MNHQ here: webchat with MPs Jess Phillips and Flick Drummond

[BojanaMumsnet]

Hello,

We’re pleased to announce a webchat with Jess Phillips MP and Flick Drummond MP, co-chairs of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Women and Work, on Monday 23 January at 2pm.

Monday sees the release of the APPG’s first annual report, which explores the broad theme of ‘women returners.’ It has considered ‘a range of diverse issues which impact on the ability of women to return to the workplace, particularly after taking maternity leave or fulfilling caring responsibilities.’

Jess Phillips is the Labour MP for Birmingham Yardley. Before this, Jess spent five years working for Women’s Aid, and served on Birmingham City Council, where she was appointed Birmingham’s first ever Victims’ Champion. Since being elected to Parliament in 2015, Jess has served on the Women and Equalities Select Committee and the Backbench Business Committee. Last year she authored a guest post on Mumsnet in support of the Reclaim the Internet campaign.

Flick Drummond is the Conservative MP for Portsmouth South. Prior to her election in 2015, she worked as an insurance broker, Ofsted lay school inspector and was a member of the TA Intelligence Corps. Flick now sits on the Women and Equalities Select Committee, where her work has included contributing to the Gender Pay Gap inquiry, in which she called for more flexible working conditions to be offered at the start of employment. Flick cites her own experience of re-entering the jobs market after raising her children as important in giving her a first-hand account of the unique difficulties that women face in the workplace.

So if you'd like to talk to Jess and Flick about women and employment, returning to work, their experience of being women MPs (or just plain MPs), sounding off on Twitter or anything else that takes your fancy, do please join us on Monday. As always, please do keep in mind our webchat guidelines - one question each (follow-ups if there’s time) and please be polite!

Thanks
MNHQ

If the questions had been answered there would have been no need for a 'barrage' of posts, would there?

describe the behavior of the posters who kept up the barrage of trans posts

I would call them activists trying really hard to get their concerns heard and answered.
They were a damn sight politer than their adversary's ever are.

If the questions had been answered there would have been no need for a 'barrage' of posts, would there?

There was a barrage of posts before the webchat started and not long after.

Some of which were downright disgraceful.

@meddie

All the question about women and working and childcare were answered though. Even the stupid biscuit question. Why is it wrong for women to be concerned about the erosion of sex based protection?

I don't think we've said it's not okay to express concern, Meddie, and there were plenty of opportunities taken to do so. After a certain point, though, concern tips over into rudeness - and to continue once asked to desist is definitely not on.

What was wrong with my question please? I asked about Frank / Kelly Maloney who has a history of domestic violence being used as an NHS case study and called 'brave'

Jess has worked to protect women from domestic violence. I've worked in domestic violence.

Seemed like an entirely valid and reasonable question to me.

And no I don't speak for all women, and neither do you, there were LOTS of women here, all asking the same questions and our questions were ignored. Our questions outnumbered all other questions.

We DESERVE an answer, we have got the vote you know.

And all other questions about women REST on the potential DELETION of ALL women's sex based legal protections BECAUSE of Gender ID, so one question informs all the others, as any intelligent person can see.

NOBODY ever answers our questions, nobody ever DOES answer. Unless you are saying women's concerns about this don't matter?

I'm a woman and I'm concerned about it. I've worked all my life supporting women and girls and I want an answer. My question was fair enough and it once again went unanswered.

I'm having the same experience with my own MP who trots out platitudes and fails entirely to engage with what I'm actually asking. Are women not allowed to to expect that people in power might actually engage with what they're saying then?

You'll be calling us 'hysterical' next ... or 'irrational' ...

So what was the point, then, if they were only going to answer questions they liked, not the tricky ones, and if posters were going to be told to stop asking questions that were difficult? Clearly there is a huge concern here about the erosion of sex-based protection and they should be listening to and addressing the concerns of women on this issue, not ignoring them or stopping them asking the questions just because there's not an easy answer.

I really take issue with the assertion that after a certain point concern tips over to rudeness. This simply wouldn't be said in other circumstances, like if Theresa May were on and refused to answer questions about Brexit, I bet no would be discouraged from repeating questions about Brexit.

But hey, even if no one answers our questions, at least we can ensure we are not rude

And leaving Caroline Flint swinging the in the breeze on her own, taking all the flack!

