Response from my MP - Raising with Minister

[Fluffymule]

I emailed my local MP yesterday to express my concerns regarding the impact on women, particularly in relation to sex segregated spaces, steming from plans for GRA reform.

I have received a reply from his office today asking me if I would like him to raise it directly with the Minister responsible for a response to the points I raised.

Does anyone know what that means in practice?

Is it important that MPs are doing this so that there is visibility that there is a push-back at constituent levels. Or is this a way to distance the MP personally from the questions raised, allowing him to return with the Party line?

I got this. The minister in question, Justine Greening I think, just sent a load of waffle about not wanting to be meanies and not wanting to be on the wrong side of history. No critical thinking and no engagement with potential problems.

Its changed though hasn’t it? Not Justine Greening anymore it’s Amber Rudd I think

It means that the person responsible is asked about it by your MP. You may just get a load of useless twaddle back, but at least you have added to the voices raising concerns. Forcing MPs to have conversations about this stuff is important IMO. I haven't done it for self-ID but have over a couple of other issues because I think the best way to influence the government from my lowly position is to engage in the political process.

I've just had the latest from my MP (have exchanged correspondence on several occasions now). He sent my latest views to the Government Equalities Office (after my first email got a waffle from some Govt minion).

Reply from Baroness Williams (Minister for Equalities) includes "The recommendations of the Select Committee are a helpful contribution to the debate on how to improve outcomes for transgender people. However, the recommendations do not constitute Government policy.. The Government currently has no plans to amend the Equality Act 2010 provision relating to single-sex spaces. I assure Mrs XXX that the consultation process will be as broad and as open as possible, and we want to understand the views of all groups on our proposals."

So, more waffle but maybe a hint that the Tories are backing off a bit?

I will be going back to my MP to press the matter further in relation to self ID and also to tell him about the HoC meeting last night and suggest that he speaks to his fellow Tory David Davies. To be fair I think my MP has concerns, but like most MPs is keeping his head down. I will persist.....

I went to the HoC meeting last night and asked my MP to meet me in the lobby.

She was busy but said to e-mail her my concerns.

I e-mailed her in the past and got a mealy mouthed response back about being proud of transgender rights, but agreeing that transing children is a concern.

So not quite sure how to approach. Will watch this thread with interest to see how people are addressing their MP's.

I emailed my MP and got an interesting response - he is usually very cut and dried but this time he said he needs to think about this; he also included a line about "agree that women should have women-only spaces". I'm interested that he wants to think about this because (am I a foolish optimist?) it sounds as if he sees this is complex and he wants to get it right. He's Tory

I just got this reply from my Tory MP - only emailed him 2 days ago!

Thank you for this, and let me say that I absolutely appreciate your concerns about this.

The intention of the reforms is to streamline the process for changing gender, and in this respect I support any moves to help transgender people with the unique and difficult challenges they face. But I think it goes without saying that there can be no “rights” extended to an individual that simultaneously infringe upon the rights of others – and I certainly would not support any proposal that would place women, children or any other group in a more vulnerable position as a result.

It is worth noting that the Equality Act 2010 allows organisations to provide single-sex services and I know that the Government has no intention of changing the safeguards already in place to protect e.g. vulnerable women using these services. Those who run single-sex services are professionals and make decisions that are in the best interests of the individuals, and the consultation on the reform of the Gender Recognition Act will be specifically concerned with gathering input from such individuals and services.

I hope this gives you an idea of my views on this matter, and some reassurances that you and I are very much on the same page here.”

I found the line about ‘professionals’ interesting:
Those who run single-sex services are professionals and make decisions that are in the best interests of the individuals they help

I think I will reply and point out that professionals such as Women’s Aid have thrown vulnerable women under a bus - and that many others may disregard the EA for fear of being branded anti-trans?

Bayeaux my expectations are so low these days that I heart leapt a bit reading that reply from your MP.

AskBasil
I e-mailed her in the past and got a mealy mouthed response back about being proud of transgender rights, but agreeing that transing children is a concern.
I really think we should put a lot more emphasis on the issue of the transing of children. I think many people will be more sympathetic to a cause which has protection of children as one of its aims, rather than one which is just trying to preserve women's rights. This is the issue that made me realise that there was a problem here - I was aware of the dangers to children from social contagion and mis-management of mental health issues well before I realised there was a real danger to women. I think we're more likely to get men on board if it's seen as a danger to children, since many of them take the view that women, as adults, don't need protection, but children do.

Those who run single-sex services are professionals and make decisions that are in the best interests of the individuals, and the consultation on the reform of the Gender Recognition Act will be specifically concerned with gathering input from such individuals and services.

This was just mentioned on another thread. It's well meant, but its a get out statement: intended to be reassuring but a lie as keeping single sex provisions means nothing if anyone is free to identify as any sex irrespective of their biology. It isn't pro the rights of biological women at all, it just means not removing sex segregation altogether.

