Guess how I got suspended from the Labour Party?

[IAmDavidLewis]

Well, one of the weirdest days in my life concluded with me receiving a letter informing me of my immediate suspension from the Labour Party. They believe I may have breached the rules by subverting the intention of All Women Shortlists, Women’s Officers or minimum quotas for women. Unfortunately, this does mean that my political ambitions are on hold for a while. I shall of course be continuing to self-identify as a woman every Wednesday, as that is my gender identity...

I have to say a huge thanks to @namechangeah for all her help, guidance and, more importantly, proof-reading! I wouldn’t have gotten to this point without it. I’d also like to thank everyone for their support today. I hope this has helped a bit.

And the Telegraph called me an “activist”! Achievement unlocked

Thank you @IAmDavidLewis. Truly, thank you. If only there were more men-except-on-Wednesdays like you.

Well thank god today is Wednesday. Please rejoin the Labour Party today under the name Davina.

Hope you have a good day today David, enjoy your womanliness

Thank you for fighting this with us.

As far as I am concerned how someone acts contributes more to their identity, than their words. So you my friend are most welcome into the woman hood.

Well done! I was going to ask if you plan to appeal to make them define why and then I saw you had already said

‘Now with a suspension, the Party will presumably need to define what a “self-identified woman” is, in order to show that I am not one. That, I believe, is progress

Exactly. Lets see whatcthey come up with.

I am glad that there are principled decent men out there who are willing to stick their heads over the parapet for this. Slightly saddened that the women haven’t been listened to as well if I’m honest, but there you go.

Good luck with it. make it so ;)

As the meeting is on Wednesday, and they banned you no t on a wednesday, would you rock up and say that they banned a man called david lewis, but that can not possibly you as you are definitely a woman, david lewis.

Labour should be ashamed about this when they fawn over the foot stampers. David’s action has exposed their failure to think through this ‘policy’. It’s made my day!

Thank you for making me laugh and for showing up self ID for the farce it is. The timing couldn't be more perfect and if Owen Jones is in a rage then that is the icing on the cake.

I just cannot wait to hear the Labour Party's definition of a self defined woman.

Thank you for your stand David. We women have been trying to get attention on this for a while, we have had a few successes (the brilliant manfriday) but for some strange reason it really helps when a man sticks his head up. People listen more, somehow, just by being a man you are regarded as slightly less hysterical.
Even though Davina has rendered you in need of managing on a Wednesday.
I’ve send your article to our local councillor and he was very interested, he’s asked if I would be prepared to come in and give a talk on the concerns of gender Id issues for women to the other councillors in the area.
It may have helped to provide a platform.
Thank you for your help.

I really hope this highlights the flaws in this policy. It’s not just that it affects women, it’s the wider problem of appearing to provide for a particular group but arbitrarily deciding who should be in that group without providing any criteria.

Isn’t that the kind of behaviour you would expect from the masons?

I’m disappointed this thread hasn’t immediately become about prams and nail polish. It is Wednesday, after all.

Hey David/Davina, massive thanks for your solidarity and personal effort.
Your Y chromosomes can reach the parts of the Labour policy-making mindset about women’s representation, whereas women asking these questions get nowhere or get shouted down. So it’s a necessary thing you are doing.
I’m really hoping Labour will look again at what it is doing and also at the misogynistic behaviour it is condoning of people closely linked to the party. Hopefully your Y chromosome will help them to see how this is impacting on women’s representation. I wonder if you’ll get the same treatment as female party members that have shown so much dedication and given up so much time and effort for Labour in the past?

THANK YOU David.
My old iPad, which struggles to move from upper to lower case nowadays, automatically typed the above formatting. I think it appropriately suggests strength of feeling so have left it. Strange how technology just sometimes takes over and gets it right.
I dont know whether to laugh or cry about the once great Labour Party I was proud to call my political home. If you need any funding to fight your suspension then mumsnetters are pretty good at contributing.

It's just been on Radio 4 - very funny!

You just got a mention onToday R4

Is Jennifer Jones using her crowd funding donations? Maybe she could share?

I dont know whether to laugh or cry about the once great Labour Party I was proud to call my political home. If you need any funding to fight your suspension then mumsnetters are pretty good at contributing.

Yes, and yes! (Although I think I'm banned from GoFundMe for contributing to Jennifer James under a funny made-up name)

Don't you get a Venice Allan-style interrogation by some Labour pen-pusher for free though?

*Jennifer James

Thanks David, can't wait for Labour's explanation! If you attend a suspension interview can you record it please?

And if you are looking for inspiration for your next #WomanWednesday activism, may I suggest visiting the Scottish Parliament. A ManFriday chap was kicked out of the men's loos, so I would love to see if you would be kicked out the ladies.

Thanks David. This is why I love the UK.

Best of British to you madam, as you enjoy your womanly Wednesday

Another lining up to THANK YOU!!

Fascinated to see how this plays out.

And how dare labour question your innate lady feels on a Wednesday. If it’s good enough for he who must not be named it should damn well be good enough for you.

David, thanks from me too!

I don't think you did womanface very well David.

*emojis
*pink
*fishnet
*something inappropriate - and possibly a bit fetishish - in your Twitter history

@IAmDavidLewis thank you!

That must be some kind of record. It took them 2 years to dump Ian McKenzie, but then he's just a misogynist.