Door to door political campaigning can start 8 March - what to ask your LABOUR candidates

[Whydoyouthinkthatthen]

There will be elections in May and campaigning can start 8 March. I thought it would be a good idea to have a series of threads so people can easily create a piece of paper to sit by the front door with issues to raise with each party.

The idea is to make it clear that women are prepared to make a fuss about these issues, and take their votes elsewhere.

Show each candidate what position their party has taken and how you would like that to change.

Research your local candidates if you can, and make it clear you will vote for the party (or candidate) that is clearest on women's issues.

So, my starter question for Labour:

Do you think all women shortlists are a good idea?
Do you think all women shortlists should contain men?
Why does Labour allow self-identified women on all women shortlists?

Link to Labour Party statement on the issue:
labour.org.uk/about/how-we-work/nec-statement-women-shortlists-womens-officers-minimum-quotas-women/

Useful. Candidates often hang around the entrance of our local Waitrose. DH won’t let me play with them though.

I'd go with the Staniland question.

And whether Alex Sobel's position on single sex spaces is Party policy/representative of their views.

Ditto Lisa Nandy's position on biologically male, intact rapists getting a choice on being locked up with women.

And whether they think Rosie Duffield should be disciplined/persecuted for saying only women have cervixes.

And whether Eddie izzard should get to be on a women-only shortlist.

Suddenly REALLY hoping our local candidate calls round

This is a great idea...where would I even start with the DUP?

I think I’ll be actively seeking out candidates and be very loud when I ask my questions. And teawamutu those are very good questions.

All the places I've ever lived, I've never actually had a canvasser knock on the door! For the first time I want them to - and will be getting in touch to ask these kind of questions another way if they don't.

Yes - good point @BraveBananaBadge - all these questions can be emailed if they don't turn up, and I believe hustings will be on Zoom this year so there may be an opportunity to ask questions then.

Firstly can I point out that these are local elections, the candidates will have no influence in national politics. But, they are still good questions to ask as they can reflect the mood on the ground which will be fed back. Also, don't limit this to Labour, it was the Tories who first floated self ID.

When are you going to get a decent leader. The last one was John Smith. And that was a long time ago.

I'm going to make it very very clear to every candidate that now Brexit is done, I'm a single issue voter. And women's rights is my issue.

This is a great idea...where would I even start with the DUP?

You could ask them if they're able to sit down yet after the shafting Boris gave them

Liquorishtoffee
I live in a very safe Labour seat. At the last GE no one canvassed at all

Firstly can I point out that these are local elections, the candidates will have no influence in national politics.

This is true for England, but there are also elections on the same date for the Scottish and Welsh parliaments.

Do I, or my daughters, have the right to NOT see a penis if we don't want to?

Yes - the candidates will try to turn it to local issues. Make it clear that on a national level if the party actively seeks to disadvantage women you will not vote for them on a local level. But on a local level:

Planning permission for local leisure centres - do they contain single sex changing facilities?
Do the police allow transgender women to strip search females?
Health - can I request a female health professional, and if I refused a transgender women would you call me a bigot?

@Whydoyouthinkthatthen

Yes - the candidates will try to turn it to local issues. Make it clear that on a national level if the party actively seeks to disadvantage women you will not vote for them on a local level. But on a local level:

Planning permission for local leisure centres - do they contain single sex changing facilities?
Do the police allow transgender women to strip search females?
Health - can I request a female health professional, and if I refused a transgender women would you call me a bigot?

And in that spirit (put this on the LD thread too): as the vast majority of domestic abuse is perpetrated by males, on females, should local providers be penalised for offering single sex support services?

HEALTH : NHS is NOT part of the local elections.
All women shortlists : how many District Councils have shortlists for vacancies?
How many Parish councils.
These are LOCAL elections

Who do we vote for is not Labour or the Lib Dems ?

@ListeningQuietly the way I see it what you say to candidates and how you vote can be separated out. When you talk to candidates or canvassers you can say what you want the local AND the national party to hear. Even if you fully intend to vote for them, you don't have to say that, you can say what you find a problem with that party.

How you vote is different - by all means vote for the least worst option.

Female Friendly loos in Bangladesh.
From my latest news from WaterAid:
Shabana used to be afraid to use her toilet, a flimsy pit latrine by her house. "It wasn't suitable for women, she says. "From sunrise to sundown, the field was crowded with football players. I always felt exposed. She worried that men would see her on the toilet. But those days are long gone. With help from our local partner organisation, she's built a sturdy, concrete latrine closer to home. It has a roof and door I can lock, she adds proudly.
Why is the same thing not an issue here and not a gross violation of girls and women's rights? Will Bangladesh lead the way while we lag behind?

Questions need to be asked of all the political parties. They all need to state very clearly where they stand on these issues and t

Meanwhile in Ethiopia:
Sisters Benatlay, 15, and Barkston,12 are thrilled to have clean water in their schools. You helped the community to install segregated toilet blocks and taps that draw water using a solar-powered system.
So segregated toilet are important in Ethiopia but not to Labour and Liberal MPs for our girls here in the UK. Ask them why?

Sorry autocorrect should have read Birtukan not Barkston!

I felt outraged reading that today ! Charities like that know the importance of having segregated facilities to women's progress and well being in those countries.

My question "Do you believe humans can change sex?". If the answer is "yes" my reply will be "You're not getting my vote".

I said the same thing when the question was posed about the Lib Dems.

@GiveMyHeadPeaceffs

This is a great idea...where would I even start with the DUP?

Surely the DUP knows that a woman is an 'adult human female'?

I'm in a Labour safe seat. Funnily enough, I have never had Labour campaigners knock on my door. It's almost as they take my town's safe seat for granted.