Victoria Atkins on the GRA consultation

[MrsSnippyPants]

Only a snippet, but the first we have heard for a while I think

twitter.com/LesleySemmens/status/1220350068949209089?s=20

I see that according to wiki, Maria Miller still chairs the Women and Equalities Committee but the list includes MPs who were not reelected.

I don't know when they will review membership. It will be interesting to see who becomes Chair. Not reappointing Maria Miller would be an important signal.

I know I'm keeping a close eye on who ends up on that committee, and R0 is quite right, Maria Miller bears a lot of responsibility for where we are now.
I think the make up of that committee will be crucial (as will the cabinet reshuffle when it happens.

At some point Maria Miller should be sat in front of the Women & Equalities Committee who will be scrutinising the many serious failures.

Kathleen Stocks analysis of many issues with the The Trans Equality Report will be a good place to start.

As it was given in a speech at the House of Lords Oct 10th 2018 & published shortly afterwards, its a shame that so many MPs seem either unaware or in denial about the many consequences & implications.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3391330-Prof-Kathleen-Stock-WPUK-speech-at-House-of-Lords-Important-disection-of-the-key-issues-for-MPs-policy-makers-etc-with-ref-to-The-Trans-Equality-Report

Maria Miller bears a lot of responsibility for where we are now.

Yes
Scrutiny needs to also fall on those lobbyists misdescribed as 'advisors' to this committee.

I'm as left wing as they come, but if the tories can get this right and save women's sex based protections from the coalition of male-rights groups determined to obliterate them, they will have my vote

The lobby's petitioning of the current government began the day after the election. The Tories are just as prone to capitulation or capture as Labour. Boris is the kind of bumbling politico who sees woke Twitter fans as the upside and he's unlikely to think critically about the serious safeguarding downside. That's why it's imperative to write to MPs outlining the valid objections to this.

At some point Maria Miller should be sat in front of the Women & Equalities Committee who will be scrutinising the many serious failures.

Kathleen Stocks analysis of many issues with the The Trans Equality Report will be a good place to start.

Yes, Kathleen Stock's analysis is very illuminating.
What is the point in analysing the consultation results, when the proposed reform was based on such a flawed inquiry? Plus the consultation documents used misleading language like "sex assigned at birth" and conflated sex with gender.

Boris is the kind of bumbling politico who sees woke Twitter fans as the upside and he's unlikely to think critically about the serious safeguarding downside. That's why it's imperative to write to MPs outlining the valid objections to this

I doubt whether Boris has any views of his own on this at all. I suspect he does not have great sympathy for TRAs/Stonewall buyt equally no one has ever accused him of being a feminist.

I think he will proceed following advice from:

1. Dominic Cummings, and other advisors/strategists including Andrew Gilligan. Possibly even Spectator writers like James Kirkup - Cummings wife is Deputy Editor of the Spectator.

1. Carrie and friends, who include Nimko Ali, some new "red wall" MPs and others. Younger Tories are interesting. They will be very aware of how woke their contemporaries are, yet chose Conservatism, albeit probably a modern liberal Conservatism. It depends how much woke they have absorbed and how much they have rejected.

1. MPs, especially those representing northern constituencies.

I hope you're right. But the lobbying has already started, specifically about the GRA and self ID.

www.forbes.com/sites/jamiewareham/2019/12/14/could-boris-johnsons-landslide-majority-be-good-news-for-lgbt-people/

I'm not really clear why VA was answering this question in the commons rather than Liz Truss who is the Women's and Equalities Minister. I'm wondering what may happen in the reshuffle.
I've heard it rumoured VA might be getting a cabinet position, if she does presumably she'd either get W+E or lose the Women's role.

Victoria Atkins MP is Parliamentary Under Secretary for Safeguarding and Vulnerability and Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Minister for Women)

She has been the Minister for Women within the Women & Equalities Dept for some time.

It is significant that she also now has Safeguarding brief

www.gov.uk/government/people/victoria-atkins

I see that according to wiki, Maria Miller still chairs the Women and Equalities Committee

Needs updating.

The new Committee chairs have yet to be elected, but the 'Usual Channels' have allocated this one to the Conservatives who are putting up Caroline Nokes as the only candidate.

www.parliament.uk/business/news/2020/january/select-committee-chair-election-nominations-2020/commons-committee-chair-elections-2020/#jump-link-26

Thanks.

