MNHQ Please can we invite Penny Mordaunt MP for a web chat?

[Macareaux]

Who would support the idea?

Yes please.

Are Damn and Daim different people?

As a poster in FWR on MN, I am apparently very deluded, so why ask me?

Oh excuse me! It was just a general inquiry. I struggle to keep up with the name changes of those who send themselves to try us.

Would love to see Penny but her team will say no (waves to Ollie Entwistle)

I don't see how they could possibly say no. The Minister for Women refusing to have even a webchat with Mumsnet about law changes that particularly affect women and girls would look ridiculous. How can they turn it down?

They can for sure. They just do it. Who cares what we think?

I suspect it depends to some extent on how confident the minister feels about doing it.

I remember, in a past life years ago, advising my minister not to do a Mumsnet webchat because I'd looked at some past ones and feared she'd be taken apart. (I didn't express my reservations quite like that.)

The minister wanted to do it and did. She was taken apart.

That's quite an insight right there Scarlet. Hope you didn't get any blame for not insisting hard enough.

This would be brilliant - a very appropriate speaker for Mumsnet members

Wanderabout
....I don't see how they could possibly say no. The Minister for Women refusing to have even a webchat with Mumsnet about law changes that particularly affect women and girls would look ridiculous. How can they turn it down?
But the possible law change doesn't affect the vast majority of women or girls does it? The only women affected are a few thousand transwomen. It has precisely nothing to do with anyone who isn't trans.

@Damnthatonestakentryanother2 - Is that seriously your stance? In your various guises, you've read on here what some of the concerns to women are, you've seen cited examples and clear evidence that this law change will affect women and girls.

While I understand that you wish to protect the rights of transgender people, I simply can not get my head around your absolute insistence that (natal) women and girls will be unaffected.

It affects every single woman and girl. Trans people are not the only stakeholders.

Isn't the timing a bit out, though?

Once the consultation paper has been published, then it would be absolutely appropriate, but I suspect any request now will be brushed off with a "wait until the formal consulation is launched."

We would also be able to have a more focused discussion, once the actual proposals have been published

Totally agree Olenna but think the invite needs to go in NOW to prebook - asking if it could happen mid July - i.e. before schools have broken up and mums are looking after kids and holidays

But the consultation paper hasn't come out yet, has it? Aren't we expecting it in autumn some time?

Apologies if I've got that wrong, but I couldn't find anything concrete online

There's no way that the paper will be published over summer, and I can guarantee you that any request to Mordaunt's office now will come back with a response along the lines of committing to consult widely once the paper is published and a full engagement programme being developed at the moment. Ie no promise to do a web chat, but not turning it down either.

Government is on record as saying it hopes to publish the consultation document before the summer recess, which starts on 24 July, if I remember rightly.

And there's been speculation (Sunday Times yesterday) that start of consultation will coincide with Pride in London parade on July 7.

Teansadvocates in government departments putting everything in place

Ah, sooner than I thought (though I wouldn't be surprised if it got delayed to the autumn, given how much time Brexit and Heathrow are sucking up right now)

I'd doubt a minister would be available over summer anyway - they do tend to be away for most of recess, other than for cover purposes

I figured that a fair amount of notice would be needed - does anyone know how long consultations usually run for.

Even the act of inviting her is another marker in the sand though.

Yes, but it would need to be on the topic of gender recognition so there isn’t just one question she can dodge, and then lots on biscuits.

Consultations are usually for 12 weeks, though if lots of that period is over the holidays (like this one might be) then it's good practice to extend the consultation period by a few more weeks, to ensure that people who need to respond have a chance to do so

QuizteamBleakley
@Damnthatonestakentryanother2 - Is that seriously your stance? In your various guises, you've read on here what some of the concerns to women are, you've seen cited examples and clear evidence that this law change will affect women and girls.
First: I am not "various guises": I am me, using one username, no others. Although I do realize that multiple aliases are almost standard practice on MN.
Yes, I've read the so-called "concerns" that have been stirred up by a few anti-trans activists. And I (and many others, including government ministers) have explained that they are false, and why they are false.
There are no proposals to amend the Equality Act, Sexual Offences Act, or any other legislation. The only proposal that might be made is a simplification of the process for applying for a GRC. There's nothing definite about it, and it's not even necessarily "self-ID"! So if you are not planning to apply for a GRC, it makes no difference to you whatsoever.
The only plausible explanations that I can see for pretending otherwise are that it is an excuse for inciting hatred against trans people or a smokescreen to hide a deliberate campaign to deny trans people the rights that everyone else takes for granted.
I don't deny that there are some issues that transwomen and non-trans women could usefully discuss and even co-operative on...but I don't see any chance of that happening while trans people are subjected to constant malicious propaganda.

Did anyone post a request in site stuff? I think it would be a good idea to get penny on anyway. There are lots of issues to talk about in addition, such as women's refuge funding.

Here is the clip of Penny Mordaunt speaking at the Women and Equalities committee on 20/06/18.

Here is an article by WPUK which collates the evidence of calls that have been made to amend the EA and remove sex-based exemptions.