WEP statement from Sophie Walker

It reminds me of Francis 'keep some fuel in your garage' Maude, during the 2012 fuel crisis.

advice that was shortly followed by someone suffering from serious burns caused by messing about with petrol in their flat, because of course they had no garage. turns out not everyone does Francis.

whenever he's said something relatively sensible ever since I always think back to that comment.

It is disappointingly late and small but at the moment, it’s all we have. It must have taken a good bit of courage to release it after all that’s gone before.

If you tried to explain why austerity is a women's issue they'd probably look at you blankly, like you were speaking an alien language.

yes yes to the class issue.

these people just don't understand the lives of ordinary citizens, regardless of their sex actually.

Overestimate, rather. The people running WEP seem to have no awareness whatsoever of the way they're alienating working class women.

One of the many things the ongoing saga of WEP demonstrates is that you can never, ever underestimate how important class is in British politics.

However, I've never felt that they have the back of non-privileged women. Perhaps wrongly, I feel that WEP should be making a lot of noise about: the impact of austerity; the underfunding of childcare; Universal Credit; the unworkable juxtaposition of the Children's Act with the impact of austerity; the closure of women's shelters; the complete lack of appropriate support for carers; the devastation of local services as councils are degrading and at the point of collapse over lack of money.

This, this, this.

Good post Arranfan

I joined WEP at the outset because, no matter what I thought of some of the leaders and senior post-holders, the UK is in dire need of more women in politics and I was treating it as the equivalent of EMILY (Early Money Is Like Yeast).

However, I've never felt that they have the back of non-privileged women. Perhaps wrongly, I feel that WEP should be making a lot of noise about: the impact of austerity; the underfunding of childcare; Universal Credit; the unworkable juxtaposition of the Children's Act with the impact of austerity; the closure of women's shelters; the complete lack of appropriate support for carers; the devastation of local services as councils are degrading and at the point of collapse over lack of money. If you had a list, these outrank permitting fathers to remain on labour wards - and I'm not content that other women's choices and sense of safety is being respected with the implementation.

WEP's treatment of HBE along with other woke handmaid behaviour was the point that decided me that, for its favoured daughters, it's just another career step and bit of glitter on the CV en route to the after-dinner speaking circuit for plutocrats.

Yes - I'm feeling duped and bitter.

There WAS a debate, dosen't Sophie remember? She was there and said fuck all when women said it was perfectlt acceptable to have 100% male representation in Parliament

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3310443-Fawcett-Society-Live-stream-from-5-30pm-Courage-Calls-Ask-her-to-stand?messages=100&pg=1

Article by Jo Bartosch:
'Turning off the Fawcett — Why I Won’t Stand'
(extract)
"Mention of Maria Miller’s name sent the flicker of a sneer across my face; that must have been what tipped her off. After about five minutes of tentative conversational fishing we established that we were both gender apostates, the new non-believers who are not to be tolerated in respectable company. As women with different political allegiances living at either end of the UK, we expressed mutual anger, frustration and disappointment at the abandonment of feminist analysis in favour of the sophist soundbite ‘transwomen are women.’ We shared our annoyance about feeling politically homeless and joked that we needed a secret sign.

When we shuffled in for the opening plenary we went our separate ways. The large circular hall in Westminster Church House is impressive, seating several hundred people. When questions were put to the floor one brave woman asked the inevitable ‘if all-women short-lists are open to transwomen, how would you feel if half of those on all women-shortlists were men?’ The organisers winced, and I could see some young women in the row opposite shift uncomfortably in their seats, seemingly squeamish about the embarrassing ignorance of not understanding that anyone who identifies as a woman is.

Listening first to Sal Brinton (Liberal Democrat), Dawn Butler (Labour), Maria Miller (Conservative), then Amelia Womack (Green Party) parrot the nonsensical mantra ‘transwomen are women’ I thought of the woman I met when I first arrived. I noted Sophie Walker of WEP and Sam Smethers, the CEO of Fawcett, stayed tight-lipped; I understand their reticence to engage but at an event held under the banner ‘courage calls to courage’ their silence was shameful. This on the day that it was reported four women had been sexually assaulted by a man who identifies as a woman and was housed in a women’s prison." (continues)

medium.com/@josephinebartosch/turning-off-the-fawcett-why-i-wont-stand-396eaf38b81e

(Thanks to *R0wan)

May 2018 Gaby Hinsliff GUardian article,
'The Gender Recognition Act is controversial – can a path to common ground be found?
In early 2016, the government proposed changes to the law regarding self-identification – there has been furious debate ever since. But could a more nuanced conversation between gender-critical feminists and trans activists now be starting?'

