Dear Sophie Walker...

[ArcheryAnnie]

I don't know if you or your staff will ever read this, but here goes.

I was really impressed that you came to the Women's Place meeting in London yesterday. I was sitting with a big group of MNers, to your left, and I don't think any of us had any idea at all that you were there. It can't have been easy for you, sitting in that room and hearing hundreds of feminists hiss and boo whenever the WEP was mentioned by any speaker. I can't imagine you ever envisaged that when you started up an avowedly feminist political party. You were brave to stand up after that.

I was sorry you didn't stay until the end. I understand it, but I think it's a real pity.

But, but, but. It's no use taking notes and saying you are listening, if you don't take any account of what women are actually saying to you. I don't know either you or Heather Brunskell-Evans personally, but what I see from the outside is that one of you is willing to be transparent about what went on in the WEP, and one of you is hiding behind procedure as a way of avoiding transparency. It's not enough for you to shout out "that's not true" when Heather is talking, if you aren't prepared to speak on this yourself. It was clear to me that Heather would give you permission to publish, so why don't you? Because the reality is that so many women - at that meeting and elsewhere - have been threatened and hounded and ostracised and censured for saying pretty unremarkable things (such as "maybe we should think carefully before sterilising gender nonconforming children") that of course we are going to take Heather's side. So many of us have been there already.

You say that the WE formulates policy slowly, and that you are listening, but we here have been trying to talk to you about this since at least November 2015, and the ill-fated Guest Post from Sandi Toksvig. How long do you expect to take on this? Sandi wrote "Join us, share your ideas" and then buggered off, not leaving even one party member of the then alleged 50K members to bother to discuss ideas and answer questions with us. (This is what we had to say then, in case you'd like to know: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/guest_posts/2502963-Guest-post-Sandi-Toksvig-The-time-is-right-for-the-Womens-Equality-Party?pg=1)

That was more than two years ago. How long, seriously, do you expect us to give you to formulate a coherent policy on these issues, when in the meantime your actions have show again and again that you are prepared to throw women under the bus? As the mighty Datun said at yesterday's meeting, sadly after you'd left, "Shit, or get off the pot".

There was one point during the meeting last night where I consciously thought "blimey this is it - I'm witnessing the last gasp of the WEP before its unhappy demise". I don't know whether that's true. I don't know whether you can row back from this. But you are now, for good or for ill, a player on the political stage, and you have, still, the goodwill of many women. (Although not nearly as many as you had at the start, I can promise you that.) You got off on a bad foot with MNers right from the start, and we could reasonably expect to be your natural allies, even those of us with existing loyalties to other political parties. How can you hope to be a mainstream political party if you are unable to talk successfully with us?

Where do you go from here?

Great letter Annie and I concur.

Sophie, women need a party that supports us. Many of us are politically homeless now, precisely because of this issue.

Please, listen to us and talk with us

ArcheryAnnie We need more women (and men) like you in politics.

Ditto

(Thanks, Archery)

I once sat with CAtherine Mayer, in WEP early days. I was told WEP was inspired by UKIP. That WEP was helping shape other political parties policy. You sold women out by not being gender critical, you can turn this around, history will respect you as will we, if you turn this around and stop putting men ahead of women.

On a personal level, if it's true that ASC runs in your family, you are advocating sterilisation of children like your own, I don't know how you can live with that.

Hi SW. You would have my & my DH vote if you could support women.

Hi Sophie

TBH, I lost interest in WEP when it decided it wouldn't approach economic issues as these weren't specifically women's issues. Um, I thought, gendered austerity? The care economy? And I agreed with others who were calling you a middle class ladies' campaign group.

Now, I realise you will blackball members who have a structural, not identity-based, analysis of gender and are unable to even define women by biology.

I have to ask. What is the point of you?

Sorry.

As a founding WEP member - I was SO excited!

What you are doing is truly important.

Please do listen - and talk - and listen - and talk.... Women's rights are central to this and as the WEP if you are not prioritising women's rights over trans-rights, there is something seriously wrong.... especially if you listen closely many transpeople are NOT shouting for the same things as the Activists but whispering, No no no.....

There is room to genuinely be a WEP and be supportive of the transcommunity as a whole, but not the transactivists....

All you have done is prove that gender critical women are not welcome in your party or indeed anywhere, and that you will blindly side with trans ideology till its death, just like every other male centric organisation.

You could not even support a woman who has spent three decades studying gender and women's rights, fighting VAWG, who's voice should be and urgently needs to be heared, respected and given platform.

You caved.
One complaint. One man.
One more incredible woman shut down.

The WEP has proven itself spineless and utterly unfit for purpose.

