Johnson to pitch TRA backlash as part of GE campaign?

[RedToothBrush]

Faisal Islam@faisalislam
“Number 10 has been polling “culture war” issues, such as transgender rights, to see whether they can be weaponised against Labour in northern working-class constituencies” says the Times’ ⁦*@RSylvesterTimes*⁩

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/e654014e-cd99-11e9-bfe0-b5ac4ce6ca95
Boris Johnson’s luck might be about to run out

Didn't see that coming a mile off...

Johnson wants polarisation

Johnson is a politician. He knows his opponent's weaknesses. He knows Labour are struggling to hold together a coalition of metropolitan 'liberals' and socially conservative communities. He knows forcing this issue will leave Labour in an impossible position where they either have to admit they don't give a shit about those socially conservative communities or they don't give a shit about the metropolitan 'liberals'.

This is, of course, a situation of Labour's own making but that isn't Johnson's problem.

He knows Labour are struggling to hold together a coalition of metropolitan 'liberals' and socially conservative communities. He knows forcing this issue will leave Labour in an impossible position where they either have to admit they don't give a shit about those socially conservative communities or they don't give a shit about the metropolitan 'liberals'.

Yep.

It would show a use of identity politics similar to how we've seen in the US by Trump and co. that doesn't seem to have harmed them any.

I don't see Johnson coming out openly with any statements. However, I do see him uttering some blustered comment, similar to the pillarboxes, one about men in women's sports or prisons that can be linked to some of the more prosperous incidents.

People who would never have supported him before will be predictably outraged (or not), otherwise it would most likely help him consolidate his base - 'straight-talking Boris'

Since Johnson doesn't care much about anything apart from Johnson (here's my bias sneaking in), he won't be bothered about any collateral damage

I’m sure Rachel Johnson hasn’t had to have a word in Boris’ ear. He’s fully aware of the idiocy of TWAW and doing this would be a clever move. I’d be 100% behind it and I couldn’t care less if his primary motivation is winning votes.

Despite all the current unhinged attacks on him, he’s basically an old school social liberal who believes in letting individuals live their lives as freely as possible, including freedom of expression. I like the fact that he clearly hates PC culture and occasionally offends minority groups. It’s a reminder of the price we all need to pay to live in a genuinely free society. No-one’s ideology is sacrosanct.

I’m sure Andrew Gilligan will have had a word.

Thanks for the sharetoken Empress. I can’t see how disaffected former Labour voters will come out to vote on this but agree with other posters about how politicians (and their strategists) are trying to focus on identity.

My guess (and it's only a guess) is that he'll propose banning puberty-blockers being prescribed to children, specifically under 16s.

Interesting guess TimeLady. Perhaps that would result in better investment in children’s mental health services instead of assuming that any distress among children and young people would be cured if they changed gender. I am not denying gender dysphoria exists but the rise in referrals to GIDS can’t simply be explained by greater trans awareness/acceptance.

Thank you wise women of Mumsnet. I read that Times piece last night but struggled to make sense of the implications.

I’m sure Andrew Gilligan will have had a word.

Indeed.

My thought is that Johnson wants to demotivate me from voting. Not because he cares about women but because he's happy to exploit the situation. Which has the potential to harm women in the process anyway.

And whilst I am demoralised as a voter I need to be very very mindful of this psychology going on.

My guess (and it's only a guess) is that he'll propose banning puberty-blockers being prescribed to children, specifically under 16s.

That would be a positive step, but I seriously doubt this is what the strategists have in mind when they talk about weaponising the culture wars.

I have to admire the nerve, in a way. After all, it's the Tories who put forward the proposals for reforming the GRA, and when I emailed my Tory MP about it, the answer I received was the kind of woke nonsense you might expect from Caroline Lucas or Sadiq Khan or any of that bunch - not a single attempt to engage with my arguments.

Fascinating discussion on Woman's Hour at the moment

I find this concerning for the same reasons as those on this thread who have mentioned the weaponising of identity politics. This has been done by the Trump team and picked up on in Ben Elton's 'Identity'.

What bothers me most about it though is the fact that it would be a cynical, manipulative move merely for the Conservatives to follow common sense on policy. Is this where we are? Where postulating common sense is politically cynical and used to supress traditional left votes. How worrying that we are caught between left wing politics which may potentially (if they give up the virtue signalling) assist those in poverty and the cynical virtue signalling of 'supporting' women's rights of the right while they plunge the country into further economic crisis and harm more actual women caught in the poverty traps they created. Hobson's choice.

