Angela Rayner says you can only be a Labour member if you believe TWAW

The Tory was Shaun Bailey. Yes he was wise enough not to get involved.

I’m currently writing an essay about suffragists and party alliances. I’m starting to think that the Labour Party was less misogynistic in 1912 then it is now...

Cover not coverage.

Let's be clear Keir Starmer deceased mother in law is most likely going to give him political coverage this week and he'll probably get away with not responding if this does go away by the weekend.

I don't mean this to be insensitive just realistic.

Even if Kier Starmer was GC - he's not going to go against the flow of what has already been established in the party.

I know people are looking for chinks of light; and for reasons to be able to vote Labour - but my suspicion is that it is going to be many, many years before they will ever get re-elected.......and given all that has passed - that may not be such a bad thing at all.

CEDAW had things to say about state parties needing to do way more to ensure women’s equal participation in political life - this ridiculous pledge is antithetical to that.

www.wrc.org.uk/blog/public-and-political-life-article-7-cedaw

Rory Stewart is a pretty shrewd politician and not afraid to break ranks. Wasn't he one of the MP's who voted against the Brexit deal (like Amber Rudd) who then had the whip withdrawn and effectively squeezed out.

The tussle and oh so predictable silliness over the Labour leadership is a complete gift to the Government.

On Politics Live this morning, there was a Tory being smart enough to stay out of it other than to make the comment that you should feel confident enough in your views to be able to debate them with people who don't agree with you. Tory candidate for London Mayor that isn't Rory Stewart?

I also think the Conservatives are benefitting too much from Labour's self-immolation ton this issue to pull the gun too quickly on the consultation. That's not to say they won't do it - but it's going to be done as quietly as possible.

"Don't interrupt your enemy in the middle of making a mistake". (Napoleon).

It's sad that they are handing an open goal to the Tories on this and that the Tories will get to dominate the opposition to Self-ID. But if they haven't learned the lesson from Brexit campaigning chaos, they will have to endure further loss. And the Self-Id crowd can kid themselves that it's a Labour/Tory issue. No one wins. Everyone loses.

Performative "wokeness" is going to sink the Labour Party.

They'll get what they deserve at the ballot box.
I feel sorry for the populace which has no real choice at the moment.
I think we could get a better performance out of the Conservatives if there was some real competition nipping at their heals.

Signing that stupid thing is a vote killer with the general public.

Watching with equal parts of amusement and dismay. Like Brexit, I think this strand of public discourse has to dragged into the open and pushed to the max before it loses its power. In the meantime, I plan to protest and safeguard my children as much as possible. I do feel sorry for trans people who are going to be thrown under the bus on this one, when the next scandal breaks.

Precisely, Mockersisrightasusual . But people love him. So if he jumped over to what looks like a common sense position, I would be happy to see it and the people he'd bring with him but I wouldn't trust him to make me a cup of tea.

How many times has 'a decision been expected' now?
You may be right but there will be some heavy duty lobbying going on which we're shut out of. Despite labelling us all far right they will have no compunction whatsoever about working with this government.

Have any Tory ministers commented on this debacle? Anyone pressed Starmer and Thornberry to commit? Not like them to miss an opportunity to take the piss (and take the pressure off themselves).

I was laughing last night but now I'm beginning to feel uneasy.

Burnham's star first rose when he was booed at the Hillsborough Memorial and reversed govt. policy on the spot.

If he was a dog, he'd do anything for a biscuit.

Burnham and some other Labour mayors, inc. Sadiq Khan and that horrible Liverpool misogynist, co-signed a letter to the government urging them to implement self-ID, I think.

I think he's on the Self ID train. But, as with everything Burnham, if he spots an opportunity to jump on another gravy train, he will.

What has Andy Burnham said re Trans rights/Women’s Rights/GC stance?

How many times has 'a decision been expected' now? We've had a lot of deadlines. Including the comment in the press in the last few days of 'its on ice'.

Entertaining as this all is, let's keep our eye on the ball.
This is the part that's actually in government at the moment:
The government has delayed publication of its long-awaited decision on changes to the Gender Recognition Act, but it is expected to make a call on whether to push ahead with allowing people to legally self-identify their gender as soon as next month. Liz Truss, the trade secretary and women’s and equalities minister, is leading on the policy.

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/feb/12/labour-leadership-row-over-support-for-trans-rights-charter

He's been a senior lawyer- almost The senior lawyer. He must be able to spot the loophole given to bad guys by self-ID . It'll be a test of his legal analysis skills and his leadership to navigate this in such a public campaign.

He having to tread a v wobbly tightrope but I don't believe he is just self-interested. He comes from a background of fighting through the courts for pp rights. He could certainly have made a nice comfy living for himself as a top barrister and tory mp but he chose to go labour and that shows principles.

As Turtles points out, any public figure who dares to oppose or 'shelter' those opposing (to use their own type of language) is immediately targeted for a full-on hate campaign. Once he's in place as leader he will have more clout to take this on, but he will still need a clever strategy.

Is there really no chance that he'd win more support than he lost? Obviously not from bromentum but among trade unions and rank and file labour MPs?
I don't know. He's well in the lead. I think it would a risky move.

I have no idea if he is GC or not. I do know that he's avoiding it to an extent. I think his MN comment was that 'trans rights are human rights' which is pretty vague and doesn't really mean anything.
I dont believe he's said TWAW although I could be wrong.
His background is all law and human rights. I'd be surprised if he didn't see the implications, especially after they'd been pointed out to him.

Starmer isn't GC, he's one of the borg. If he has sufficient sense, as the party did, to make faintly 'well we might think about it' noises in order to get elected at a key moment, it will be a reflection on what he thinks will best serve Starmer. It won't in any way reflect intention, integrity or any actually held principles.

The MN chat was very clear on where he stands on women, LGB and safeguarding, and its a position right beside the bus he's putting them under.