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.

Off course people have rejected left wing economics. Not the cause for all but many.

Labour needs to look inwards at what they did wrong and consider how to fix it.

Of course

Could Lisa Nandy be a compromise candidate, do you think, Red

I'm not sure.....what about Yvette Cooper? To me she is very credible and more likely to have wider appeal. None of the other women i have heard being suggested would be able to carry a majority. I'm sure of it. It cannot be a Corbyn acolyte.

I’d support Nandy for leader, I think.

But then, I’m a southerner who relocated up north 12 years ago, so I can see both angles.

Off course people have rejected left wing economics. Not the cause for all but many

Not sure that's true. I think the picture is far more complex. The Labour vote fractured across many lines. also, if you have people who would like to vote Labour, but can't - you've got a major problem.
These issues cannot be evaded and blamed entirely on the media.

Yes it's all our fault. We're totally to blame.... or you could actually look at how the other parties alienated their core voters and go from there. You decide.

I spoilt my vote by the way,

Hmm. Your attitude is part of the reason Labour lost. You entered this thread to harangue women for how they voted. Your post was accusatory and inflammatory. Hence you’re getting challenged

WTF?

I entered this thread to respond to it, like everyone else.

You don't like my response. That's not my problem. If you honestly imagine it is akin to dictating your vote, you need to go sit in a quiet room and take some deep breaths.

And it isn't amazing that you're able to have productive conversations with a load of actually leftist women who are regulars on here? Compare that to the faux-left Twatterati Wokeists and the johnny-come-latelies moaning on here about the result

Absolutely Lang. And I have learned so much on this forum and been welcomed by posters like yourself despite our political differences. This is actually a very special place. I am very pleased I found it. I feel a great deal of respect for the denizens irrespective of party politics because of the things that unite us as women.

Not everyone on here is a Tory or voted for them.

And it puzzles me that you go on about the "selfish, selfish, selfish women who voted Tory over trans issues" when you could just as much blame men who voted for the Tories.

The "your feminism isn't good enough" line only works for the young and impressionable.

Cooper came third in the 2015 leadership contest (behind Burnham and Corbyn) with 17% of the vote.

I don’t think she’s done anything in the 4 years since to make her a viable candidate now.

Owen Jones and Ash Sakar just want to be loved and be famous.

I'm not sure that giving them attention helps. It merely means they control the narrative.

What we need is other voices who simply say sensible things. Boring but important.

Where are the heroes and leaders of the left from the small town North?

Let's not forget where Ash and Owen live and were educated. It's important and it's relevant.

We need your Lisa Nandys and your Lisa Muggeridges of this world. People who are in Northern communities and understand things like what shit public transport really means. People who don't characterise everyone as wearing flat caps and watching nothing but Corrie.

I do blame men who voted for the Tories. If you read my post, I do acknowledge this was far from the only reason I imagine the Tories won.

(As an aside, I love that here on Mumsnet we are women from all political persuasions and firmly believe that if we want our rights protected we need women actively fighting for them in all parties)

I was delighted to see a feminist walking into number 10...bit of a shame she had to take Boris with her but 🤷🏼‍♀️

I feel thrown under the bus by the selfish, selfish, selfish women who voted Tory over trans issues, frankly

I don't think happened much, to be honest. Any women that did that did it because they were naturally inclined to vote Tory. Most of us spoiled our ballots because we simply could not vote for Labour, even if we wanted to - and many, such as myself are in areas which are Labour strongholds, anyway.

Labour lost this election because they lost their core working class leave voters, and because of the bullying going on in constituency parties. Working class voters in disadvantaged communities have no time for identity politics or general intersectional 'wokeism'. They are now relying on young people and students, or else middle class urbanites. which is why they have held most of the big cities and university towns.

OK, fair enough.
I hope that some day soon Labour will be a viable option again. But blaming the electorate for not winning isn't going to bring that day about quickly.

I'm not sure.....what about Yvette Cooper? To me she is very credible and more likely to have wider appeal. None of the other women i have heard being suggested would be able to carry a majority

She's a bit too right wing on the economy for me, but she's a realist.

I think the picture is far more complex. The Labour vote fractured across many lines. also, if you have people who would like to vote Labour, but can't - you've got a major problem.
These issues cannot be evaded and blamed entirely on the media.

I agree with all of this hence not saying it was the only reason. I reject that it wasn’t a reason at all however. I didn’t vote for them for policy / economic reasons and am picking up on a lot of other posters who say the same.

And I have learned so much on this forum and been welcomed by posters like yourself despite our political differences.

And there's you, a Tory, who understands what my politics actually are! Not fools berating me for what they think they must be because they don't have any depth of understanding whatsoever.

Cooper has a few issues.

She was in the Blair administration and Brown Cabinet. The Iraq War one and the No Money Left one.

So she's got a bit of an issue.

She's been excellent under Corbyn IMO. One of the few who has. But she was also very prominent with No Deal blocking amendments

So there is baggage there which can be weaponised against her.

Plus her majority is now down to just a thousand. Is that a risk?

Don't get me wrong I personally like her better than most of the rest of the potential candidates.

But is she the one with wide enough appeal to reverse trends? Is she thought of as someone who can bring change or merely part of a previous establishment?

Yeah I saw Nandy on the tv. She knew exactly what is happening in labour

......and Lucy Powell too. She's credible. Unfortunately critical voices within the party were silenced.

Depth of understanding works both ways - see thick and worse lobbed at Cons voters.

The best thread on mn for me was the momentum one (against) but sadly mnhq deleted it despite everyone asking for it to stay.

As an aside, I love that here on Mumsnet we are women from all political persuasions and firmly believe that if we want our rights protected we need women actively fighting for them in all parties)

DuMonde, I really agree. It’s been an education for me because a lot of this agenda has been conducted under a media blackout. This forum is not tribal. And these days, that’s a rare, precious thing

So there is baggage there which can be weaponised against her.

Don't forget the genesis of the WCA!

She was in the Blair administration and Brown Cabinet. The Iraq War one and the No Money Left one.So she's got a bit of an issue

Only with the hard line Corbyn fans who despise anyone that served under Tony Blair. But then they clearly have an bit of an issue too.