You may also want to show him the facebook page for the women's holiday group who got utterly SLAMMED yesterday for sharing the link to the 'let women join the consultation' petition. They currently are sticking to the Equality Act as it stands and providing services to biological women only (and you may also want to link this to the evidence given by the Deptford group last night talking about how their coal face services to people in serious need, abuse, addiction etc are being colonised by middle class students wanting to interrupt the work to educate everyone on gender identity politics with no understanding at all of the reality of what these services are trying to do, or the utter irrelevance of trying to make it all about gender politics, or how much that's interrupting crucial work to people in no state to care). The onslaught by a couple of TRA supporters repeatedly posting over and over shaming and pressuring to force them to agree their priorities should shift and focus on including 'trans sistas' and basically meet the needs of theoretical men no matter what the cost to the actual service users. It was disgusting to see, and the speed and flood of posts was concerning. Professionals providing single sex services are coming under ridiculous pressure to include men at the cost of their actual service users . And as one of the posters stated, she was fine with that because white 'cis' women can basically fuck off, the primary need as she perceives it is to 'protect' transwomen.

To answer the original OP - yes it's important that MPs raise concerns directly with Ministers. You will likely get a load of waffle back but the important thing is that if Ministers get regular correspondence on this in sufficient volume it will alert them to the serious public concern. It will also flag to the policy officials who lead on GRA policy and who will be drafting the ministerial responses that there is a groundswell of concern.

It probably also means your MP is sympathetic to the points you've raised.

Also, ministers have to respond to MP letters.

Thanks Kneedeep - I’m not very articulate so that will help me formulate a reply.

Please take up the opportunity for the MP to speak to the Minister. There are a few others doing so as demonstrated by the thread below. Every little helps....

Http://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3188513-reply-from-mp

Ps did my link work? No idea how to make it clicky on phone...

If you are asked if they would like them to raise the issue with a minister, the answer is YES

Sorry for shouting, but this is really important.

Basically, if you as Joanna Bloggs writes to Amber Rudd, you will get a standard reply back from the correspondence section, written and cleared and signed off by a civil servant. It won't go anywhere near a minister, except perhaps as part of general stats about the subjects that made up the post bag in the last reporting period (if there are enough on the same subject to make an impact)

If your MP writes to Amber Rudd, you will get a reply back from either her or one of her ministers. It might be much the same standard response, but the key thing is that it will have crossed her actual desk and will have her actual signature on it, and the vast majority of ministers are pretty diligent about reading what they are signing.

The normal way this works is that the MP will forward your letter on and say something like "please can you let me have a response that I can send to my constituent?", and the reply will come back to your MP and he will pass it on to you. Occasionally MPs will expand the covering letter to include some personal thoughts ("this is a matter that is also causing me much concern" or "this is one of a growing number of letters on this issue" or something along these lines), which is even better as (good) civil servants will tweak the standard response to reflect this as well. Which again, requires reading and engagement with the issues.

Does that make sense?

Questing was a lot more succinct than me.....

threadreaderapp.com/thread/973852316787933184.html

That's the Deptford statement

I know the women's group facebook was on the Millwall/HOC thread last night.

www.facebook.com/The-Womens-Holiday-Centre-156865584461041/

Found it.

Sorry if I am derailing but has anyone heard from a Green MP about this?
What have they said about womens concerns?
I spoke to a party volunteer (not MP) the other evening and just got the "transexuals have rights too" mansplanation.

The normal way this works is that the MP will forward your letter on and say something like "please can you let me have a response that I can send to my constituent?", and the reply will come back to your MP and he will pass it on to you. Occasionally MPs will expand the covering letter to include some personal thoughts ("this is a matter that is also causing me much concern" or "this is one of a growing number of letters on this issue" or something along these lines), which is even better as (good) civil servants will tweak the standard response to reflect this as well. Which again, requires reading and engagement with the issues.

Thanks for this explanation, OlennasWimple that’s really interesting. But does it work across party boundaries, or would only Tories be writing to the Minister in that way? I have written to my Labour MP, so would he be passing it to the Shadow Minister (if he’s so inclined)?

Queen - no, this is MPs engaging with government ministers, so a Labour MP would still write to a Tory minister. You could write a different type of letter if you wanted, to probe Labour Party policy, but I don't know how MPs are supposed to answer those (I presume the parties each have their own guidance about handling correspondence)

Queen - no, this is MPs engaging with government ministers, so a Labour MP would still write to a Tory minister. You could write a different type of letter if you wanted, to probe Labour Party policy, but I don't know how MPs are supposed to answer those (I presume the parties each have their own guidance about handling correspondence)

(PS - I love that our user names both refer to the same character - I suspect Olenna would be pretty gender critical)

Thank you, shows how little I know about politics. Hopefully I’m one of many who have got so riled up about this issue that they’re getting involved where they haven’t before!

I actually asked the question suggested on the thread that was linked to above - what is my MP’s personal stance on this issue. It’ll be interesting to see what comes back, it’s a brave public figure who sticks their head above the parapet where self id is concerned!

Does anyone have a link to some wording I can use when contacting my MP? I have lots of thoughts on this and some guidance as to how I can get them across is a clear and dispassionate way would be useful. Thanks!