Local elections and sex/gender/trans issues

Sadly, enough dangerous Green nutters have been elected to more than make up for Mhairi Hunter losing her seat.

Alba did a little better than in the last election, but didn’t come close to making a breakthrough. I think 8% was their best result with most getting 1–2%.

I think it means that they're not remotely 'passing' and embarrassed people stumble for something to say that won't get them in the shite, or they're using people like Elaine as props in their own performance.

I hope Elaine does sort out the bins and has time to crusade for third spaces.

@OvaHere

A projection of general election outcome based on local election results is pretty meaningless though, for obvious reasons.

@VestofAbsurdity

Probably the worst in terms of potential scope (though the least specific, so harder to get anyone excited about opposing right now) is governmental interference in the electoral commission:

www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/feb/21/uk-elections-watchdog-warns-bill-threatens-its-independence-electoral-commission

In a strongly worded and highly unusual public letter, the Electoral Commission said provisions in the elections bill for ministers to draw up a new “strategy and policy statement” – which the watchdog must take account of – had no precedent in comparable democracies.

“It is our firm and shared view that the introduction of a strategy and policy statement – enabling the government to guide the work of the commission – is inconsistent with the role that an independent electoral commission plays in a healthy democracy,” the letter said.

“This independence is fundamental to maintaining confidence and legitimacy in our electoral system.”

There are a number of other issues, such as the introduction of having to produce approved photo ID for voting. While the government claims this is to combat impersonation in voting, all the evidence suggests that this is an almost non-existent problem. And the most likely people to be unable to produce the required ID will be the young, itinerant, immigrant etc. etc. - ie. all those groups most likely to vote Labour.

Canvassing and getting the vote out at elections, I've seen first hand how hard it is for some people to simply vote. People with disabilities, or caring for others, people who don't own vehicles or for whatever reason can't get to a polling station. People who's lives are just so hard and frantic they don't have the space to think about and prepare for it. Yes, you can say people should make more effort if they care about how the country is run, but the fact remains it's easier for some people than for others to make that effort. Changes to the system should be designed to make it easier for EVERYONE, not to exacerbate the divide so we can continue to be governed by an unrepresentative wealthy gerontocracy.

The bill also allows expats of over 15 years non-residence here to vote and contribute to party funding, for the first time ever. I wonder who that's supposed to benefit?

www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2021/sep/07/what-does-the-uk-elections-bill-set-out

Also, why do these people always claim that women just come up to them and compliment them on their looks?!!

This is Mhairi Hunter's replacement

www.glasgowlive.co.uk/news/glasgow-news/glasgow-election-candidate-aims-citys-23844135

Another male born person who doesn't think women should have their own spaces. It's depressing that people voted for someone with those beliefs, but we should welcome the fact that Elaine will open the eyes of even more people to this awful ideology.

As I keep saying, the left can have my vote back whenever they choose. All they have to do is reassure me that they will uphold my legal rights.

Wow, so many people voting Tory despite all that they've done to defund the NHS, plunge more people into poverty, dismantle the social safety net etc etc.

Yeah but those things are all the left's fault. Do keep up.

Just read this in The Times. A Lab/Lib/SNP coalition would be the worst outcome I think for the issues we've been fighting on. An outright Labour win would be better all things considered.

Tories could lose majority at next general election
The Conservatives will lose their majority at the next general election and emerge as the largest party in a hung parliament, according to a projection based on the local election results (George Grylls writes).

The projection, based on voting in 1,700 wards, found that the Conservatives would win 278 seats, ahead of Labour on 271, the SNP on 50 and the Liberal Democrats on 28.

That means the Conservatives would fall 48 seats short of a majority — and give the option to Labour of forming a minority coalition government with the other parties.

The Sky News study looked at 4.6 million votes and examined how the parties’ vote shares had changed compared with 2018.

@Fifteentoes could you elaborate further on the Elections Bill and issues with it please?

Wow, so many people voting Tory despite all that they've done to defund the NHS, plunge more people into poverty, dismantle the social safety net etc etc.

So you're going to be a single issue voter and this is your single issue?

