History in the making! Watch Parliament Live at 2.30pm!

[Sunkisses]

According to @SexMattersOrg on Twitter the Govt have backed down on the MOMA (Maternity) Bill and will now use the word 'mother' not 'person' in the legislation!

Women did this! We are winning!

Tune in live here at 2.30pm to see history in the making: www.parliamentlive.tv/Event/Index/3ca1efa2-16a5-489d-a5a0-5d929bff81f6

the HOL is a Very Good Thing.

I've never been in any doubt about that - some form of less-political second chamber is a useful counterbalance to the primary elected house. They can be halfway between politicians and judges. (And we all love judges here, I know :) )

Exactly how people are selected for a second house is certainly something for debate, but I've never been in favour of abolishing it outright. And I wouldn't want it to be just more politicians.

A lot of countries only have one house, and it's not clear that two similarly-elected houses would be better than one.

This is about how the Lords stopped cuts to child tax credit in 2015

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-34631156

For all those who missed this EXTRAORDINARY debate in the House of Lords and this important moment in our history, I have clipped the debate from 2.30pm to 5.23pm here (please share this!):
parliamentlive.tv/event/index/3ca1efa2-16a5-489d-a5a0-5d929bff81f6?in=14:32:30&out=17:23:22

Though I do think that there is a larger group of people worried

My MP has quite lately shifted from making hmm, non committal noises when I raise these issues to stating flat out that they have concerns for women and of the conflation of sex and gender.

Lord Lucas's clarity was excellent.

@BattyOrange

I agree cheese I've often wondered what was the point of a bunch of unelected peers having a say in our laws etc. but now I see that they can consider and comment without fear of deselection or losing the public vote so they're free to challenge.

It’s horrific! First the Left turned against women, so as a lifelong leftie I’m having to find new allies. Now I’m having to see the value of a non-elected House of Lords.

Aaaaaaaagh!

You can use this link to get to the debate directly

Baroness Nicholson = feminist icon

And can I just add that I genuinely don’t think this debate would be happening if it wasn’t for this board. Thank you from the bottom of my heart to all of the fabulous, brave, amazing women who post here.

'Powerful message' On the cuts to Tax credits

On a dramatic evening in the House of Lords, peers threw out a "fatal motion" tabled by the Lib Dems, which would have blocked the changes entirely.
If it had passed, the Lib Dem motion would have stopped the £4.4bn cuts to tax credits in their tracks and sent the proposals back to the drawing board.

How heartening. Thank you for pointing us to this Sunkisses.

Baroness Hayman :"It has been a good day in the house of lords"
hear hear

Yes I get that argument Dreams. It was more about why the government is using the word “ mother” in the legislation rather than “woman” . Lots of the speakers referred to this and I was wondering the reasoning behind it. I was thinking it might be because trans men are legally still “ mothers” even if they do not wish to be women.

Thank you for this thread.

I am so happy!

Very glad to have listened to it all. As someone said on the other thread....THEY GET IT!

Just watched baroness barker

Well......

She said the words. So called feminists 😂

@sashagabadon

Yes I get that argument Dreams. It was more about why the government is using the word “ mother” in the legislation rather than “woman” . Lots of the speakers referred to this and I was wondering the reasoning behind it. I was thinking it might be because trans men are legally still “ mothers” even if they do not wish to be women.

Sorry I misunderstand (half listening to the debate).

Just listening.

It's quite interesting that the word "mother" is considered acceptable due to it having being confirmed in law (in the McConnell case) as being a word that applies to any person who gives birth.

This is brilliant news. So happy.

Thank you so much for the thread and links @Sunkisses

We did it!

Wow! I was planning on watching the “short time” that would be allocated for this, I was not expecting it to go so deep and wide! Amazing!
I hadn’t thought to or seen anything about emailing the HoL’s members, apart from Baroness Nicholson, only my MP, so I will email my thanks instead.
What a day!

sashagabadon. I think legal precedent was made when a case by a transman who had applied to be the father of the baby he had recently given birth to, was thrown out. The judge confirming that every child was born to a mother.

@VallarMorghulis

Hugely heartened by this, what great news!

As an aside, I come from a country where the second chamber is elected, and I've always thought that it's a marvellous idea to have a second chamber made up of unelected members selected because they are exceptional in their field. You just need to get rid of the bishops and hereditary peers

Yes indeed. The wisdom of the elders.

Obviously that biscuit is a whole packet of delicious choco leibnitz, not a jammy dodger that's been left in the back of a cupboard

@Signalbox

Just listening.

It's quite interesting that the word "mother" is considered acceptable due to it having being confirmed in law (in the McConnell case) as being a word that applies to any person who gives birth.

Yes that is what I think too. “Mother” applies to both women and trans men in law. So the McConnell case has been a positive for this debate too.

@OwBist @BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz and @SeaShoreGalore - here is the link to the entire debate from 2.30pm - 5.23pm: parliamentlive.tv/event/index/3ca1efa2-16a5-489d-a5a0-5d929bff81f6?in=14:32:30&out=17:23:22

Yes I get that argument Dreams. It was more about why the government is using the word “ mother” in the legislation rather than “woman” . Lots of the speakers referred to this and I was wondering the reasoning behind it. I was thinking it might be because trans men are legally still “ mothers” even if they do not wish to be women

It's due to the Freddy McConnell case. The Judge ruled that, in law, any person (whatever their gender identity) who gives birth is a mother.