Encouraging response from my MP

[Foxxinsoxx]

I don’t want to out her (or myself) but I’ve finally had a response from my MP to my letters regarding the proposed changes to the GRA. She says that she shares my concerns and did want to attend the Westminster Hall meeting with Fairplay for Women etc, but it clashed with something else.

Strikingly, she goes on to say:

“This is an issue that I am very concerned about and I know that this is the case for many of my fellow female Members of Parliament. However, due to the aggressive nature of activists on this issue, this is something that has only been contained to private conversations.

That being said, when the Act finally comes to the House for debate, I suspect you’ll see the true opinions of many MPs regarding** this.”

She also asks me to encourage others to write to her so she can build a consensus regarding concerns on this issue. I have only spoken to family and a couple of friends as the whole subject is just so divisive, but I’ve passed her comments on to them. I wish I knew how to find more gender critical feminists locally!

Anyway, I want to say a massive thank you to the knowledgeable, intelligent, witty women on this board, without whom I would probably still be in the dark! I have been a regular lurker here for about eighteen months (and on Mumsnet in general for nine or ten years) and I’ve learnt so much. Because of you, I’ve written to my MP for the first time, signed petitions, and completed two consultations.

It does seem that the tide is starting to turn. Thank you to Mumsnet for standing strong and allowing women this invaluable space for discussion.

A Grateful Lurker

Good on you

Is your MP a Tory, OP? I’ve spoken to my Tory female MP twice now and she has said pretty much what yours has said. Apparently there is an active group of Tory feminist MPs who meet up, and she’s discussed this with many of her colleagues. Last time I met her she had literally just received an email from a trans activist telling her not to go to the FPFW event in the HoC - she was utterly incredulous at the email.

Hm. I've an SNP MP, in it for the photo opps/career/ego as far as I can tell. I doubt it's even worth trying.

Yes she's a Tory. I disagree with her about pretty much everything else!

I'm slightly irritated by her response. It's all well and good saying that MPs are scared to speak out but what about the rest of us? We have a lot to lose too but we still do it (where we can) and it surely is there job? The fact they are not speaking out makes GC positions look extreme. They really need to do better. At least she's honest I suppose.

*their job

That’s encouraging. I’ll write to my MP again.

This is encouraging, and good on her, but this statement is extraordinary However, due to the aggressive nature of activists on this issue, this is something that has only been contained to private conversations.

These are our elected representatives. They are supposed to represent the people. They have parliamentary privileges so they can say what they like unhindered in a way we cannot. They have stood up to people who were actually aiming on bombing them during the troubles. And they are afraid to speak out.

I find that really troubling. Why? Are all our MPs spineless, or are there some very powerful voices pushing this? Are our MPs no longer of the generationnthat believed in public service and now work solely on what’s popular? It is extraordinary that MPs think like this. Either they’re spineless, genuinely scared or politics has become a career step to consultancy in a way that removes all duty to public service.

None are good options. Let’s hope they do stand up. I’m struck by how thebpeople who are standing up are ordinary women with the most to lose. This will inform my voting choices for life. Find your spines.

This will inform my voting choices for life.

This.

are there some very powerful voices pushing this?

There's no question about this.

However, due to the aggressive nature of activists on this issue, this is something that has only been contained to private conversations.

I think that's extraordinary. It's an admission that female MPs are too intimidated to speak out on an important policy issue.

This doesn't happen on anything else, does it? Brexit, universal credit, Yemen, Islamic terrorism. Just this one issue. What does this tell us?

It does make sense for there to be a point at which a lot of people unite to speak up at once, that way the risk to the individual is minimised. And it makes sense for that point to be the parliamentary debate on the GRA.

I don't blame anyone for being scared. A female MP who spoke up on her own would be a prime target for violence, and fuck knows what other targets she'd get painted on her back.

It's frustrating but I can kind of understand why they'd take this approach. I wonder if there are any Labour MPs who are planning to speak up.

My female labour MP is woke. She signed the stupid letter to Pink Times. She sees no problem with TW in women's sports.
I can't take her seriously ever again.

These are our elected representatives. They are supposed to represent the people. They have parliamentary privileges so they can say what they like unhindered in a way we cannot. They have stood up to people who were actually aiming on bombing them during the troubles.

Exactly. If MPs are too scared to tackle this, we can't trust them to be incorruptible and able to serve the public. You shouldn't go into politics if you don't have the confidence to speak up.

I absolutely agree that it is extraordinary that MPs feel they can't speak up but I also understand why, bearing in mind the tone of the debate so far. And yes I think there's an element of safety in numbers.

Having seen some other woke template responses, I just thought it was relatively encouraging...!

You're right, it definitely is.

Labour are really letting their voters down.

I've written to my Tory MP a few times and her responses have been getting more personal/understanding as the year has gone on.

She was very interested in seeing the results of FPFW's populus survey and has passed it onto others. I think it is reassuring to them to see that the majority of the country do not support the transactivist position.

From our correspondence, it also sounds like those involved with prisons are actively trying to prevent another Karen White situation happening again, including actively raising their concerns through the GRA consultation.

The tide is on the turn.

From our correspondence, it also sounds like those involved with prisons are actively trying to prevent another Karen White situation happening again, including actively raising their concerns through the GRA consultation.

This is good to hear.

Captain Kirk I totally agree that the Labour party are letting voters down, especially the female ones

I think it is important to be understand of MPs who fear for their personal safety or mental sanity. Bad stuff does happen (Jo Cox) and they have responsibilities to their families too.

That said, I hope the Tories who clearly are concerned can come together in large enough numbers to have confidence in their position.

Hm. I've an SNP MP, in it for the photo opps/career/ego as far as I can tell. I doubt it's even worth trying

From watching the census committee discussions www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3444180-Defining-sex-in-the-Scottish-Census it looks like at least some of the SNP may be GC, so they may not be an entirely lost cause...

Maybe you could pass the letter anonymously to James Kirkup, OP

The trouble with putting all the eggs in the one basket of 'we'll say it on the day of the debate' is that the debate will be dominated by ill informed fuckwits like L (I can see souls) Moran spouting highly impassioned nonsense and the (what personal agenda/conflict of interests?) speaker of the house managing things to go his way as he has already done on this issue.

It has really come to something when once MPs spoke out even under threat of being bombed, and now they are afraid to speak out in case they get harassed on twitter and (gasp) look unpopular .
The experience of this current government (and the several before it) is like being endlessly trapped in a year 7 wet lunch break.