@Floisme Well the dismantling of democracy is certainly not my fault.

I remember posts like that on here in 2019. You'd have thought the realisation that managed to piss off Rother Valley and Redcar might have led to a little self reflection, but no. Everything was everyone else's fault and it seems like it still is.

@toots111 & @ScreamingMeMe

I think what you're missing is that I only do this in relation to a very specific issue: the Tories' dismantling of the process of democracy itself.

I completely respect that there are different opinions about economic policy, the size of the welfare state, Brexit or for that matter trans rights. That's exactly why democratic process is so important - it allows us to debate those opinions and policies, reject those that have been found not to work for most people and effect change for the better without needing violence or societal upheaval to do it.

I never called anyone a fascist because of austerity post-2010, because of privatisation of the NHS or because of Brexit. I only use the word to mean what it actually means: the replacement of genuine, fair, open democracy with an effective dictatorship of the right. You mention previous posts of mine, but I notice you haven't said anything about the actual substance of this, such as the elections bill. You seem to just want to shoot the messenger. Believe me, it gives me no pleasure that this is happening; I'm amazed how many people seem either completely ignorant or in denial about it though.

I have friends who vote on the right and they respect my beliefs, but I expect they wouldn't (and I wouldn't expect them to) if I supported a push towards left wing autocracy that threatened democracy itself in the way this government is.

Starmer has gone to war on the left. Loads of them have gone as a result, increasing Labour's financial difficulties. And if he’d had less focus on getting rid of popular left wing economic policies like energy nationalisation (probably even more popular now, with sky high charges) he would have had more time and political capital to take on the genderists.

Really, you couldn't make this stuff up. People are literally unable to afford to heat their homes. Elsewhere on this forum you can read heartbreaking laments by people who's energy bills have tripled, and are wondering what more they can delete from the grocery shop that feeds their children or how they will survive next winter.

And all people can think about is how great it is that the one prime ministerial candidate who figured neo-liberalism was failing people, and suggested policies to deal with it, has been destroyed along with his entire power base, and that Her Majesty's oppositon are now an opposition in name only, so the government can carry on merrily freezing and starving people because There Is No Alternative.

Sigh

Mhairi Hunter if the SNP lost her seat. Wonder if she'll reflect on her behaviour on Twitter? 👀

Agree. You would have thought that everyone would have learned from Brexit that this negative approach doesn’t work! Politicians need to understand the concerns of people who don’t agree with them on all issues and seek to appeal to them or address their concerns. Vs calling everyone nazis. Which is just not helpful and not true. Not in the gender debates and not in brexit. There are some real neo nazis out there who seek to make the most out of these divides and name calling distracts from those.

Me too. First time ever I’ve not voted but anyone whose politics I agree with are saying TWAW and I couldn’t in good conscious vote for the tories. So depressing.

Totally agree - but they won't. Too high on their own purity supply.

I didn't know about Charlotte Carson, thanks for flagging that up @NitroNine - it's pathetic to be so grateful for someone saying something deeply uncontroversial (and obvious) five minutes ago. I agree with you on SFWNI: I felt pretty emotional seeing those billboards up. There are few friends who know what's going on and those that know are wary of speaking out. NI has a complicated relationship with democracy, to say the least, but I'm shocked to see the centre taken over by luxury beliefs. Not to derail the thread but did you happen to hear the latest Heterodorx podcast? I tend to share Corinna's view on the toilets/changing room issue (before I would also be of Charlotte's opinion). I think its worth a listen Heterodorx

I would vote Labour again - all they have to do is promise to leave my legal rights alone. It's astonishing to me that I even have to ask but here we are. What I can't imagine ever doing again is lifting a finger to help them any further.

Well said Screaming

”No vote for liars or reality deniers”

Pretty much covers them all.

What a shit show our parliamentary system is.

Considering the Tories over the past year, the scandals, the sleeze, the leader, this should have been an absolute bloody landslide.

And it's not.

The left in all its various shades need to start thinking about this, because this was the biggest open goal in decades.

Agreed: purity spirals are what the Left specialises in, but all they do is divide and cause conflict.