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Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

Feminism: chat

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Original poster

What about a Mumsnet MP?

53 replies

BlytheByName · 21/06/2018 18:54

I've been reading, learning and posting occasionally here for nearly a year now and believe the issue of the erasure of 'woman' and the attack on women and girls' rights is the biggest threat I've seen in my lifetime.
This community is virtually the only place where the debate is being had, but I think we need to prepare to take it to the next level.

Have the Man Fridays or the very eloquent posters that I read, and some of whom I've met at various meetings, considered standing as an MP ?
It seems the next logical step. Imagine the coverage if a Mumsnetter stood in Jeremy Corbyn's constituency on this single issue of the threat to women's rights?!
Its not as if the issue is going away. The long-term repercussions are enormous. I'm sure it would get plenty of media attention and would highlight how lacking every mainstream party is in its thought for our sex based rights.
What do you think?

OP posts:

Picassospaintbrush · 21/06/2018 23:06

It's worth looking out for a by election in central London.

smithsinarazz · 21/06/2018 22:58

Yes, but go for Mordaunt rather than Corbyn. Why? Look, the Right are no friends to women. They're all about who can piss the highest. Undermining the leader of the Opposition can't possibly be good for women and girls.
Also, pragmatically speaking: in many people's heads "transphobia" is bracketed with homophobia and both are considered to be right-wing behaviour. So if you target Corbyn on what will be reported as an anti-trans platform, it will reinforce that idea, and quite possibly repel lefty people who might otherwise have been in favour of feminism, it all being about equality.

Macareaux · 21/06/2018 22:39

I'll back Sweary too. Would probably need more than £500 as there is printibg and publicity too.

I bet a fundraiser would get to £10k in no time

MsMcWoodle · 21/06/2018 21:56

I would back Sweary or Datun. A few others as well.
I think it's worth doing, and I would contribute money and time.
This might be a single issue but it is a huge issue.

Ereshkigal · 21/06/2018 21:35

Will also contribute significantly towards that £500 if you stand Sweary.

spontaneousgiventime · 21/06/2018 21:22

Sweary's rosette should be a swimming cap.

madvixen · 21/06/2018 21:21

I can help with organising a campaign. I did constituency campaigns for 20 years.

spontaneousgiventime · 21/06/2018 21:14

Sweary, I'm putting this here and public. If you do decide to stand as an independent MP I will give you £100 towards the £500.

BoreOfWhabylon · 21/06/2018 21:11

I've heard you being interviewed Sweary, you'd be great at this.

SwearyG · 21/06/2018 21:08

Procrastinator that report is right. There’s a video download link on the Penny Mordaunt thread if your blood pressure can cope.

SwearyG · 21/06/2018 21:06

I think that if it’s a by election unless it’s someone big the press won’t pay attention, and this would be about getting further publicity. Which is why I think JC is perfect because he’ll have fewer independents against him than TM and also he’s come out saying TWAW already.

There are around 30 or so constituencies (I think) with less than a 1% majority that may be worth targeting too.

As for organisation it doesn’t take much for an independent (it doesn’t even take much organisation to set up a new party), just fundraising and people willing to put in time and effort.

Procrastinator1 · 21/06/2018 20:58

Or Penny Mordaunt, apparently not GC, MP for Portsmouth North and the minister with responsibility for women. This is a link to Pink News report of the recent committee meeting and her comments
www.pinknews.co.uk/2018/06/20/equalities-minister-penny-mordaunt-anti-trans-bigotry/]]

If that report is correct and not taken out of context, her remarks are outrageous. I can't copy and paste to show them here I'm afraid

I would also like there to be an organised effort to complain about twitter and facebook bans to the Information Commissioner. I would happily contribute to a fund raiser for legal costs etc. Perhaps this is already being done.

Original poster

BlytheByName · 21/06/2018 20:50

I'm sure we could get together enough money to print leaflets and get people asking candidates where they stand.
We need to think and organise like the Suffragettes.

I wonder if we could get organised quickly enough ready for the next by election that drops on us ?

OP posts:

Norther · 21/06/2018 20:44

I have contributed to every other fundraiser on similar topic and would make same contribution again here. We have to try as many things as possible. Each new avenue introduces more people to the cause.

BoreOfWhabylon · 21/06/2018 20:26

SwearyG. Pleeeease do it! I will contribute to the deposit, as I'm sure will many others.

Procrastinator1 · 21/06/2018 20:19

He might of course be gender critical, but he is pretty awful.

Procrastinator1 · 21/06/2018 20:17

Christopher Chope's constituency if the WEP aren't going to field a candidate there. Might raise some publicity.

SwearyG · 21/06/2018 20:04

Ive been talking about doing just this for a while. Not expecting to win but bringing the conversation really into the public eye. At every hustings making JC talk about how a man can become a woman would be an interesting way to spend a few weeks.

It costs £500 as a deposit to stand, no way we’d poll enough votes to get it back but money well spent in bringing the subject to the fore.

Pratchet · 21/06/2018 19:58

The right place would be a south-west swing constituency, perhaps? The people let down so chronically by the Lib Dems?

Original poster

BlytheByName · 21/06/2018 19:56

Perhaps not JC's constituency but the right place, the right candidate to stand against.... I've been thinking about it all day!
I just feel so frustrated.

OP posts:

Pratchet · 21/06/2018 19:47

I vote for Ruth Serwotka. Highly experienced trade unionist, already campaigning across a number of issues before this came along, and successful in organising a campaign for sex-specific spaces and rational debate.

RubyShooFan · 21/06/2018 19:45

So would I toast!

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Bell

I’m impressed I dredged him out of my memory!

It would doable if a particular MP did something absolutely ridiculous in the name of ‘trans rights’ and the press were on board with taking them down.

Halfeatentoast · 21/06/2018 19:40

I'd vote for @Datun

RubyShooFan · 21/06/2018 19:40

Who was the ‘anti sleaze’ independent who won in my childhood? Was it Martin Bell? Does anyone’s know what I’m talking about? I’m going to go and google.

Original poster

BlytheByName · 21/06/2018 19:18

Yes, you'd have thought the Women's Equality Party would be all over this, but they got as big an eraser in their hands as every other party.
Mainstream parties have sold us down the river.

I agree you get protest parties, and individuals standing but there was a female doctor a few years ago that won a seat, and Mumsnet is a very influential phenomenon. It could work !

OP posts:

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