Jo Swinson taking calls on Radio 5 at 9am

[Madvixen]

Jo Swinson will be on Radio 5's Your Call at 9am this morning taking listeners questions.

what really made me laugh was when Jo starts with the usual spiel about different women black, women, asian women, white women etc and eventually gets on to trans and cis women but says that last bit so sheepishly she is almost hoping to sneak it in and the conversation will move on.

She really is hopeless, the best outcome for her would be to lose her seat, resign her position, take a break and contemplate what she has done.

She did it all quite artfully, I thought, going on about how she "just knows" that she is a woman - that's straight from the script. I don't think she hasn't thought this through, and the hesitation could also be interpreted as indignation - "how can you even ask me such a question?"

But the "man who wears a dress to work twice a week" follow-up was priceless.

Being aware of how you're perceived by others is a fairly key skill for a politician.

According to Wiki, she was once a marketing and PR manager. Which, because am always childish, I find highly amusing.

Yes, mockers, can't believe that's an actual thing!!!

Need a sandy draws badly cartoon...

what really made me laugh was when Jo starts with the usual spiel about different women black, women, asian women, white women etc and eventually gets on to trans and cis women but says that last bit so sheepishly she is almost hoping to sneak it in and the conversation will move on.

So she's a racist as well as a homophobe, believing that black woman are like women in the same way that people with penises are like women? What a surprise.

I would liked to have asked her if there were any transwomen giving birth on her maternity ward when she had her kids and if not why not?

How can you tell what a woman is

She knew what a woman was when she wrote her book 'Equal Power'
"Why is gender inequality so stubbornly persistent? Power. Even today, power remains concentrated in the hands of men right across the worlds of business, politics, and culture"

She excludes self identifying trans men.

Not realising they could be raped, need appropriate health care for endometriosis, abortion, contraception, smear tests etc.

She really needs to be asked "on what basis do you exclude trans men from women's rights and accessing women's medical services?"

She knew what a woman was when she wrote her book 'Equal Power'

She knew what a female was when she answered the question about pe...

eventually gets on to trans and cis women but says that last bit so sheepishly

She did, didn't she?
Politicians need to stop saying 'cis' if they want to be taken seriously. It doesn't mean anything in the real world, and if you don't have the ovaries/balls to acknowledge that women exist as a sex class that doesn't include any men, then politics probably isn't for you.

I don't think she really believes it either. She's just being polite.

I do wonder if last week's canvasser (who didn't know any of this was in their manifesto) has listened to either of this morning's interviews by his leader.

The old cliche about if you can't explain something then you don't understand it does rather come to mind. Though in this case nobody else does either.

Boris believes his own bullshit

No he doesn't. He doesn't know what is going to come out of his mouth until he opens it.

I thought that Hannah (?) came across really well, especially with the follow-up. The gender pay-gap bit was priceless.

Love the headscarf question. A headscarf is not gender-neutral. But let kids wear what they want for school uniform

What was the headscarf question?

In my view the issue of ethnic rights and equalities is where the Liberals will be most crucified. They instinctively want for Muslim women to have the right to wear what they choose - sort of thing......
but what will happen when it comes to male bodies in intimate (Muslim) female spaces? Who, and what, will top 'the hierarchy of rights' league table? Are transwomen more oppressed than Muslim women...or do Muslims just have to shove up and make space like the rest of us?

Its hard to remember a party leader looking so unconvincing in answering a question. She literally has not even convinced herself.

I can see all the parties PR wonks studying that interview and thinking stear clear of the GRA. Will there be anyone wishing to reform it now? If the BBC rang her up would Dawn Butler fancy doing an interview on the issue? Or would she have another engagement. Would Jeremy Corbyn or Penny Mordaunt still wish to boldy tell the world Transwoman are Women?

I don't think she really believes it either. She's just being polite

She has said in interviews she has a 'good girl' complex. She just wants to be nice and for everything to be lovely.

" No he doesn't. He doesn't know what is going to come out of his mouth until he opens it"

what I meant is that he doesn't quiver with self doubt

I can see all the parties PR wonks studying that interview and thinking stear clear of the GRA. Will there be anyone wishing to reform it now

I think that is wishful thinking. Once in power the manifestos will still apply. None of them are going to row right back- just like that.

I don't think they will ditch it, they will just be afraid to answer questions on it.

It reminds of Janice Turner shredding Maria Milled, albeit in a print interview, Miller was a lot less bellicose about the issue afterwards and managed to get herself shifted so someone else could carry the can. Nobody wants to carry the can now.

Anna, if you are here . Superb question and excellent follow ups. You put it in the clearest terms, with the clearest most simple examples and she couldn't answer. Thank you.

Helen Belcher is the one responsible for the LibDem gender policies, yes? Then let Belcher carry the can. I'm sure Belcher would come across just brilliantly in a live radio interview with a non fawning journalist.

Excluding some females from having any spaces or provisions to give a small percentage of males more freedom of choice and expression.

Removing provision for females so that males may have free access to it all at will without boundaries.

Seeing harm to females who will suffer due to this policy as acceptable collateral damage.

Own it Swinson, you craven, deeply sexist coward.