Women and the EU referendum

[WhereAreWeNow]

This paper on the risks of Brexit for women was circulated by my union equality officer. I already know how I'm voting (in) so it doesn't affect how I'll vote but it was still a really interesting read. I hadn't realised quite how much the EU has protected us from our own shit politicians and judges when it comes to things like equal pay.

The download clicky link is a 16 page TUC document. Thanks for posting its a bit too time consuming for me to study now.

Women For Britain: Seven Reasons Why Women Should Vote to Leave the European Union

I flicked through the TUC document, but most of the legal cases are almost 40 years old. They are more a reflection of the thinking at the time and they are also covering how rules are implemented rather than the actual regulation itself. One would have to read the court transcript to actual get a feel for the individual case.

Overall, the document gives far more credit to the EU than is deserving - equal pay and holiday pay was before we joined the common market. Maternity pay was not until late 70's but not an EU directive. I could go on....

The most important point is that if our own Government reverse any of these rights that we have acquired we can sack 'em. The same is not true of unelected officials in Brussels.

winterbiscuit's link is still perpetuating the lie that we give £350m a week to the EU (actually more like £170m) and that stopping this would enable more investment in schools and the NHS (the amount is a tiny tiny slice of gdp which wouldn't make that much difference to budgets and would be far outweighed by gdp lost - see image)

Higher prices due to import tariffs are a morally good thing when the higher prices are due to EU firms having greater expenses due to complying with workers' rights, health&safety and environmental legislation - I don't want responsible and ethical companies being put out of business by irresponsible unethical company from overseas undercutting them.

Also dishonestly implying (though with a mealy-mouthed "partly" because they know it's not true) that housing issues are due to immigration when in fact they are much more to do with BTL landlords and property investment capitalism making it a more profitable use of building companies' investment to build luxury flats in London that stand empty as an investment than affordable real homes. Plus even if it was due to immigration, immigration wouldn't go down very much post-Brexit.

A site/organisation that disrespects my intelligence so much as that isn't going to be worth engaging with. If they want to be persuasive they should stop being so dishonest in their arguments.

Yes, sorry it's a bit long but I found it worth persevering with. I think it makes the point quite clearly that even where the UK already had legislation in place (eg. equal pay) the EU strengthened it (introducing the concept of equal pay for work of equal value). And it's clearly not all ancient history. It points to recent developments (we've got EU to thank for our parental leave entitlements).

Do you think sensible women like Gisela Stuart (lab) Andrea Leadsom (Tory) Jenny Jones (green) would vote Leave if Brexit was an anti Women's rights move.

It is far too simplistic and frankly disrespectful of anyone's intelligence to point at supporters of either side and say that their support (if they are respected) means that side must be right or that their support (if they are generally acknowledged to be unpleasant) means that side must be wrong.

I am sure the 3 people named by Millyonthefloss have their reasons but so do many very sensible and well-informed women on the Remain side:
80+ Female Labour MPs
30ish Female Tory MPs
Caroline Lucas MP (Greens)
Academic Monica Threlfall - also here
TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady, easyJet boss Dame Carolyn McCall, and Tory peer Karren Brady all named as pro-Remain here

I have no doubt that the Leave campaign could continue naming respectable intelligent women on their side too. Likewise both sides have their share of unpleasant people in their camps, male and female, who both sides must be embarrassed by to some extent.

So perhaps more focus on the issues that all these women are raising, and testing their assertions to see if they hold water, rather than expecting their name and allegiance to convince anyone?