(extract)
“There is a difference between social media debate and the conversations going on elsewhere,” says Sophie Walker, leader of the Women’s Equality Party, who was torn apart over her party’s trans-inclusive stance in one notable Mumsnet webchat, but is now more optimistic about the chances of reaching some consensus. “I am encouraged by the number of women who have contacted me privately to say they want to find common ground.” Both Woman’s Place and trans activists led by Stonewall have given well-received briefings to Labour MPs in recent months." (continues)

www.theguardian.com/world/2018/may/10/the-gender-recognition-act-is-controversial-can-a-path-to-common-ground-be-found

The t w first thing did stick out to me hugely. I wondered if the following sentences in both cases slightly out weighed and countered the T statement.

Not exactly on topic but this blog post from the aforementioned link (who have commented on the statement) is very good from a legal POV on the GRA.

filia.org.uk/news/2018/8/23/has-everyone-really-got-it-wrong

I think a lot of people have changed their minds since 2016. they are starting to see what these "women" become.

Reading that webchat from 2016. sophie believes one 'becomes a woman'. seriously. fuck me.

one wonders why malala yousafzai bothered. she could have avoided all that being shot in the head for wanting an education nastiness.

and reading the rationalisation behind men being on maternity wards at all hours. partners should be involved.

clearly stems from some middle class islington couple's experience and shows no insight whatsoever into actual women's lives.

i was feeling a bit positive about sophie last night, but reading that thread, i don't believe anyone starting from that position can have got to a sensible view. the opinions and justifications she was giving were so out there.

I won't hold my breath

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3214063-wep-sophie-walker-on-twitter-what-s-going-on?messages=100&pg=1

That struck me about it immediately too.

I love how mens needs are put before women's needs twice in that original statement. Seriously. You can't even adjust the order of your wanking sentences to put women first, Sophie?

I know.

Via Sophie's twitter I found this which I've not heard of before:

filia.org.uk/news/2017/11/24/filia-statement-in-support-of-a-womans-right-to-speak

I love how mens needs are put before women's needs twice in that original statement. Seriously. You can't even adjust the order of your wanking sentences to put women first, Sophie? I'll hope for this to make a difference, but until we stop pandering to those with sexual fetishes, nothing will change.

Sophie Walker is a disgrace and a traitor to women. And I will never forgive her or vote for that shitshow masquerading as a political party

Ek - it's one of their core policies. That men should be allowed overnight on all post natal wards. So fucking middle class it makes me want to vomit

Oh that has happened here. A very big, well known hospital. (Through survey perhaps?)

My first: that would have been helpful as emcs, by the time I'd come round Dh had to go. Low birth weight so on the busy ward, broken light, trying to express alone in the dark by hand. Hardest and loneliest night of my life.

However, by my second, around 3 months ago, men were allowed to stay over. Elcs so in the morning and easier. But - I felt very uncomfortable and vulnerable hearing male voices all night. Using the loo right next to my bed that was clearly for women ('patients only') the measure their blood loss as he couldn't be arsed to find the male loos. That bloke was knackered and no use to his partner as there was no where for him to sleep other than an upright chair. I sent Dh home for a proper sleep and to see ds.

Apparently one bloke had slept on the floor the night before. The beds were close and only a curtain for privacy. A full ward could have had 12 people sleeping in there under that policy.

I've slept on it and it's still a big nope from me.

Several scandals and public awareness increasing and Sophie suddenly finds some integrity right at the point she finds herself with less to lose?

Nope. She can still fuck off.

Not giving her one iota of the credit that belongs to women like Venice, Jean, Ruth, Jen and all the rest of them who have risked careers and personal reputations for years.

If WEP did go anti self-ID, I'd consider voting for them on a temporary basis if a candidate were in my constituency but I'd still consider them to be a party for middle class women and not the vulnerable and/or working class women who are my political priority.

If she doesn't though, I'll consider joining.

Sophie may have woken up too late. I agree with a poster further up that she may be gone within the year, possibly replaced by a TW.

I'm not sure they will be that brazen as it will make them look a laughing stock to the general public and get press attention. I agree it's quite likely she will go, but would say it will be a totally compliant handmaiden of which there is no shortage.

It is (tragically) the best statement on sex-based rights from any political party. But (a) I can't see GC WEP members feeling properly comfortable standing up to speak in this debate for all the reasons we know in which case (b) I suspect TRAs may still win the day because nothing other than total compliance will do for them.

I agree. Transactivists are already doing the DARVO act on SW's Twitter thread though about how they are fragile and won't be equipped to debate their existence against the horrid nasty feminist women.

Imagine my astonishment.