The rest is politics - “The Taliban took over the country and it's much safer”

I'd say the exasperation is mostly with C&R, not you.

I do get frustrated that they're taken on their own self-assessment iyswim? They're practically a trusted news source when I know for a fact that they're woefully uninformed on more than one issue.

Just do a bit of reading. It's not that disagreement is unwelcome, more that your responses to vulnerable and oppressed women don't feel particularly appropriate.

Well I'm glad you found that hilarious. I'm guessing the women in question do not, hmm?

It’s more I don’t follow the news all that closely. Decided during Covid reading too much of it wasn’t good for me. I get the headlines from Sky News and listen to podcasts while I’m at work.

But it sounds like going against the crowd is not welcome on this thread so I shall bow out, not looking to upset anyone.

Rory Stewart and Alistair Campbell are a pair of buffoons who have no grip on reality.

I'm always a bit shocked when people admit they don't really care about women in jail or things like domestic abuse shelters or rape crisis groups - who are the ones dealing with men 'self id-ing' into their spaces

Sounds like you have that in common with Rory 🙄

Campbell and Stewart have both been incredibly dismissive of women's concerns around the removal of single sex provisions.

Campbell, in particular, has opined that the bigoted (female) voters who want them will die off soon so it's not a problem. Both have entirely refused even to acknowledge there's a side they might have missed.

This enraged me and obviously others, but in addition to the issue at hand, it showed me that they don't actually bother their arses to find out about everything they opine about. Which has rather undermined any point listening to them, for me.

If anyone wants to directly help the women & girls trapped in Afghanistan, I’ve recently come across an organisation called Victory Afghanistan that runs online classes to teach them English & then offers mentorship. They’re looking for volunteers. https://www.victoryafghanistan.org/

I avoid the trans debate altogether to be honest, it’s not something that interests me. Which is very un-Mumsnet of me I know.

These pictures are so incredibly sad

I’m not doubting that at all, I’m saying I’ve heard him say similar things before and it didn’t jump out to me as being problematic, I will have a listen and see what I think.

Here is a photo of some Afghanistani women taken in Kabul about 50 years ago. They would be in their mid-seventies now.

Stewart might as well have said that 1940s Germany was jolly safe, unless you were a persecuted group. Or that a jaunt through Ukraine in the ‘30s was marvellous, if you packed a large hamper. 🙄

He's such a clueless twat.

I don't think they even are particularly centrist these days. Clearly left leaning on some key issues

Perhaps they do, I doubt it though.

I'd hazard a guess that every single person on this thread understands why it was a shitty, awful comment. Except you.

You should probably have a Google around what Campbell has said about Rowling for having the audacity to fight for single sex spaces for women.

There’s an assumption - prevalent on MN in my experience - that centrist politicians must be more sensible, informed and considered than other politicians.

I’m willing to accept that, on the whole, pols and commentators in the centre might be less volatile than those to the right or left of them. But clued-up and intelligent? No, there’s nothing to mark out the middle as intellectually sharper or more aware.

Stewart might as well have said that 1940s Germany was jolly safe, unless you were a persecuted group. Or that a jaunt through Ukraine in the ‘30s was marvellous, if you packed a large hamper. 🙄

Do you really need to have been to Afghanistan to understand that the conditions women are under now are more dire than they've ever been? They aren't allowed to stand near windows ffs. Cats have better living conditions.

🤦‍♀️

Perhaps they do, I doubt it though.

And I don’t believe they are misogynistic.

You don't know anything about Afghanistan, as you acknowledged. Perhaps give other posters credit that they do, and many of them thought it was a pretty shitty thing to say, before wading in to defend misogynistic men.

Maybe, but I like to listen/read things for myself and make my own mind up not just read what someone else has posted on the internet and post unnecessarily aggressive posts about it. I very much doubt everyone responding on here has listened to the episode in question.

I’m also a fan of the show so perhaps biased because of that.

When did I say he was?

Just the use of the word "pile on" as if posters are being unfair to poor old Rory Stewart. He's a thoughtless, smug prick to be making this comment.

I shall, thank you.