You'll be calling us 'hysterical' next ... or 'irrational

No but some posters were rude.

It wasn't a gender-identity webchat. If you want one then ask MNHQ for one.

MN stepped in a couple of times and asked posters to stop, yet it continued.

oh and shouting certain words is unnecessary unless your caps lock is stuck

*If the questions had been answered there would have been no need for a 'barrage' of posts, would there?

There was a barrage of posts before the webchat started and not long after.

Some of which were downright disgraceful.*

There were a lot of questions, certainly. It is a good job there were too, as it makes it all the more noticeable that NONE of them were answered. Otherwise it may have just looked like an oversight rather than a deliberate tactic of avoidance.

Please don't tell me what to do. Thanks.

I did not comment on this post the entire time it was live, I left my question and commented at the end. I don't expect to be told that when I say 'that was embarrassing' (ya know, my opinion as an educated, bright woman involved in politics) to be told 'no it wasn't' and to be told 'I don't speak for all women' - who are you? Who are you to tell me what I think and observe isn't correct? Who are you to put words in my mouth? Did I ask you?

Jess is on the Women and Equalities Committee, she's dealing with this thing, are we not allowed to press her for an answer? Do we need your permission? Who put you in charge?

I was not aware that gender identity was NOT ALLOWED to be talked about on this thread, where did it say that? It said ask your question. I asked my question and so did multiple other women. They weren't answered. I commented at the end after observing the debate and women once again being IGNORED.

I don't subscribe to the 'being nice' branch of feminism, I subscribe to the being honest branch, and being forthright, and saying what I think. And I shall continue to do so if you don't mind.

Which posts were 'rude' and 'downright disgraceful'?

@HumphreyCobblers

I really take issue with the assertion that after a certain point concern tips over to rudeness. This simply wouldn't be said in other circumstances, like if Theresa May were on and refused to answer questions about Brexit, I bet no would be discouraged from repeating questions about Brexit.

Hmm - if people were politely asked to stop the barrage, and carried on regardless, then we would respond in exactly this way regardless of the topic. After a certain point its just not fair to our guest, whoever they are - and actually, it's not fair to the many other users who didn't want a one-issue webchat.

We don't agree it was a 'barrage' Kate ... it was a passionate plea for an answer. Including from a mother who knew directly that what was being said wasn't actually accurate.

But anyway, it's done now, I'm just disappointed with women 'tone policing' other women, we have enough of that from men. Plus ca change.

Ok, but you could have said clearly they are not going to answer your -legitimate- questions, couldn't you? That would have been more honest.

Just telling us to stop asking because it is 'rude' is disrespectful to voters who have a legitimate right to put questions to our elected officials.

It is pretty 'rude' to keep ignoring women who have asked questions on your web chat?

Of course, if they'd addressed the questions being asked, there would have been no need for a 'barrage'...

It's not a tea party or Desert Island Discs though, is it? It's politicians canvassing for support for their proposals.

I was kicked out as FishInAWetSuitAndFlippers (I guess I should expect to be kicked out again). My question was answered with a question. Why was I kicked off for responding to - Have you contacted the Tavistock Clinic or some of the other trans parents support groups like Mermaids? I know I answered in 2 separate posts, but I only addressed the points put to me

I am pretty appalled at the whole notion that we should stop asking our elected politicians questions for fear of being rude.

I'm absolutely disgusted that MumsNet has effectively colluded with these MPs to prevent the transgender issue and its implications for women's rights being discussed today. Today you censored the voices of many woman. Shame on you.

Fish was kicked out? Why?????

MN's ethos is to support parents, and HQ asked us to particularly consider worried parents of trans or gender-questioning children.

That's Fish. She's been coming here for support and getting it. Why ban her???

I acknowledge and agree that just saying you are a woman doesn't mean that you have the lived experience of being a girl and growing into a woman. I recognise the difference.

I found this quite encouraging. In current times it would be counter-productive to make a definitive statement about what 'woman' means. It is a fundamentally important issue, though: as so many posts pointed out, any work done for betterment of women's lives will go straight down the pan if we can't classify those people.

MNHQ's response was a little strange ... sounding dangerously close to "don't mention the trans!" Have you been got at, MN?

Fish!