Mark Drakeford, First Minister Wales: women's concerns a 'shrill dogwhistle'

I now recognise this character 'angry, attacking, righteous man' throughout Labour. To be fair, I think it is gender neutral as a phrase. This seems to be largely how Labour operates whatever sex the politician. Ad homs, sneers, smears, insults.

Self-justification fallacy seems to be baked in. They can do no wrong, for they are the Virtuous Ones.

I have leftish-centrist views, but I can't abide Labour.

The use of 'dogwhistle' is a red flag.

Agree.

I think Drakeford used to be a social worker and I wonder if his prioritising of one type of “vulnerable” person (trans people) over another (women) is linked to the pattern we sometimes see in serious case reviews where social workers prioritise the needs and wishes of abusive parents over children who are at risk. Sometimes the social workers have had the wool pulled over their eyes by devious/needy adults and usually the adults have their own vulnerabilities and dreadful back stories. I suppose what I’m getting at is the tendency of some social workers to be so sympathetic to a sob story that they lose all sense of who is in fact the most in need of protection and this is then exploited. None of this, of course, is any excuse for how Drakeford behaved.

Dogwhistle 🙄

Back when I was really trying to make it all make sense, I asked questions to TRAs on Twitter and even though I was approaching the subject with a totally open mind (actually hoping to understand how gender identity worked and be back on the 'right' side) all my questions were called dog whistles and nobody would (could?) answer.

Excellent post.

This. Excactly this. I cannot believe I have ever voted Labour. They are a complete disgrace.

I also think ‘angry, attacking, righteous man’ has become MD’s standard response when he facing questions in Senedd he does not have an answer to.

He obviously thought it worked well in his response to the Welsh Tories when he couldn’t explain how he was going to fix the utter mess the NHS in Wales is in, so he must have decided to deploy it to every difficult question.

Proving that great quote, ‘I am always delighted when my opponents resort to personal attacks as I know that means they don’t have a single political argument left’.

Oh darn he missed 'hysterical' for a full house in mysogenist bingo 🙄

I sent a thank you card to Laura Anne Jones the last time she was shut down and ignored in the Senedd for asking a question on women's rights and safety. She's been very courageous in the way she has spoken up. It's extraordinary that in the floor of the Senedd a question can simply go unanswered, with just a response that 'Only a bigot would ask that question'. Welsh democracy is in an appalling mess. If they're confident they're right, and women are not actually at risk at all they should be able to answer the question with all the evidence they have and the research they did when they carefully assessed the implications of their policy. "Look, a bigot!" does not cover up the fact that they have no evidence and no answers to these questions.

I've been writing to my Senedd member about this issue for a couple of years now - emails about the RSE curriculum and the LGBTQ+ action plan went unanswered, even after multiple chasers. I only got a meeting by saying that I wanted to talk about an issue to do with school, and they claimed they'd responded to my emails but they must have gone into spam! It's appalling.

Plus the irony of women's concerns being dismissed as 'shrill' following a SILENT PROTEST about how they're not being heard. Perhaps Welsh women need to ask the questions in a really deep booming voice and then we might finally get an answer.

Agree with RoyalCorgi, here.

Just like Scotland. Sturgeon called women racists homophobic and transphobic

but we had politicians like jo cherry pushing back and then of course sturgeon ran off

sorry wales. It’s Biazzare seeing how these politicians are allowed to get away with and enjoy their misogyny

I agree with this

I’m so angry about misogynistic Drakeford but would prefer to not muddy the waters with children of (any politician really)

Much as I dislike Drakeford, I think this is unfair. He is Drakeford's adopted son, who I think had already been through trauma by the time Drakeford and his wife adopted him. You can't lay everything at the blame of the parents, at least not in this case.

Everyone should remember that Drakeford's SON (presumably raised with his values) was imprisoned for eight years for a sustained rape. He has also previously committed a child sex offence.

No surprises here. Fact is I think Drakeford is taking out his frustrations on being humiliated by women protesting in the one of holiest spots in Wales on Laura.
https://nation.cymru/news/drakeford-speech-marred-by-silent-protest-over-womens-safety/

The question is what do we DO about it? How do we stop a party as powerful as Welsh Labour.

Well I think the solution is staring us in the face. We follow the Scottish playbook. The SNP looked all powerful, but they were not.

The SNP fell apart because of INTERNAL resistance to their madness from members. Without Cherry, Forbes and others inside the SNP the crisis would have been smaller.

That was combined with effective political attacks from OUTSIDE from women's groups and other political parties.

So we need a multiple front approach. Labour Women's Declaration already has a strong contingent in Wales they need reinforcement. Start derailing this stuff more at the CLP level. Also Drakeford is going to be standing down in the next year or so. There will be a leadership election. Perfect chance to get a pro-woman approach pushed. So that is one option. Joining Labour to cause trouble might seem counterproductive. However YOU can't argue with the results women got in Scotland.

There is also a NEW OPTION.

Just announced Adam Price is standing down from Plaid at the moment because of the sex harassment claims inside the party.
https://nation.cymru/news/adam-price-to-quit-as-plaid-cymru-leader/

What are the the prospects of GCs developing a strong voice inside Plaid again? Is the scandal enough to get women's voices bigger again. Price was strongly connected to to TRA faction in Plaid. Should we be joining to try to push in pro woman direction? Get publicity. Cause trouble in the leadership election.

Anyone got any insight on this?

Alongside this we already have a brilliant set of activists attacking the genderist agender from outside in Wales. So that is amazing. The issue is they just can't break through. Helping them is great. However I can't see what else they can try. Welsh Labour are just not reasonable - they won't listen to protests or to well written arguments.

They only respect political power. We need a political voice from the left. Either more resistance inside Labour or taking over Plaid. Preferably both!

Because lets face it the Welsh Tories are NEVER going to take down Welsh Labour on anything by themselves. Anyone who lives in Wales knows that is a pipe dream.

This is how we know we live in a tyranny.

She is really brave. She is the only member of the Welsh Assembly, as far as I'm aware, to speak out about how this ideology threatens women, and she has done so repeatedly. That takes immense courage. My only hope is that when this whole disastrous experiment is over the bravery of people like Laura Ann Jones will be remembered in the history books.

Tbf he has to spend every waking minute in the company of Mark Drakeford.

That's enough to make anyone lose the plot.

God I hope women lose this election for Labour, in Wales, and everywhere else too.

Why is he so angry?

He can stick his dog whistle up his smug,woman hating arse.

Her mic was muted? But nobody else’s was - you can hear people muttering and agreeing with that man.

She raised valid concerns, was effectively told to shut up and was then not allowed/able to respond. The poor woman.

I live in wales @Pluvia and completely agree
My inlaws live in Llanelli , and say a donkey would get elected if he turned up wearing a red rosette
We live in a Plaid constituency ( they’re equally as bad )

Having watched that clip on Twitter ( where he shows himself up completely as an utter misogynist twat ) it’s unbelievable that no one challenged him

I really wish he’d do a Sturgeon flounce and bugger off