Ed Davey Webchat

The vast majority of women and men couldn't care less about it - it doesn't affect us.

Good for you if you haven't been terrorised by men. Lots of women have. If it doesn't affect you why are you trying to give away the rights of women it does affect?

It is such rubbish whittering on about people that stand up for trans rights "not caring about women". I'm a woman, I have teenage children. I don't want trans people to be demonised, I don't see how doing so helps anyone. The vast majority of women and men couldn't care less about it - it doesn't affect us.

I wonder if you realise how much damage you are doing to the reputation of Mumsnet in the real world by this incessant harping on about a non-issue? Yes there are a few cases of evil people misusing trans rights in order to be abusive, e.g. convicted murderers abusing people after falsely claiming to be trans. There are also examples of prisoners claiming to be Muslim in order to have what they think is better food and more free time. Using that example to claim that all trans people are dangerous, is like saying that Islam itself is dangerous because some people have misused it like this.

It is a shame that a forum that should be helping Mums to help each other has been marginalised by a paranoid minority like this.

So Ed, mate, this respecting people's reality - how far does it go?

Coz there's plenty in prison right now who believe they are innocent. Do you respect their reality enough to release them?

Or white people identifying as black - can they fill BAME quotas?

What about age. There's those who have had a tough life and truly feel more like 65 that 55. You gonna be paying out pensions?

Your words were carefully crafted well in advance of this lunchtime. Very carefully. You know transwomen are men. I know transwomen are men. Everyone fucking knows it. But you've judged that it's not politically expedient to say it.

And it's no skin off your nose. Your not a young girl hoping to excel in women's sports. You're not an abused women having to shack up in a shelter with an abusive man called Tiffany. Nope. Ain't going to affect you. It's just a bunch of middle aged mothers.

Well let me give you one small piece of advice. You underestimate us at your peril.

I keep starting to write something and then deleting it because I am speechless at the blatant disregard for women's experiences. I work with women who as children have been sexually abused, trafficked, experienced crime and violence in their families, been in care, i and I have never met people as disadvantaged, misunderstood and discriminated against, yet their lives have been massively changed by women only space. Ed Davey has no idea about the lives of these women.

I would never vote for the Lib Dems anyway after the coalition, and their LGBT Twitter account, but this has made me want to actively campaign against them.

...having said that, I think the unfortunate episode of Farron's leadership is one of the reasons why the Lib Dems are now so obsessed with trying to appear woke.

Hi Ed,

What do you think about Stella Creasy's call for women MPs to have official maternity leave?

Totally support it. As long as it comes with official paternity leave and shared parental leave.When I took paternity leave as a minister, when my daughter was born, I was roundly criticised by some backbench Conservatives and the Daily Mail. Something I wear as a badge of honour!

Because it's exactly the same for men! To be fair, equality depends on men being able to take paternity leave, but pregnancy really doesn't make the same demands on men and the comparison misses the point which is that women face barriers that prevent them from being MPs at all.

Pathetic. I had a vague hope he might say something that would allow me to vote Lib Dem again (as I have my entire adult life until recently), but no, just another woke bro.

That is an excellent point, merrymouse. I thought Farron was bad, but at least he didn't try to coerce the whole nation to adopt his belief and have it enshrined in law.

So for me, a trans woman is a woman, and a trans man is a man. For me, that's not a policy position, it's their reality and I respect it.

He might as well say: "Gay sex is a sin - it's not a political position, it's Tim Farron's reality and I respect it". Although of course he didn't say that because it would be ridiculous and in 2019 we accept that religious beliefs do not need to be shared and can even be criticised.

Gender on the other hand must be accepted unquestioningly. To do otherwise would be to blaspheme.

Philosophically, I believe in the freedom of the individual to be who they want to be - and not to be told who they are by society. When society dictates to individuals, unhappiness and discrimination are not far behind. So for me, a trans woman is a woman, and a trans man is a man. For me, that's not a policy position, it's their reality and I respect it.

I want to be 150 years old. Please recognise me as the world's oldest person and start paying me my pension immediately. Society has no right to dictate that I'm not 150 just because I was born in 1984. I have the freedom to be who I want to be. Respect my reality.

(Equally sound, philosophically speaking. And I say that as someone who believes very strongly in individual liberty.)

I really wanted to vote for someone. I did tell them why I disagreed with them but reading Ed Davey's utter bullshit dismissal has me raging.

I'm fucking embarrassed that I voted for the lib Dem idiots in the European Elections. Jesus.

Bless him.

Lang you are cruel...

Rory Stewart talks about love

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Please, please, please don't make me talk about policy. Help help! What can I say? Oh, I know. All you need is love. That should do it.

Rory, love, I cringe big for you. Put your big boy pants on. You want to be Prime Minister, FFS. You're not applying to do the weddings at your local hotel venue.

I've just Tweeted that on Ed's Twitter thread. Hope you don't mind, OvaHere.

Not at all

Lang that is indeed beautifully crafted.

Woke Custard!

LebDem were a real contender for me not so long ago. No longer. This just confirms just how misogynistic their leadership really is.

Rory Stewart talks about love;
twitter.com/RoryStewartUK/status/1138864629042597888

I am warming to Rory Stewart though. Does anyone know what his position is?

IDK but hes on this list.
''These are all the MPs who voted to force through the ESA disability benefit cut''
www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/esa-wrag-disability-benefit-cut-disabled-mps-vote-tories-iain-duncan-smith-a6918556.html

Only just seen this thread, and I haven't read the thread, but scrolling down looking for LangCleg's inevitable response to reach this beauty...

Pompous, useless, misogynist preening in his own Woke Custard.

Damn. I need a cigarette

Yes, Ed Davey came on to tell us what he thinks.

Actually Ed Davey came on to tell us what we should think.

Yes, Ed Davey came on to tell us what he thinks. He wasn't interested in what we thought.

Isn't this what is wrong with British politics. Ed Davey gets perhaps 30 supportive comments from insiders who reassure him he is right. He then ignores a huge and diverse website on the basis that it is transphobic and effectively according to one of the posters: "we refuse to listen".

Nigel Farage's take on this would be interesting. I am not a supporter. The problem is really how does he get this when leaders of major and traditional parties don't. Ever so clever and partonishing Ed Davey and his woke supporters are very very dangerous. Women know when they are being conned.

At least he’s come up with a credible answer to the whole Brexit dilemma. Each of us can choose to identify as an EU Citizen or not, and that will be our reality.

Rory's Trans launch
Did he do a women's launch ?

Just imagine if women started thinking about things other than baby products. What hideous kind of dystopia would that be?

I've just Tweeted that on Ed's Twitter thread. Hope you don't mind, OvaHere.