Webchat with Sophie Walker, leader of the Women's Equality Party and London Mayor candidate, Tuesday 19 April at noon

[BojanaMumsnet]

Hello

We’re pleased to welcome Sophie Walker, leader of the Women’s Equality Party, ahead of the London Mayoral elections, on Tuesday 19 April at 12 noon.

The Women’s Equality Party was set up in 2015 “to unite people of all genders, diverse ages, backgrounds, ethnicities, beliefs and experiences in the shared determination to see women enjoy the same rights and opportunities as men so that all can flourish.”

Sophie was elected leader of the Women's Equality Party in July 2015, and in January 2016 was voted to represent the party in the London Mayoral election. She says she is campaigning for “work that works, affordable housing, equal caregiving, equal enterprise, transport that works, affordable housing and an end to violence against women and girls.”

She worked as an international news agency journalist for nearly twenty years and is an ambassador for the National Autistic Society, campaigning for better support and understanding of autism, particularly in women and girls.

Please do join us on Tuesday at 12 noon if you can, or post a question for Sophie here in advance. And, as ever, please do remember our webchat guidelines and do be polite.

The London mayoral election will be held on 5 May and you’ll need to register to vote by 18 April, today. (Keep your eyes peeled for more mayoral candidate webchats in the next few weeks.)

Thanks
MNHQ

I'm voting HairyGiant Poetry Party

Brilliant stuff.

Applause for Hairy!

Hairy

Wonderful, Hairy.

Raised glass to Hairy

Salute! Start the bloody party!

Outstanding Hairy

Hairy bravo! We should have had you as the Web chat guest instead of Sophie.

I am in absolute awe of HairyGiantGibbousFlaps.

Hairy! Hairy! Hairy!

HAIRY FOR LONDON MAYOR!!!!!!!!!

Hairy for Mayor-y

Hairy! you said it all - and you made it rhyme and scan brilliant!

Brilliant Hairy!

Hairy said - the above

Sophie said

I am old fashioned enough to believe that one is not born a woman but rather becomes one. The process of becoming a woman is a messy one, filled with contradictions and influenced by many different factors

I am pretty incensed that becoming a woman is a messy process - WTAF is that about??????

No it's not messy, it's a hard slog, but worth it through and through.

Vote for
HairyGiantGibbousflaps

Hurrah for hairy!

Wow hairy! I'd vote for you!

Excellent Hairy.

de Beauvoir must turn in her grave every time her quote about not being born but becoming a woman is misused to include men.

Hairy, your post made my morning, thank you.

"Anseladams, that's a different Khan. Sadiq Khan is standing for mayor, not Rabina Khan. It's quite a common name."

Did I get this wrong? sorry not wishing to derail but on the topic of London Mayoral elections, this is what i read-

"The re-run election (in TH) will be, in part, a test of Rahman’s (Lutfur Rahman Tower Hamlest ex-mayor) legacy. Though unable to run himself, he is prominently backing his erstwhile cabinet member for housing and regeneration Rabina Khan in her campaign to succeed him. He spoke in her support at a rally last week, along with local health and education campaigners. The only female who’d been in his mayoral team, Khan praised Rahman, thanking him for encouraging her into politics and, while insisting that she would be her own woman as mayor, vowed to continue his flagship polices of education grants and universal free school meals.

She damned Labour as no different from the Tories. Under a future Mayor Khan, she said, Tower Hamlets would be a national beacon in the fight against austerity and defy the prejudice of the establishment mainstream, national governments, election court judges and all. The mostly male audience stood and cheered. "

From what I understand (and this could be totally wrong), i could also be, of course wrong in thinking Sadiq Khan is not involved with the more shady representatives of South Asian in London and greater London.

Yes! I am wrong, I apologise! the article does not link Sadiq Khan with Lutfur Rahman or Rabina Khan directly, I misunderstood, my mistake.

Brilliant Hairy.