Labour Leadership Candidates on Newsnight

At 9.30, Victoria Derbyshire will be talking to the candidates on BBC2, will we see more of this nonsense?

I'm going to watch it on catchup. Sadly, I've given up with tbe female candidates. Nandy on R4 this morning was dreadful on this.
My last hope is Starmer. Was he at least hedging his bets?

I'm not a member any longer and very nearly didn't vote for them in December but, for what it's worth, my take on this shit show is that they will all throw women under the bus but that Starmer at least demonstrates a bit of savviness - and that's a quality a leader needs.

*If Jennifer James wins her all womens shortlist case then any labour leader who has signed the aforementioned pledge would have to scrap AWS, right? If TWAW then you couldn't have something that excludes them."

Presumably TW would be in favour of AWS, as they also are women (so would be eligible for an AWS) and they also are oppressed by misogyny and the patriarchy.

each such instance of talking about biology would be assessed on a case by case basis for transphobia

This would be laughable. If it wasn't so sinister.

I have no intention of leaving the Labour party to the likes of RLB, which I assume is the purpose of that ridiculous pledge they’ve scavenged together.
We need a credible opposition in this country, more than ever.

Yes, this. I joined recently because of this issue. We need to get the Labour Party back on track and that means we need the grown ups to stay, instead of walking out and letting the kids trash the place. If there were a credible left alternative, I'd agree but there's not.

Womanaf it has been so long since we have had one, I have forgotten what a good opposition looks like.

Idiots the lot of them. In the meantime the Tories continue to have their 80 seat majority.

Labour aren't even trying at this point.

We don't need to worry
We really do - a functioning opposition would be useful.

We don't need to worry, Labour won't be in power for years after this final nail in the coffin. I, and several other adult human females, resigned this morning. I think they are finished as a party.

If Jennifer James wins her all womens shortlist case then any labour leader who has signed the aforementioned pledge would have to scrap AWS, right? If TWAW then you couldn't have something that excludes them.
How could a debate even be held about keeping it if its forbidden to discuss biology

Yeah,let's be clear, Starner said the GRA was a good piece of legislation that didn't go far enough, and the reason he wants everyone to calm down a bit us because he thinks it's the best way of going further with GRA reforms.

That's not a pro-woman position.

each such instance of talking about biology would be assessed on a case by case basis for transphobia

Wow. Words fail me.

I have no intention of leaving the Labour party to the likes of RLB, which I assume is the purpose of that ridiculous pledge they’ve scavenged together.

We need a credible opposition in this country, more than ever. At the moment, that looks like KS and it looks as though he is at least canny enough not to get bogged down by all this.

He's not willing to risk coming out for women's rights though, so fuck him.

YY this! I'm tired and rambling!

it's sad that it has to be a man who is more thoughtful about women's welfare.

Was he?I just watched it and he said something like "the GRA was a step in the right direction, now we need to carry in down that road" and "trans rights are human rights" even though the interviewer kept going "and..women's rights?" I have gone right off him, smug self serving git.
Emily Thornberry said TWAW/TMAM although it seemed clear she didn't believe a word of it, and then expressed concern about calling "certain groups" hate groups. If anything she is probably the only one who gets the issue but she's a politician so will say anything she thinks will get her elected.
Lisa Nandy seemed to think that being kind to her trans friend is an excuse to support legislation that will affect every girl and woman in the land without their consent, and RLB said that talking about biological sex could be trans phobic if done in a transphobic way, which is a completely circular statement..
Fuck. So so depressing.

Kier Starmer's answer was very similar to the one he gave on his Mumsnet Webchat, the other day.

Rebecca Long-Bailey's answer saying that she thought that talking about biological sex could be transphobic was very concerning.

Emily Thornberry appeared to have very slightly thought about the issue more deeply since her Mumsnet Webchat

Yeah, Starmer is simply keeping cards close to his chest. He said a few of the right woke slogans ('trans rights are human rights' - well, duh, but it's not a human right to force everyone to believe you are the opposite sex) but I heard nothing about women and girl's rights at all. They are all fully paid up. Starmer just knows he's the front runner and has no need to shore up his position with posturing for momentumites.

R BL has downed the look aid, Nandy thinks one person makes the weather on the issue and wants to be nice Starmer and Thornberry are both savvy enough to realise there’s a nasty iceberg below the surface but haven’t quite worked out it’s shape or size and hope desperately that a sound bite will suffice. I don’t think either have mixed much with TRAs or have many dealings with ordinary voters so they’ll be in for a shock.

Like so many others they are so desperate to come across as 100% inclusive that they are prepared to ignore common sense and women's rights. Labour have lost my vote for the foreseeable future. It's bloody depressing tbh.

Also watched. I'm glad the issue got a mention but it didn't make me feel in any way positive.

RLB clearly not affected by #expelme. LN more interested in one trans constituent than half her constituents who are female. ET cleverer in raising concerns about the word 'hate' but not much better. I was hoping for something positive from KS but no.

Overall, I didn't feel much different at the end of the programme about the candidates than I did at the beginning. I really dislike RLB and didn't rate LN.

As I just said on the other thread, it's sad that it has to be a man who is more thoughtful about women's welfare.

I don't think he is more thoughtful about women's welfare, he's just bright enough to realise there's two sides to the debate. He's not willing to risk coming out for women's rights though, so fuck him.

Ffs Thornberry

Every last bastarding one of them. 😢

twitter.com/EmilyThornberry/status/1227733218494906369?s=09
Emily has had second thoughts and signed. Was she waiting to see how KS jumped?