Bridget Phillipson blocking EHRC guidance - thread 2

Yes, back in 1979.

That’s well hard. An MP needs to table a prayer motion, get it, get the debate scheduled AND win the vote all in 40 days. They have bigger fish to fry. I think they’d rather it went away.

if I am remembering this right that’s happened once post ww2.

Perfect opportunity to bury the announcement amid the chaos!

Is she seriously going to do it? I thought the turmoil would be her excuse for kicking it even further down the road.

I like to think of it as seeing the best in everybody. Like the assumption of going to the (non-domestic) toilet means going for a wee, poo or changing sanitary products. That ‘fixing’ toilets to make them enclosed ‘just like home’ will save everyone’s blushes.

Then there is reality of what actually happens.

18th? 19th? 20th? 21st?

https://sex-matters.org/posts/updates/ehrc-code-of-practice-expected-in-may/

Or Rosie Duffield!

Can't disagree. I didn't know we had a Victims Minister. Is the post necessary? Has it achieved anything? To my suspicious mind, it sounds a bit Jim Hacker-ish 'being seen to be doing something'.

Just to add - I hate feeling like this about women politicians as I recognise they get a much harder time than men in politics. Transactivism has done so much harm - to society in general and also to relationships between women. These 3 are the perfect examples of apparently intelligent women signing up to the ludicrous belief that men are women when they say they are and expecting everyone else to abandon our knowledge, integrity, wish to safeguard the young and to centre women in our feminism.

It's hard not to despair.

Alex Davies-Jones has also resigned now. She was Victims minister. Is it a coincidence that both she and Jess Phillips resigned after Harriet Harman’s appointment seemingly over their heads?

Their egos are far bigger than their experience or commitment to the safety of girls and women. Suspect Harriet Harman is a role model for them - all feather bedding a good living in politics for themselves while self identifying as feminists and ethical politicians.

All 3 are towering disappointments.🙄

Both Jess Phillips and Bridget Phillipson trade heavily on having worked in refuges for women but this experience of refuge work doesn't seem to have informed their political vision or ministerial work in any meaningful way. What they say and what they do are greatly disconnected.

She has been a massive disappointment. I used to think that she genuinely gave a shit, but now I wonder if the whole VAWG thing was just a meal ticket for her.

I've always known Jess Phillips had a brass neck on her but criticising Starmer on the basis of 'deeds not words' is a bit rich for even her. She's not exactly been productive at managing her brief: she spent more time in trying to stop rape gang inquiries from happening than in supporting them happening.

And her attitude towards the EHRC Code of Practice being deliberately delayed has been woeful: followed the party line completely, none of her previous 'truth to power' bluster. For all her big talk when in opposition, Phillips getting into government hasn't benefitted her fellow women and girls much.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c1e2n923v1lt?post=asset%3Ac4ed217c-aa18-4a41-b3ae-b51db5689edc#post

My informants tell
me most likely laid next week after kings speech however today’s shenanigans put everything in flux.

Apparently Jess resigned, so that is one down for Bridget's fight.

King’s Speech tomorrow so could technically be laid then, but we are running out of days in May!

Parliament goes into recess on Thursday 21st, so I think there are only 7 days available, even if we include this Friday 15th which is not a sitting day for either house (though I’m not sure of the technicalities on that, as it is ‘during the existence of a Parliament’).

Erskine May:

"What constitutes laying must be a matter for the decision of each House. In 1948, however, the Laying of Documents before Parliament (Interpretation) Act 1948 was passed ‘for the removal of doubt’. It declares that statutory references to the laying of instruments or other documents before either House are (unless the contrary intention appears) to be construed as references to the taking, during the existence of a Parliament, of such action as, under the standing or sessional orders or other directions of that House, or under the practice of that House, constitutes laying, notwithstanding that the action can be taken at a time when that House is not sitting. By Standing Order No 159, the House of Commons has directed that the delivery of a copy of a statutory instrument to the Votes and Proceedings Office on any day during the existence of a Parliament shall be deemed to be a laying. As a matter of practice, instruments are not normally laid on Saturdays, Sundays, bank holidays, Good Friday, Christmas Day or after 3 pm on Fridays, unless the House is still sitting. The Standing Order does not apply to special procedure orders or to any other instruments, including some of those subject to the affirmative resolution procedure, which are required to be laid before Parliament or before the Commons only before coming into operation."

Bloody cabinet bullshit happening today , I do hope this still gets laid this week....

Jess Phillips needs to fit in somewhere, too. 😬

Camilla and Tim break it down

FWR fave James Kirkup has analysed Keir’s speech as Starmer trying to microtarget various groups of voters but mainly he’s trying to keep his job by appeasing Labour backbenchers.

Party before country, commes toujours Keir 🤷‍♀️

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/gift/f957e7e6af38b6ff

I think my favourite description of Starmer’s speech is this by Tim Stanley:

’I can save you the bother of watching the reset speech: his father was a toolmaker. We’ve come to the end of Keir Starmer’s personality, not a long road to start with, and short of wearing a fez or announcing a sex change, there are no depths left to reveal. In a vote of confidence in the Parliamentary Labour Party, brimming with “talent”, he has brought back Harriet Harman and Gordon Brown. Harman is in charge of women, despite being unable to define one. Gordon is special envoy on global finance, because Keith Vaz was unavailable.'