Keir Starmer

[87Callista]

Just a little vent.

Is anyone else disappointed that we have yet another male leader?

I know I know, we're supposed to be happy that we have a fighting chance now etc etc but I can't help feeling done with male leaders, even the good ones. Is that ridiculous of me? Am I going lockdown crazy?

I just wonder....will our daughters ever see a female leader or will we forever have to sit and applaud like seals and show an abundance of gratitude for having a woman dep leader.

I've just fallen out with my dad over text because he's so head over heels for Keir and doesn't believe the gender of the leader matters..... that's great and everything but look at the UK and the US through history and tell me there isn't something deeply wrong going on.

When you know there is a dire, dire shortage of women leaders, why run as a man?

If you listen to Dawn Butler, Lisa Nandy & Rebecca Long Bailey’s party line of ‘Anyone who says they’re a woman is one, and anyone who doesn’t believe that is a transphobic bigot’, running ‘as a man’ or ‘as a woman’ takes on a whole new level of meaninglessness.

He won because he was the only candidate for the job. The women were utterly hopeless

If Yvette Cooper had stood, I would have supported her. But as she didn't, KS was for me the best choice. Agree with an earlier poster who said the labour party actually are deeply sexist and it's all about 'vulnerable women' or 'women in caring roles' and the occasional bone thrown, but ultimately jobs for the (union) boys.

I wouldn't want a female leader just because they're female. I want the best person for the job, whether they are male or female. And the female labour candidates were absolutely appalling.

Where’s our Angela Merkel equivalent? She’s the politician we we emphasise to our two girls - dh German so it works

I left the Labour Party years ago, but I have written to my Labour MP about women's rights issues, and told him I won't vote for someone who won't defend them.

There are quite a few GC Labour Party members on here who chose Starmer due to the other candidates not being able to define women.

Have you told your local party or the leaders this? Things won't change while the TRAs shout loudly and women stay quiet.

Starmer was an awful choice. He's still got the likes of Carden on the front bench, or RLM despite his open misogyny and after the document leak, repercussions from which could bankrupt Labour. I really don't think anything has changed to end the 5 lost years.

I am hoping he will find an excuse for a reshuffle in due course.

There is clearly an issue with the Labour party and its members that they have yet to have a female leader. However, it can't be a left/right thing because around the world there are plenty of social democratic parties that have female leaders.

Where’s our Angela Merkel equivalent? She’s the politician we we emphasise to our two girls - dh German so it works

Depends what you mean of course but if you are talking about a female ex--scientist who became an world leader then, like her or loath her, it was Mrs Thatcher.

Or Theresa May - ministers daughter, went to Oxford, worked for the bank of England...

yes, I said to DP the other day I'd rather have Thatcher in charge now than Johnson, for all her very many faults she was a scientist

I think he was the best of a bad bunch for areas outside sex based rights. I think he was just as bad as the others re sex based rights- he just tried to not be as obvious about it. He chose to answer my question about the rise of ROGD in adolescents but his response was complete fence sitting - really quite pointless to choose it. I did email him with more detail on the back of it but was ignored so he clearly has no interest in the issue. Not as blatantly against women’s rights as the others but I can’t see him even vaguely giving any support.

Current UK parliament gender balance by political party:

Labour MPs: 98 male, 104 female
Lib Dem: 4 male, 7 female
SNP: 32 male, 16 female
Conservative: 277 MALE, 87 FEMALE !!!

In total, 34% of MPs are female. Sadly, that's actually the highest proportion in history, yet it's almost entirely because only about a quarter of Conservative MPs are women, hugely outweighing the fact that Labour actually have more women than men.

There's a lot more to it than the leader. And it will be a cold day in Hell when I listen to lectures on gender issues from Tories.

What’s the % of Labour woman fighting against women’s rights, declaring that TWAW and that babies are born without sex Vs Tory women doing the same?

Quality not quantity.

I have no idea. Do you?

"Quality not quantity"? But the entire argument before was about the fact that the quantity of Conservative leaders (2) is higher than that of Labour ones (0). I assume you weren't intending to brag about the quality of the last one.

Come on, for the UK's majority party to have only 25% female MPs is a travesty, any way you cut it. The Labour party have had procedures in place to address the historical inequality for decades now. The Tories haven't, hence the difference.

OK fifteen give me one Labour MP, male or female, who has publicly questioned trans-ideology. As opposed to several Conservative MP's who have.
As far as I know, no Labour MP has questioned TWAW. Either through cowardice or stupidity.

Although it's understandable that you want to see a female contender for several reasons, I think think we should be wanting a woman for the sake of her being a woman. We should be looking at leaders' policies, their aims etc.

Under Blair the number of women MPs increased. They were significant, competent politicians, the likes of Mo Mowlam, Oona King, Yvette Cooper, Estelle Morris, Margaret Hodge, Margaret Beckett and more all serving in government. All Women shortlisted worked.
With Corbyn, the selection of candidates changed. The Jo Cox Programme included transwomen like Heather Peto. A particular type of woman was now required, one that met the criteria of identity politics. It's easier to become a woman MP in the Labour Party provided you believe what the men tell you to believe.

Yes. Corbyn got rid of all the intelligent, sensible women. Just look at the contenders for the leadership. What a shower.
Kier Starmer was the only possible chouce out of a hopeless bunch.
It remains to be seen whether he will bring back some of the women of calibre.

Imnobody4
Mo Mowlam, Oona King, Yvette Cooper, Estelle Morris, Margaret Hodge, Margaret Beckett
Some really good names there, I would also include Shirley Williams (SDP) she was a real political heavyweight from the past.

Nothing like Lisa Nandy and Rebecca Long Bailey types Labour have now.
That hustings event with Starmer was truly shocking to ordinary women.
And unfortunately Starmer is a lawyer, it shows and not in a good way.
Anything they do for women now will be a fanfare for crumbs.

“ There's a lot more to it than the leader. And it will be a cold day in Hell when I listen to lectures on gender issues from Tories.”

Quite! They shout about their female leaders, but exactly what did Margaret Thatcher and Theresa May actually do for women?
And how did they treat Theresa May when she was leader?

They also love to overlook the fact that the Labour party is a relatively new one. The Conservatives/Tories have had a couple of centuries to elect female leaders - and they’ve only managed two?!

and what are Labour doing for women? What's coming out loud and clear is their view that if women DARE to discuss the impact of trans issues on their rights that they should be expelled from the Party.

Exactly. If the women who were running for Labour leader had their way, women’s rights would be officially fucked and anyone who objected would be kicked out.