The "terrifying threat from Labour"

It's a shame that this one part has overshadowed all of the other issues facing women in this election cycle. It's frustrating that whenever some feminists speak about these other issues and highlight them, it gets reduced to one issue. It isn't just one issue, i WISH it was a single issue facing women today but it isn't.

There was a raft of reform are racists last week in quite a coordinated attack.

I rank the greens as probably most dangerous out of all of the main parties.

We had a flurry of leaflets today with some very strong Palestinian themes.

While I find it mind boggling that anyone would vote conservative based purely on the incompetence and corruption of the current government, I do generally understand why people might want to vote for different parties. Obviously.

But I agree OP. This absolute FEAR of Starmer? It's so bizarre. There hasn't been a single suggestion of any of these ridiculous 95% tax rates or whatever. My aunt is old and I love her dearly, but as a lifelong Tory voter, she wants to vote elsewhere but can't bring herself to vote for Starmer. I just can't figure out why she hates him so much.

I think it was The Times profile on him last week that expressed it so well for me - either the reporter, or perhaps a source he was talking to, says something about how Starmer doesn't have any flashy, innovative policies becuase that's not really what he's about. He wants to "fix" things. And I have to say, i think that's why I feel so confident in him - he seems perfectly competent and broadly like a man who lives in the same world as the rest of us. We don't have to agree on everything, I just feel better knowing he won't be a complete moron.

Oh and to the poster quoting that ridiculous "come what may" thing re the 6pm on a friday. Such bollocks. The actual quote was more along the lines of "I try really really hard to ring fence this time and I don't accept regular work events or meetings after 6pm on a friday" which is a prefectly reasonable thing.

Don’t be obtuse. No trans woman is going to affect the wait list for endemetriosis diagnosis and subsequent hysterectomy.

It took me 20 years to get diagnosis for endometriosis. 4 years to get seen again by gynae because I had to exhaust all other treatment options, now a 5 year wait for hysterectomy.

Please someone explain to me how the Tories care for women? We are shoved to the side and left to suffer.

You're being patronising.

yeah i can imagine a lot of transwomen having endometriosis surgery. or a hysterectomy.

so yeah, the gynae waiting lists will only be female. That includes Transmen. Please give me examples of transwomen or men on gynae waiting lists?

The current system doesn't work. We definitely need an overhaul. The Tories can't be trusted to do it. And Labour can't be trusted to put women only on the waiting lists!

Oh no! This is such a shame and it's so obvious you're not the only one. Have you ever listened to a political podcast? There are so many to choose from so you can get informed. Women will be giving away our rights because they don't understand. And I say that as someone who isn't voting Tory!

over 10 years for a diagnosis of endometriosis here.... i can't even start treatment yet due to waiting lists being insane

Are you suggesting the current government system works?

5 year wait for a desperately needed hysterectomy here. I don’t call that working.

@JaneV1984Madness The conservatives have not touched the legislation in 14 years. They were going to bring in self ID until an uproar led to a backlash. The conservatives are saying whatever they can to win votes. It is literally like the Brexit bus. If the conservatives actually get in, they will do nothing about this issue.

@Melisha I do want it, see pp which includes this

I’d like legislative change for women and children

Is your avoidance to the question on specific outcome for men with a GRC in female spaces a realisation the current law is not clear even if you feel you understand it better?

It’s hard to answer because Labour have avoided providing clarity

When asked, Starmer said that he doesn't want gender ideology taught in schools.

I agree with you op. I detest everything to do with gender self id policies but whoever thinks that the Conservatives are truly women friendly needs their head examining! Just look at the state of maternity care for a start! Look at the number of children living beneath the poverty line. Look at the cost of childcare. There are other matters in addition to transgender rhetoric that need addressing that are equally as important; such as young children being fed and adequately housed.

Melisha once you /one does some light research, you will see how insidious and far reaching stone wall has been..
The good thing is, the conservatives have finally woken up to it, not so other countries and now we are going to be submerged.

@EasternStandard if you do not want a change in law what do you want?

@Melisha Just do some research into stonewall, stonewall teaching teacher on gender ideology and so on.
How many college and schools give stonewall money and then come back to and say whether more of that is a good thing.

I can only see eduction giving more to stonewall.

@Melisha Who is proposing legislative change to the EqA?

And what is Labour proposing to do if a man with a GRC uses a public toilet at say, a train station. Or someone such as Eddie Izzard for that matter

Could you be explicit as you say you understand the law, and I haven’t seen an answer from anyone

It's not getting better whoever you vote for. There's no left wing party that won't take the same view as Labour and there's no viable right wing party.

It's just the dying throes of the annoyed, OP.

@PowerTulle The conservatives had 14 years to change the legislation. They did not. Listen to what people do instead of what they say.

Way back Conservatives were the party of economic stability. But that was the kind of conservatives like Ken Clarke who Boris Johnson threw out of the party.
The party now is no longer a friend of business and shows zero economic understanding or even interest in building a strong economy.
They are slash and burn asset strippers, stripping the UK economy for personal benefit.

For me there are some issues that will always be in flux but that can be managed differently. So economics, healthcare, social policy etc can be shaped according to the party in power. It will always be so.

But changing the very definition and legal status of an entire sex class, half the population, is absolutely fundamental and likely to be irreversible. If you can’t keep a consistent definition of woman/girl/female then you can no longer describe us. You can’t count us in data, point at injustice and lack of equality and you can’t plan for change to effect us or define how and why we need different solutions.

That’s the difference for me, it’s a single issue that will never be reversible and impacts the rights of every woman, from cradle to grave. And Labour have been very clear that they do not want to define sex or protect it’s meaning or application as a characteristic.