Targeting ex Tory MPs re selfID

[niceberg]

I just saw the notice that Philip Lee will do a MN webchat tomorrow (and the first three questions about self ID). He's an ex Conservative MP who defected to the LibDems. There are a few who did the same:
Sarah Wollaston
Philip Lee
Sam Gyimah
Heidi Allen
Antoinette Sandbach

I don't know their views on selfID but as former Tories might they be less blinkered on the issue? If they have seats after 12 December I wondered if any of them might be especially worth targeting to discuss the issue to try and inject some sense (or at least some debate, you know) into the LibDems.

Sam Gyimah apparently has concerns about university safe-space policies, which is interesting.

If he’s defected to the Lib Dems then presumably he’s happy with their loopy line on self ID. However, it is worth forcing him to define his position on this. Partly because forcing politicos to explain why they are in favor of self ID is a good way of making them look like woke proponents of a policy they struggle to defend and whose ramifications they are unable to grasp .....

As these defections were tied up with Brexit (and in some cases went via the short-lived Change Group) I am hoping there are LibDem policies they decided to 'ignore' in order to still have a political home. But on which they might be more open to discussion. Or more embarrassed to be forced to define their position...

Sam Gymiah was the universities minister and, at the time, issued welcome clarification of the legal obligations that Universities and Students' Unions had in respect of freedom of speech / academic freedom. I say welcome, but the Vice Chancellor of my university has moaned publicly about it, and other universities have subsequently ignored it . . .

legal obligations that Universities and Students' Unions had in respect of freedom of speech / academic freedom. I say welcome, but the Vice Chancellor of my university has moaned publicly about it, and other universities have subsequently ignored it ...

Like the General fighting the last war, the Conservatives are too frightened of being called ‘nasty’ to address the existential threat to freedom of speech and thought in the very institutions which should embody it. Pathetic.

Well Philip Lee's webchat was singularly unedifying. Basically "I am going to be nice to everyone, but when push comes to shove, male-born person's rights trump everyone else's." And he completely dodged Tinsel's question about removal of the erroneously named "spousal veto". So I guess he's fine with women being forced to spend 5 years in a single sex marriage they didn't sign up to.

Heidi Allen isn't standing, Niceberg.

He told us all we needed to know really...