Living in London, I did not see it either Ides; the thought of watching that bunch of soulless gargoyles trying to outdo each other on the nastiness scale, was too depressing to contemplate. But I have been told that the climate emergency went unmentioned. Severe weather warnings issued all over Europe and the UK, but nothing to see here.
Trouble with the debate was it was largely responses to given questions - it wasn’t a free run at what a candidate might think important. The climate was raised in terms of each candidates commitment to the net zero target. Was disappointed that Tugenhadt performed poorly (I thought). Badenoch to me was the most impressive last night, and Sunak was slick and polished. I’m not sure quite what Mordaunt is (which is largely her issue), and Truss was, predictably, weird and mad.
I felt like Rishi came across like a contestant introducing themselves on the Chase. Truss reminded me of the animatronic characters on a Disney ride with all her repetitive jerky hand movements. Badenoch talks a good game, but has no depth to get answers to back up her sound bites. Tugenhadt was in the army don’t you know??? Mordaunt doesn’t seem to have any policies at all and left an uncomfortably long pause before she started her final statement. One thing to take away is they all want to cut fuel duty…if that is the case, couldn’t they agree to it immediately between them and push it through straight away??? None of them want a general election either…weird that! Almost as if they know they would probably lose it! Finally, I had to keep reminding myself that they aren’t trying to get my vote (which makes it ridiculous to put on tv in which case), only the vote of the few in the country who can vote for this.
I can see your capacity for concern is limited. Why worry about those privileged women in prisons, rape crisis centres and sheltering from domestic violence ? Who cares if Muslim and Jewish women will no longer be able to swim in what was 'women only' sessions? Why bother about children who are on the road to medicalisation and sterilisation? You are telling me to, "Think about what is important...we have bigger fish to fry" I get your stance, it doesn't affect you so it's not your problem. But it does lead me to question your long way left of centre credentials. Socialist or 'I'm alright Jack' ?.
You are giving the Tories way too much credit by suggesting that this is some sort of well thought out right wing strategy. You really are way off the mark. Women didn't just wake up last week to the significance of Self ID and the consequences if changes were made to the GRA. Women were well aware of this in 2017 when the Tories, yes the Tories, under Theresa May and the Minister for Equalities, Justine Greening considered reforms to the Gender Recognition Act. It was Theresa May's Tory Government who actually wanted to de-medicalise the process, with the principle of Self ID. Thereby, making it easier for any man to obtain a Gender Recognition Certificate and everything that would entitle him to. We all know what happened to Theresa May's gang so it became the responsibility of Liz Truss, who in 2020, amended the Act stating: 'We need to improve the process and experience that transgender people have when applying for a Gender Recognition Certificate – making it kinder and more straightforward. We will place the whole procedure online We will reduce the fee from £140 to a nominal amount. (£5) We are opening at least three new gender clinics this year, which should see waiting lists cut...it will also make it easier to fulfil the medical requirements of obtaining a GRC. She stopped short of May's plan to de-medicalise the process and introduce self ID. What a great result for campaigners who wanted to kick Self ID out. Could it be that they had actually listened to the concerns of women? The Labour party then announced that they would introduce Self ID. In doing so, they lost the support of many left-leaning women. There are Labour MPs who don't agree with Sir Keir's policy- Antonia Louise Antoniazzi and Rosie Duffield have stood their ground against it and I feel more positive reading the Rachel Reeves interview in the Sunday Times. Maybe Jess Philips can be persuaded to come down off the fence at some point too?
Is Jess Phillips truly on the fence? I have definitely seen her given the label of TERF. And unlike many given that label she truly does live up to the "RF" part of it
I say she sits on the fence because in the past she has said, 'We have to find a solution that is suitable for trans people and women' She got attacked and piled on by the trans community. Then in her Pink News interview in 2020, she shifted position, 'The idea that I’m suggesting that trans women aren’t women is certainly not my intention. But we all have to live and learn'. Her role is Shadow Minister for Domestic Violence and Safe Guarding but she also takes the Labour party line in supporting Self ID. It's a conflicting position. Support vulnerable women in refuges which are, and should remain single sex spaces while at the same time allow in any man who self ID's as a woman. It's a safeguarding red flag. She admitted in the PN interview that she is afraid to say the wrong thing which seems an odd comment from an outspoken, forthright feminist. In this debate she won't be able to appease both sides, she will have to pick one.
