonewall Scotland welcomed Martin's statement: "Our recent research found that a third of trans students in Higher Education have experienced negative comments from staff in the last year."

Labour’s Richard Leonard said it was “right that the government has withdrawn [Martin’s] nomination”.

Tory leader Ruth Davidson tweeted: “Pleased the Scottish Government have withdrawn Gillian Martin's nomination for minister. We spoke to them this morning to confirm this was not an appointment we could support following comments published this morning.”