Since none of the parties feel particularly loyal to election promises anyway I feel like we have very little democracy in the UK currently and I would view a stance by Johnson on this with a jaundiced eye because I have zero trust or faith in him. Boris cares about Boris only and even his cabinet should be aware of that. GC flag waving by Boris should only be seen as manipulative and, quite possibly, temporary flag waving.

The big surprise really was Theresa May letting Penny Maudant run with GRA reform as she did.

Not to me - anyone at the income level of cabinet ministers, shadow cabinet and PM (don't forget about all the lucrative side gigs as 'consultants' and those non-exec board seats) is insulated from reality.

Why would you worry about men in women's hospital wards when you'll always have a private room? When your medical treatment will always be conducted by your choice of practitioner in an environment of your choosing?

It's not as if either of them will ever be in the Primark changing rooms is it?

They'll be exercising at a very expensive health club which can easily filter out any 'problems' with private membership agreements and expensive lawyers who can apply the EA exemption rulings in their sleep and will have no problem getting a wave through from the courts.

Money is a hell of a set of blinkers.

Very very interesting. Once again the analysis on here is razor keen.

The game playing would be fascinating if it wasn’t for so much being at stake, and Boris’s bluster and ‘straight talking’ persona is just a very effective poker face imho.

Being GC is my hill. This potentially puts me in a position politically and personally that I never ever thought I’d land in.

I’m a centrist. I used to be left wing... until I became a gender critical feminist.

The left wing have called me a “bigot” on my doorstep, they have supported rape and death threats against other feminists, they won’t even discuss women’s rights/ grooming gangs/ FGM, they want to police the language of women...

I do not want to be associated with them.

I’m not saying that the right wing is any better, but at least they listen and debate.

This potentially puts me in a position politically and personally that I never ever thought I’d land in.

Indeed. If it weren't for Brexit I'd actually consider voting Tory if they came up with a clear policy protecting sex based rights and that is not something I ever thought I'd find myself saying.

It's also about depressing the vote on the left and centre and reducing turnout.

There have been many threads on here with people in similar position to me - very worried the left party’s stance of women's rights but also anti brexit - or at very least anti no deal.

Both issues have potentials to do real long-term harm and adversely affect my family.

I will always vote but I’m not sure yet for who and it's no real suprise to me that this would be exploited in next election.

Johnson is a trumpist and brexist ergo very dangerous for Women's Rights.

Equalities Legislation always comes from Labour and EU membership, and never from tories and brexists.

Hence, the strange incidence of tories, trumpists and brexists becoming so prominent on these 'feminist' threads.

To paraphrase the sign in the EU parliament, pointed towards that self styled bastion of Women's Rights Nigel Farridge.

'They are lying to you'.

Oh this is... frustrating. I want this pushed out into the mainstream consciousness, but I don't trust Boris and Cummings to do it effectively in a way that protects women and children.

Trying to categorise people into tories, trumpists and brexists just seems so childish. I have learnt not to fear people who try to silence me by arguing that certain beliefs or statements must mean that I am a right wing reactionary. Politics like this have served society very poorly. It's not just the left that do this - a quick engagement in the Brexit debate reveals equally ignorant comments about remainers. It's pathetic and very destructive.

Cummings and Johnson don't particularly like uppity women ruining their fun anyway.

How do we know this?

The Stonewall interim Chief Exec appointment is very disappointing. They have given it to a staffer who looks to be singing from the same hymn sheet as Ruth Hunt. That means presumably that they are not going to engage with women’s concerns.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3384407-Times-letter-petition-STONEWALL-CRITICISED-undermining-women-s-sex-based-rights-and-protections-Jonny-Best-et-al

The petition linked to there is still open to everyone to sign btw

Equalities Legislation always comes from Labour and EU membership, and never from tories and brexists.

Although sadly, Labour have demonstrated that they don't give a fuck about women's equality.

True, they've been very disappointing. Empresse

Doesn't take away from the hard fact that the Labour and Feminist movements won us our rights.

The tories and brexists always remove them.

Brexit will and is decimating Women's Rights.