Conservative landslide - how are we feeling as feminists?

[Cwenthryth]

I feel very mixed this morning. So worried about what this means for public services, policing, NHS, social care, mental health services, housing, in-work poverty... all of which disproportionately affects women, either as those needing these services or picking up the pieces when dependents cannot access what they need. We now have an openly misogynist prime minister (we did before, but now he has a secure mandate), who won’t even acknowledge all of his children whilst slagging off single mothers, and has had the police called out due to neighbours fearing for the safety of his partner from what they could hear through the wall.

But there’s a tiny silver lining of it seeming that it seems very unlikely that self-ID would be brought in under this government, at least in the form the Lib Dems were touting for, so we are probably more secure on retaining sex-based rights than we would have been with any other result.

To be honest it’s not really much comfort to me right now.

usthadathought you are part of Labour's problem. The policies were clearly rejected

You've got no idea who or what I am...I've never even come across you before. This is the women's rights board. I don't participate elsewhere on Mumsnet. You've clearly not read any of my posting history, not understand my values.

This twitter style of posting whereby you simply engage in 'tit for tat' and random personal comment is not the way it is done on this board - in general.

I'm not in the Labour party, nor did I vote Labour. I spoiled my ballot.

As I understand it - and please correct me if I'm wrong - the Labour National Executive is controlled by Momentum. They will have no intention of leaving.

The NEC is controlled by Momentum.

A lot of people are capable of seeing through the media but the manifesto and the policies are there for all to see

For the leave voting marginalised constituencies - it was about Brexit, and about Jeremy Corbyn and the culture that his leadership engendered.I doubt very much that most people read the manifesto.
It was a bit fantastical in parts....like an idealised shopping list ( plus some 'wokeist' ideas such as Gender self Id, not radically different from that which traditional Labour communities have voted for in the past.

As I understand it - and please correct me if I'm wrong - the Labour National Executive is controlled by Momentum. They will have no intention of leaving

This is something which puzzles me. If Momentum has control over the mechanism for selecting the next leader, how will a more moderate candidate get selected?

The NEC is controlled by Momentum

Yes, Len McCluskey had a large part to play in what went on in electing Jeremy Corbyn.

43% said Corbyn 17% said Brexit

Yes lower for policies but still it all adds up to a huge defeat.

This is something which puzzles me. If Momentum has control over the mechanism for selecting the next leader, how will a more moderate candidate get selected

Momentum doesn't, as such. The large trade unions do.

Labour winning an election is mired by an internal tussle that thwarts it’s own success.

Every so often someone gets through that, how did Blair? And the U.K. does want centre left and he got a landslide victory.

Labour doesn’t learn from it though. Even now you hear oh the manifesto is amazing. It wasn’t. Corbyn wasn’t. The reaction is making me dislike Labour even more.

Its - autocorrect

Momentum is like a party within a party. I live in Liverpool and the Labour conference was held here last year, and a couple of years before that....The Momentum events, and conference, were entirely separate to that of the main party conference. Momentum attendees at no point attended events at the main conference hall - which was in a different part of the city.

It is the unions - in the guise of Len McCluskey - who had most influence in selecting Jeremy.

Sorry Just, I didn't mean to jump down your throat. I don't think I make a habit of it either

Anyway, I don't think it was brexit per se - on the face of it, Labour took a neutral stance - neither 'get brexit done', nor 'revoke article 50'. They advocated for a second referendum because they knew they had loads of people on both sides of this issue.

But to take that stance and then call the leavers racist, thick etc. - that was repellent.

Labour need to look at ALL the reasons though. It's a huge clusterfuck and will take some time to untangle.

Yes lower for policies but still it all adds up to a huge defeat

Using Liverpool as an example....Liverpool voted to Remain - it also re-elected Labour across the whole city region this election. Places which voted to leave/for Brexit voted for the Tory party.

If you dig down into the voting figures, though, a sizeable proportion of Liverpool seats had high Conservative figures this time around( which is unheard of), even if they didn't win any of them.

Like all big cities that voted Labour - there are enough young, educated urbanites and who voted Remain - to overcome the the more deprived and disenfranchised voters in poorer districts - who were more inclined to abstain from voting at all - or to vote Brexit/conservative - in order to achieve Brexit.