Leaving early, says it all
The WEP are pointless for women

another former member here, I was also at the meeting last night, it was a great meeting. while I'm impressed that sophie walker came into such a hostile environment and spoke I just don't think it rings true. theres been time to formulate a position, time to hold a debate but none of it's been done. I think they just hoped this would all blow over, but it doing so they've missed the bus on being in on the formation of a new women's movement.

The WEP are worse than a chocolate teapot.
A chocolate teapot would have comedy value; the WEP are just pitiful.

And you could like the chocolate teapot off the table doctor

Sophie,

Nobody has full access to what is going on, or has gone on, in your party.

Only you do.

Is it really beyond your power to surround yourself with women who support women? Genuine question.

Because if it is, you seem to be in a dilemma.

So here's a radical notion. Gather courage, resolve and support from all the women who are crying out for representation and spring clean your party.

Get rid of dissenting voices which are making it difficult for you to even define the people you claim to represent.

It shouldn't be this hard.

And if it is, just ask yourself why?

*lick

@datun yup.

^ what they all said.

The WEP are a great disappointment. Great post OP.

Dear Sophie,
It’s very hard for me to see another perspective on something that urgently affects me as a woman, my children who are gender-noncomforming, and all the young people I work with who are utterly surrounded by the trans ideology. But I understand that you are still dealing with this as a debate rather than what it is for many of us here, as a utterly dangerous ideology that needs to be resisted in the same way that eugenics or fascism did.

Nevertheless I say to you: this is the time to be brave. Your daughters will thank you.

And from a purely practical point, this is your chance to really differentiate yourself as a party - if you stood up for women, it would be a vote winner. Your policies as they stand are simply too mainstream. In trying to please everyone you please no one.

Another one who urges Sophie Walker (and Sandi Toksvig et al) to be brave.
You allowed the WEP to be colonised by transactivists seeking to change society and the WEP for their own ends. I believe that this was politically naive rather than deliberate misogyny but when you ended up criticising Heather BE for her very mild comments on the Moral Maze, you gave a very clear statement about the party's values.
I believe that if you really are serious about women and feminism then you have to stand up and be clear:
Children must not be medicalised and 'watchful waiting' is a legitimate and ethical approach to gender non conforming children
There is NOTHING wrong with women's biological identity
Women have every right to expect privacy, dignity and safety (as enshrined in the Equality Act) and those men who seek to become women should be respectful of women's rights and not seek to undermine them
The penis is NOT a female organ.

If the WEP cannot openly state the above, then what use are you as a party for women?

I'm not certain that you can reverse this to be honest but IF you are really listening to women then you'd better give it a go and try and do the ONE thing that the WEP is meant do - stand up for women.

Thank you ArcheryAnnie , maybe Sophie will add to her notes?

To be fair to Sophie, from my vantage point she had actually taken a lot of notes in her notebook. It still makes me think that her actions now are a bit shutting the stable door after the horse has bolted. That they thought they could get away with abusing women and that we would politely accept it but are now trying to backtrack. What also springs to mind is the old 'I hit you because I love you', 'I promise I will change, give me another chance'.

I agree with all the above posters. I would just add, why do we and the WEP have to debate 'woman'? Why do we have to listen to arguments and reflect on the idea that woman is a feeling and may actually be based on stereotypes not biology? It suggests that 'the other side' feels entitled to argue this, believes we can be worn down or that their point of view will eventually triumph. Why do we have to take a reactive position?

I get the need for debate around issues in which many views of the best way forward need reconciling and maybe this is just a feeling which will pass but why is it that woman must always hear men out? Why are our legal protections up for debate? We are not talking about the best method to achieve something but actual philosophical and legal existence.

I compare it to other things I will not debate, my views are entrenched on. Pedophilia not o.k. - I won't consider arguments for. Bestiality, not o.k. I won't consider arguments for. Racism, not o.k. - I won't consider arguments for. Rape, not o.k. - I wont consider arguments for (yes, they have been made). and on and on.

I fear I risk turning into a bit of a TRA in reverse with this stance. Maybe I am just a bit weary and will have a bounce back.

Also, disclosure: I am biased, another member of WEP was incredibly hostile and rude to me a few months back when I asked an innocent question even before the HBE scandal. I just think WEP are the dregs and patriarchy with a purse.

Great post Annie.

What is a woman? Start from there.

Agree with everything you’ve said, ArcheryAnnie.
Did Sandi T really never return to that original thread? That’s really crap.

AuntyElle she didn't at all, but 5 days later Sophie did, briefly, to throw a few soundbites at us. It wasn't their finest hour.