Genuinely feeling mortified for Jo Swinson

[Considermesometimes]

Wow that was kick in the balls if ever I have seen one. Jesus how absolutely humiliating. I was curling up just watching the footage last night, and then the clip about her claims that she will be PM.

Just mortifying on every level.

I hope she is able to leave with a shred of dignity, because I am not sure she is ever going to recover her creditability after last night's carnage. She was seriously out of touch, and she paid the ultimate price.

She should have had some PR

I think PR & Marketing was her job before she went into politics!

I worked with Swinson's predecessors Ed Davey and Norman Lamb in what was BIS when I was in Westminster. Both were interested, committed and very Liberal in values. Jo was invisible - unless it was a photo op. She sent "her people" to meetings. She didn't win many friends among the civil servants.

She was invisible in her constituency from election to election, yet, constituents were bombarded with poorly written literature. The SNP candidate is by all accounts a personable, approachable solid local who worked very hard in the campaign. I was a bit surprised when I found out who the candidate was because that seat was always a target to win back and I thought they might have parachuted in a big hitter. I believe she is close to Nicola Sturgeon hence Nicola being so delighted at her election.

I don't think gender politics had much to do with the ED result. The only constituencies where it was at play was in Joanna Cherry's and Neale Hanvey's. Delighted to see Joanna's majority increase and very happy that Neale was elected.

She's a full on fascist. Reverse the vote indeed.

She got off lightly.

Firstly, she is not “young” although she might be inexperienced. She’s nearly 40 so should be capable by now if she’s ever going to be.

Secondly, the LDs only have themselves to blame we have the electoral system we do where you can gain vote share but not seats. If they’d stuck to their guns in the coalition and campaigned for a PR and not AV referendum things might have been different. I can’t forgive them for this.

Thirdly, she can probably get a good job at Stonewall now.

I don’t think self ID is a good thing at all. But feminists shouldn’t focus on it to the exclusion of other issues. Women are in a far, far more dangerous position under the Conservatives than we would have been under Labour/the LDs.

No sympathy from me whatsoever. Appalling voting record and thoroughly two faced, saying what she thought would go down well with voters to get up the political ladder. Fuck off Jo and develop some humility and empathy

Yeah I think she was massively out of her depth.

Crikey, most of the vitriol on here could equally apply to BJ. All about himself, dismissive of women etc. What are his views on self-id, has he been asked the same questions as Jo Swinson?

at the start of the election campaign there was a 4 way split in popularity between Labour, Conservative, Lib Dem and Brexit party

Not in East Dunbartonshire there wasn't.

Maybe if she'd have paid a little more attention to her own constituents and their concerns she might not be out of a job.

She's speaking live right now and described herself as a FEMINIST.

Fucking hell Jo, wee bit of self-awareness here would do you the power of good.

She was my local MP. I voted for the SNP because:

• I am anti-brexit and pro-independence
• Swinson ran a terrible campaign, with multiple unforced errors
• Swindon’s voting record is diabolical, and she refused to take ownership for her mistakes

lexplorer I agree.

ButchyRestingFace’s oh so hilarious suicidal intent speculation jibes are particularly nasty and uncalled for.

The GC crowd seem as eager as ever to condemn, gloat and sneer at women who disagree with them on trans issues, despite the constant FWR protestations of being supportive of all women, whether they agree on all points or not.

Lexporer - I feel the same about all the leaders, not just Jo. The Lib Dems told us they didn't want GC women in their party. They welcomed the Challenors even after the paedophilia/rape and torture of a girl in their house was known. And that's way after Baroness Featherstone called herself an uber feminist and made it clear she prioritised Tw over women. Oh and then this happened
www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2019/02/05/feminists-not-welcome-lib-dems-unless-support-gender-neutral/

I would like to have seen them all asked the same simple questions regarding sex and gender ID.

Though Corbyn and Abbott made their anti women views clear just this week as they waxed lyrical about how they'll reform the GRA - removing women's rights and protections.

I didn't agree with her on a lot, but fair play to her for going for it. Watching her statement now, fair play to her for still remaining positive, I am cringing inside, but again, fair play to her.

Also what the heck are all of these lines about glass ceilings, hope being the chance that there's a door soon

But I’m pretty sure that at least 149 women were persuaded by her stance on gender to vote elsewhere and lose her her seat

How can you be pretty sure about that? Oh that's right, you can't possibly know that.

It's just as likely that a whole bunch of people voted for her because of her stance.

Although, as has been said, the most likely scenario is that for the vast majority of voters in her constituency, it had absolutely no bearing on their vote. Of course, that inconvenient fact wouldn't allow you to turn yet another thread in to a pointless TRA debate.

I don’t like her and I disagree with nearly everything she says but if people stayed out of politics because they were afraid of losing an election, then society would be screwed. It’s not mortifying to try something and not succeed. It sends the wrong message to young people to say that losing is mortifying. It’s much more shameful not to try.

And I’m sure that like other ousted MPs (Michael Portillo) she will find lucrative employment pretty quickly. She’s not going to be working for minimum wage anywhere.

ButchyRestingFace’s oh so hilarious suicidal intent speculation jibes are particularly nasty and uncalled for.

Oh dry up with your histrionics. “suicidal intent speculation” my arse. 😂

She was happy to throw just about anyone under a bus and got telt.

She's done and behaved no worse then Boris . Why is such vitriol thrown at Female politicians when male politicians can get away with murder and appear to be Teflon coated? Incidentally I'm no supporter of hers, but I can't bear online vilifying. Hence I do feel some sympathy for her.

It's alright. Her Lib Dem MSP friend has written her a love letter. In which he says she is a victim of sexism.

How can you be a victim of sexism if sex isn't a thing?

www.scotsman.com/news/opinion/columnists/i-love-jo-swinson-like-a-sister-and-she-was-unfairly-treated-alex-cole-hamilton-1-5061977

She is a young leader, has generally progressive views

She's hardly young. Progressive?
What's progressive about telling women to shut up so that men can share their wards, loos, changing rooms, refuges, prisons and carry out their smear tests and mammograms?

What's progressive about comparing transwomen with lesbians?

The word you are looking for is regressive.

Is one a voter or is one a voter? Or does voting exist on a continuum? If one thinks one is a voter, has one voted? Maybe there were too many demi-voters and a-voters and bi-voters and pan-voters. Oh dear it's so compllex.

She might be a woman but she's no sister. How dare she call herself a feminist.

Just listened to her exit speech, she hasn't got a shred of self-awareness.
She's an arrogant, self-opinionated and unempathetic as well as being oh so confident' I'm going to be the next PM'.
She's married to Duncan Hames a former LD MP and they live somewhere round here, miles away from her constituency and reality.

She was completely out of her depth from the word go.

@Piglet89

In every single interview or speech, she came across like a gauche teenager participating in youth parliament or a secondary school debate. Embarrassing.

Agree totally! You would never think she was nearly 40!

I don’t think she was ever the right leader. Someone like Norman Lamb would have been amazing. I am naturally a centrist and would like the Lib Dems to be doing better. I can’t vote conservative and would have never voted for Corbyn.