From Noakes' wiki:

"In October 2012 Nokes became an officer of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Body Image,[26][27]which campaigns to raise awareness of body image, eating disorders, nutrition and health issues within the advertising industry, the health and fitness sector, media, youth organisations and Government.[28]She gave up the position in 2016.[29][30]"

She was CE of the National Pony Society, she is from the New Forest, before becoming an MP. Hopefully she understands some basic biology.

Maybe knows a Shetland Pony with an ice cream cone stuck on its forehead isn't a unicorn?

I dont think any of us have forgotten that the Tories thought (thanks to Stonewall briefings etc.,) they would be on trend with amendments to the GRA.

But whatever the % of replies to the survey were for or against, they never thought it would be in the public eye. ie the original GRA crept under the radar of most of us, and although a few voices were raised about unintended consequenses.

But now they are aware that they are being watched. They may, and probably are coming under pressure from the trans lobby.

But they most have some concerns any amendments aren't going to be publicly popular, and Boris is all for the quick applause, but the heart of government and political parties have been captured by the trans lobby.

Women on mumsnet etc., may be vocal, but the media clampdown and the lack of respect shown to women having an opinion means there isn't the public presence of the gender critical / women's rights arguements.

This is why party politics isn't the best method of getting genuine representation.

Being a keyboard activist has an impact but those like momentum who cordinate to make parties enact their priorities are always in a better position to get what they want.

Unless in some totally unexpect way the BBC, Guardian and who ever suddently started giving the voice to gender critical women the GRA changes will come down to which is a vote winner.

And hard as it is to accept I suspect that 90% if not more of the population have no idea about it, or what they do they think is some fringe life style thing that will never have anything to do with them.

"In October 2012 Nokes became an officer of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Body Image,[26][27]which campaigns to raise awareness of body image, eating disorders, nutrition and health issues within the advertising industry, the health and fitness sector, media, youth organisations and Government.[28]She gave up the position in 2016.[29][30]"

This involvement is promising.
Many detransitioners are describing the very significant overlap between young females who question their gender identity & eating disorders.

Caroline Noakes is supported by Penny Mordaunt.

I recently wrote to Liz Truss in her capacity as Minister for Women and Equalities, and got a response from the Government Equalities Office that states "I am replying as the Minister for Equalities."

It is signed by a civil servant with a male name so isn't the actual Minister for Equalities, who as far as I know is Baroness Williams.

So I really have no idea who the person responding to me is, nor on whose behalf they are speaking. They are certainly NOT the 'Minister for Equalities' even though they SAY they are.

Clear as mud.

There is a separate issue around the Tories deep distrust of the BBCs urban liberal culture

www.google.com/amp/s/www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7913609/amp/Downing-Street-threat-BBC-Pick-right-boss-replace-Lord-Hall-fire-them.html

Whilst the sudden axing of the Victoria Derbyshire programme, effectively without a clear reason, is odd.

The BBC may be captured but they will be tiptoeing carefully till they feel they have the Government back onside. It may be that Stonewall no longer has the traction it did have. (And another question - have they yet found a successor to Ruth Hunt?)

Also interesting was that none of the usual suspects: Mordaunt, Miller etc were involved in nominating Noakes.

Ok corrected. Mordaunt did nominate. I hope it was only because they are near constituency neighbours

Do you think they're going to downgrade the W+E role from a cabinet one?
I would have thought Liz Truss would have her hands full with Trade. Wonder why Maria Miller isn't standing for the committee. Wonder if she's in the doghouse for causing all this mess. I stressed when I saw my MP that I blamed this committee for the current shambles.

the lobbying has already started, specifically about the GRA and self ID

It would be a mistake to assume that the Tories have actually thought about this and the delay is deliberate. They may well introduce a self id bill, and the opposition would just chastise them for not doing it sooner.

Whilst the sudden axing of the Victoria Derbyshire programme, effectively without a clear reason, is odd.

I thought the same
The Victoria Derbyshire was extremely closely aligned with Mermaids Charity & promoted their positions uncritically
Earlier this week they interviewed Richard Hoskins who is speaking out about the impact of being fast-tracked by gender clinics who failed in their Duty of Care by ignoring potential causes of trauma /distress.

It is signed by a civil servant with a male name so isn't the actual Minister for Equalities, who as far as I know is Baroness Williams.

So I really have no idea who the person responding to me is, nor on whose behalf they are speaking. They are certainly NOT the 'Minister for Equalities' even though they SAY they are.

No pp?

Even weirder that Piers Morgan is roundly criticising the BBC for their decision. (Mailonline today, no link simply because it is quite weird. Piers and Victoria would not seem natural allies.)

Doesn't Piers Morgan criticise others' decisions most days? I try not to pay him much heed.