If Momentum has control over the mechanism for selecting the next leader, how will a more moderate candidate get selected?

Well, those rules are set and are unlikely to change for the next leadership election as they already favour the party activists more than they did.

But there will also be elections for the NEC and rejoiners will be able to vote against the Momentum slate.

Just how did / does someone like Blair break through the powerful union and momentum Labour?

Momentum doesn't, as such. The large trade unions do.

I think that both Len McLuskey and Momentum play an equal role. The old system did give unions a disproportionate vote via the electoral college. The new system gives union members votes as affiliate members.

www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/explainers/labour-party-leadership-contests

Momentum is a party within a party and they are very well organised. This is why Jeremy Corbyn won the leadership elections by miles, even though the majority of Labour MPs did not support him.

I fear I will never see a Labour Gov again. They can't dig themselves out of this by just clinging to illusions. Their policies lacked realism and were presented badly, the tactics were terrible. Nationalising railways is popular - hey I know let's nationalise everything and we'll get a landslide.
Whoever wants to get the party out of this whole will need to be ruthless and Machiavellian.
I feel sick and furious in equal measure.

Just how did / does someone like Blair break through the powerful union and momentum Labour

Not all trade unionists are radicals. My father was a shop steward in an a engineering union in the 1970's/early 80's until Thatcherism hit, and the company moved to Spain where Labour costs were cheaper. He was a mediator, not a provocateur.

Momentum Labour did not exist under Blair; it was only formed in 2015: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Momentum_(organisation)

Oh there you go then 2015 that makes sense. What they have done is terrible for Labour’s chances.

Regarding the grassroots constituency Labour parties - many of them have been taken over by Momentum activists, and have seen the re-emergence/entryism of the old hard left militants and other dinosaurs.

Jeremy Corbyn's brand of socialist idealism and campaigning vigour enthused many young people - who joined up and the membership figures swelled. They are different to the old militants, though - in that they are young, mainly middle class/university educated - and tending towards a pro EU stance/Remain.

The likes of Derek Hatton, who tried to re-join the Labour party, are a different breed. Working class firebrands and agitators, with a vengeance for those they consider 'Blairites' or dissenters in any form.

They agitated to de-select and to remove offending MPs from their seats. Some of this was founded in the left's obsession with Palestine; anti-Capitalism and anti-Americanism..which quite often segues into generalised anti-semitic tropes.......Jews control the world; control the banking system etc. Louise Ellman, for one, was treated disgracefully by many in her constituency party/ she wasn't ideologically pure enough; had voted for the Iraq war, and was a member of 'Friends of Israel......she had to go.......

Frank Field, his own man, and therefore not toeing any lines, was hounded in his Birkenhead constituency. He is a left wing Brexiteer, and he voted for Theresa May's deal. He's now gone. He'd faithfully represented his deprived constituency since 1978. His constituents voted to leave ( even though Labour has just been elected in Birkenhead).

A culture of intolerance has taken hold and a 'right side of history' mentality - displayed by the likes of Owen Jones.

What do people know/think about other factions within the party - Progress, Labour First, Open Labour?

Just you know your Labour onions. Do you think Keir Starmer could be selected to lead? (He’s my first choice so far).

No, I think a non-London MO will be considered a priority.

I’m currently agreeing with Lang and hoping Lisa Nandy will stand (although her expenses are high and she was a player in the failed coup of 2016, so that might be a sticking point). Lisa is MP for Wigan.

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/lisa-nandy-declares-ambition-run-21101328.amp

I just feel miserable and sad. Hard Brexit is going to be absolutely awful for women. De regulation will hit us the hardest. We'll still be caring for everyone and everything with no help. Racism will soar, it already is. The environmental issues will be ignored. Food standards will drop. Peace in NI and Ireland is threatened. Lying has been legitimised. People like being lied to.

I can't find any positives and I say that as a family who will no doubt benefit financially from Tory policy. I suppose that is my privilege speaking though. I don't know how else to put it though, so don't shout at me.

I don’t know anything about her I’ll check out that link.

I’m not convinced it has to be non London, Johnson got in after all across the country. Just not Corbyn’s version.