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?