Lib Dem’s Equalities R4 now

The Lib Dem's are so arrogant on this they can't even be bothered to brief their own MPs properly before they wheel them out to talk about it.

I was thinking exactly the same thing how would it play out (too much Succession). They could draw all the heat and ire from the trans community which would run and run.

I expect the Tories are aware of how potent this issue could be to include in their campiagn but also realise that it might just not cut through to ordinary voters leaving them nonplussed. Then there's the real downside of it being used to as "evidence of transphobia" by the Conservatives.

The Conservatives could gain little while being seen as toxic by younger voters.

Raising this issue is potentially useful but maybe unpredictable as to how it will play in real life.

Also, I’ve not seen one reply in support.

Am loving Michelleoftheresistance's story about her elderly mother. It sounds as if Luciana Berger has just managed to peak trans a whole section of the electorate who were previously either unaware of the issue or who thought we were all exaggerating.

It's a wonderful irony that Berger, who represents a huge catch for the Lib Dems and provides a chance for them to show off their egalitarian principles in the wake of the Labour anti-Semitism row, could be the person who ends up alerting the country to the LibDems' complete disdain for women's rights.

The comments on the tweet are glorious.

Lots of men saying ‘well hang on can a man identity as a woman and play sport?’

Datun, it is baffling. But then again, unsurprising. Politicians seem far more concerned about provoking a Twitter tempest, than casually undermining the definitional characteristics of 50 per cent of voters. What utterly bizarre times we live in

and recent students active in student politics. Maybe not the best source of information?

Great point. And since universities are unfortunately at the epicenter of the new totalitarian tendencies, it also explains why there is consensus rather than rigorous debate. Two of the main parties are in complete thrall to this aggressive lobby group. The Conservatives, who once upon a time could have been relied on to strenuously resist this nonsense don’t seem to have a discernible position on it. Like the General fighting the last war, they don’t realize that this is a time for a pushback against authoritarianism dressed up as liberalism. But their researchers are from the same hive mind pool...,,

The Conservatives should be trying to woo feminist voters by articulating a strong defense of sex segregated spaces

This is what I don't understand.

They could quite easily just start asking questions of the other parties. Do you advocate that men who say some magic words can access the bra fitting changing rooms at Marks & Spencers?

Can men, who say they are women, be sent to female prisons?

What is your definition of woman? Mother?

It would be so easy. Expose their sexist ideology, and then say you don't subscribe to it.

"Maybe part of this cluelessness is the reliance MPs place on their unpaid intern researchers, current and recent students active in student politics."
This could explain quite alot about why mps haven't been thinking through the ramifications of these ideas if applied as policy - or maybe the other way around, they haven't questioned what ideas actually underlie the policies which they have been asked to roll out.

Just over a year ago during the consultation, there was really no BBC coverage of this issue. On the very last day women's hour covered it. It shows how much has changed - thanks to all those women who have been PUUUULLLing - that now we have a BBC journalist actually asking the relevant questions. It's shouldn't be much to ask but there we are.

God this is embarrassing.

I do hope when the utter car crash brexit organised by the twice sacked for lying lying liar of liarsville Johnson begins to bite these idiots will have the common decency to pause and think that maybe, just maybe they could have stopped it if only they had the guts to publically admit transwomen are not women and do not belong in women's spaces.

I doubt it though.

I think she was very brave dealing with anti-semitism and have really liked her but very disappointed in her shallow thinking on this. It is a complex issue and politicians have to acknowledge that! Sarah Ditum did a good Twitter thread on it.

Thank you to the PP who linked the podcast. I have been trying to articulate for so long now why this is all a shitshow. Nick Robinson has, in the space of two minutes, given me my stock answer.

@Michelleoftheresistance i love your mum!

Maybe part of this cluelessness is the reliance MPs place on their unpaid intern researchers, current and recent students active in student politics. Maybe not the best source of information?

My elderly mother has just popped round to tell me she heard this interview. I've ranted at her numerous times, she's nodded and not said much. Her take away from this?

Interviewer: So I can just say I'm a woman and get access to women's prisons, women's hospital wards, spaces where women are getting undressed?

Libdem person she doesn't remember the name of: Yes.

As she said: no mucking about, no hesitation, yes.

She's livid. NOW she believes me. Thanks LB, keep up the good work. She left muttering about having seen the article about the LibDems telling a voter they don't want her vote, and adding "I'd have told them you're not getting it dear, so don't worry about it."

I shall watch now while she heads off to share all this with her circle of friends. I did mention M&S too.

Sympathetic to who? What are her principles? Listening to her dismal performance earlier today and her obtuse refusal to acknowledge that these are in fact competing rights and why is she happy to chuck women under the bus? I am left with the impression she’s either not very bright or she’s deliberately swerving the question to avoid drawing ire from Twitter. Neither is impressive.

Its weird. LB is a very experienced politician, active since student days. She made an active decision to switch to the LibDems, presumably because she liked their policies. She is one of their big names, seen as sympathetic and principled.

If she can't sound convincing, who can?

She sounds completely out of her depth.

Yes, the question is whether she is genuinely clueless or whether she understands the objections but feels obliged to toe the party line.

I am always amazed at politicians who appear not to have followed this debate at all given its prominence on social media and the coverage it's had in the Times, Mail etc.

Ova, if the Conservatives were well organized, they should be explicitly trying to capture the voters alienated from their rivals by shenanigans like Berger’s dismal performance. There is such an arrogant sense of entitlement to women’s votes displayed by Labour and Lib Dems. The Conservatives should be trying to woo feminist voters by articulating a strong defense of sex segregated spaces

My Tory PPC called round this morning canvassing. He admitted to not knowing much on this issue but he had listened to this R4 interview with Luciana. He promised to do more research, seems a nice enough chap and not 'woke'. It was generally a positive convo unlike the dismissive responses from my Labour MP (TWAW).

Just listened, thanks for the link! If anything I'm glad it was on, the more people that find out what these parties think about women's rights the better. The replies on Twitter are great. A while back I was even intending to vote Lib Dem but no more, now I've got no one to vote for.

The Lib Dems have released their Trans manifesto committments this morning via their house journal Lib Dem Voice. You can read it here.

The Liberal Democrat manifesto will include a commitment to reforming the Gender Recognition Act, to make it easier for transgender people to get new birth certificate by;
Removing the requirement for medical reports.
Scrapping the fee.
Recognising non-binary gender identities.

So basically all an abusive man needs to do is request a female birth certificate, no questions asked, and he'll get it for free!

She was then on TalkRadio talking to Julia Hartley-Brewer about hate crimes and wasn't aware that a hate crime can be recorded without an actual crime taking place.

Surely she doesn't do this on her own and there are people behind supporting and advising?

Oh wait...…….

Nick Robinson v good. Luciana Berger was incoherent. Shame it couldn't have been longer

Luciana was one of my local constituency MPS. She left the Labour party for understandable reasons, and now finds herself in the LIb -Dem cult instead.......I've emailed in the past on this issue - but I guess she was preoccupied with maternity leave and her involvement with anti-semitic abuse - she never responded.

it is a shame to see her caught up with having to parrot the Lib-Dem line. And don't for one second think this is not the Lib-Dem line. It is! They refuse to hear any arguments and totally reject all concerns.