Jo Swinson taking calls on Radio 5 at 9am

This is from Swinson's interview in Penis news:

"Do you agree with your candidate Phillip Lee that transgender prisoners should be held in segregated facilities?
No, I don’t. We know that trans prisoners – as the trans population as a whole – are more likely to encounter discrimination and violence than commit it. We saw with the tragic deaths of Vikki Thompson and Joanne Latham in 2015 the impact of forcing trans women to serve their sentences in male prisons. I supported the changes made by the Ministry of Justice to guidelines following these women’s deaths – making clear that the prison system should treat prisoners according to the gender with which they identify, including assessing them for risk in exactly the same way as cis prisoners – and was deeply disappointed to see these changes rolled back as the government abandoned its commitments to trans recognition and equality."

It's almost as if Karen White didn't happen.

Their voter base has always been centre-left - the sort of person who wants a bit of redistribution of wealth and a decent social security safety net, but quite likes a bit of regulated capitalism and certainly not full on socialism. They sold out that voter base completely with the coalition.

Before even trans stuff, it was the Orange bookers that messed them up. LibDem leadership went right wing on the economics while maintaining social liberalism. Now the social liberalism has morphed even further into outright libertarianism, hence the trans support. So they've done a double whammy on their slightly-left-of-centre, kindly-not-libertarian-socially-liberal voter base.

Ruffle it's not far off mine either. I'm probably a bit further to the left, but with a distaste for the full on social engineering and authoritarian tendencies of the far left.

Never mind Justin, Swinson might well find herself in the same room as Belcher and maybe she was subconsciously weighing up the consequences if she capitulated to scientific fact.

Jeez, this is the party that welcomed Aimee Challenor when they defected from the Greens, FFS.

Great work that woman (Anna) for persisting with the reasonable questions.

I've seen Belcher on the telly, in my view this is a person who will never compromise and use all sorts of tricks to get their way.

Belcher is a liability for the Lib Dems. The suicide claims were unforgivable.
www.thetimes.co.uk/article/suicides-should-never-be-a-political-weapon-w0jlhn5v0

Oh god that was painful to listen to. I think LibDems may be best placed to beat the Tory incumbent in my constituency but how can I vote for that? Can I hold my nose hard enough?

You've just described my natural political leanings @barbarastrozzi - they could have easily had my vote had they steered well clear of biology-denial . Ah well, i'll be sure to write something entertaining on my spoiled ballot!

Anna is doing all the call-in questions moving forward. Well done, girl.

Yes, I agree, the policy is now hard-baked into the very fabric of the Lib Dems.

In an odd sort of way, they've been given a get-out-of-jail-free card by Brexit. If it hadn't been for re-inventing themselves as the pro EU party, they would (and should) have been in the political wilderness for a generation after going into the ConDem coalition. Their voter base has always been centre-left - the sort of person who wants a bit of redistribution of wealth and a decent social security safety net, but quite likes a bit of regulated capitalism and certainly not full on socialism. They sold out that voter base completely with the coalition.

And they didn't do it (as is being retrospectively claimed) to water down the worst excesses of Cameron and Osborne's plans for the country. They did it, cynically and knowingly, because it was their only chance of getting into government ever. Just as, come next Friday, if there's another hung parliament, Swinson and her cronies will take the 30 pieces of silver from whoever offers.

It's a wolf who identifies as a sheep. Their fur is lupine fleece. Bit like female penises.

That really made me laugh, Barbara

But yes, it's clear that Jo had to sign on to TWAW no debate to become leader, whether she believes it or not. Bit awkward when your party colleague is Helen Belcher, I suppose. I've seen Belcher on the telly, in my view this is a person who will never compromise and use all sorts of tricks to get their way.

So while we can make fun of Jo Swinson here, once she is gone, the problem will still be there.

Women want to be reassured that if they phone the police/complain to management about odd behaviour in the loos then they won’t be told that they’re in the wrong.

Exactly. And not told we are bigots for not going along with genderology bollocks when the fucking NHS prioritises 'gender identity' over biology.

And yes, let's not pin it all on Jo Swinson. The Lib Dem LGBT group (run by mostly het sex men unless I'm mistaken) has been out of control for ages. I don't remember anyone in the party condemning them for calling women terfs and telling other LD members to 'suck their balls' when they didn't get their way.

How much easier it would have been for her to say the three wee words "adult human female".

It wouldn't have been easier. Woke Twitter would have called for her head, and she knows that. She took the coward's way.

absolutely @TheProdigalKittensReturn.

In that moment when the urge to push comes over you, biology is pretty much all there is.

And actually i could say the same thing about laying on the operating table with the surgeon very carefully stiching the layers of my uterus, muscle and skin back together whilst i took my first look at ds.

Just listened. How much easier it would have been for her to say the three wee words "adult human female". Would have been interesting how she would define a mare for example ...

apparently there are sheep that “naturally lose their fur”. Fur. On a sheep

That makes perfect sense... It's a wolf who identifies as a sheep. Their fur is lupine fleece. Bit like female penises.

What concerns me is that, if there's now a rush to throw Swinson under the bus, the people who initiated this will still be out there. Eyes on the real prize

Absolutely! She didn't initiate this......but is now the fall guy.
She's pretty powerless even if a supposed leader.

Surprised no-one has pointed out her comment later on in the interview about sustainable farming, apparently there are sheep that “naturally lose their fur”. Fur. On a sheep. 🙄. If she can’t even get that right....

I want someone to ask her if she thinks TW should have access to gynaecological services- smears etc. Surely that would make the SEX question crystal clear.

Those who have a Telegraph sub - Blowers' cartoon today is a gem (all the party leaders in their Christmas jumpers - Swinson's is coming unravelled!)

Ha! I have just seen this! Very funny....

This reminds me of what happened a couple of years ago, when Stella Creasy was unable to answer the question "What is a woman?"

twitter.com/MadamBiro/status/954870213291466753

She hasn't applied proper critical thought Barbara, as as far as we can tell.

She's holding onto the "vulnerable marginalised" stuff.

But that doesn't fucking mean Swinson had to sign up to the madness. Nobody was holding a gun to her head.
I absolutely agree. What concerns me is that, if there's now a rush to throw Swinson under the bus, the people who initiated this will still be out there. Eyes on the real prize.

I don't believe she included all this in her book on feminism? I remember listening to her on woman's hour a year or two ago and thinking how great she was; this particular issue wasn't in it as far as I remember.

Flo, I agree with you actually. This has been agreed from elsewhere within the party.

Let's not forget Layla Moran's floaty spirit feelings.