Conservatives for Women

[Shedbuilder]

Found this, earlier today — the Conservatives for Women website:

conservativesforwomen.org

Their proposals could have been written here on Mumsnet. I'm now, for the first time in my life, having to consider whether instead of just spoiling my ballot I'm going to have to vote Conservative to keep Labour and the Lib Dems out.

That is excellent!

I would rather walk over the hot coals of hell than vote conservative.

Particularly pleased to see they have lodged a formal complaint about Penny Mordaunt's behaviour at the dispatch box.

@MichelleofzeResistance

Particularly pleased to see they have lodged a formal complaint about Penny Mordaunt's behaviour at the dispatch box.

Yes, sorting out their own house.

Sadly it does feel like the Tory party are the only ones standing up for women's sex based rights. I'm very disappointed by Labour's mealy mouthed misogyny.

@RaidersoftheLostAardvark

Sadly it does feel like the Tory party are the only ones standing up for women's sex based rights. I'm very disappointed by Labour's mealy mouthed misogyny.

Yes. It pains me more than I can express that it's the Tories who see it and not the party I've voted for all my adult life.

It is a pressure group within the Conservative Party. A party still led by a misogynist, and one whose actions have harmed women greatly at both a political and personal level.

And yet the one remaining party that still has a grip on what a woman is.

If we lose the definition of ‘woman’, we lose everything.

Our lives have been marked and shaped by being born female, I would sooner lose my home than forfeit my identity as a woman. It is the most important issue to me.

I will vote for whichever party will protect the definition of woman and hence protect me. If that is the Conservatives, then so be it.

They've posted on here before. I sent one of their newsletters to my Tory MP and he emailed back in support.

@peak2021

It is a pressure group within the Conservative Party. A party still led by a misogynist, and one whose actions have harmed women greatly at both a political and personal level.

I'm not sure how much a particular leader, or his or her views, should be influencing voting.

It can be important in some ways, but the PM doesn't dictate or necessarily even represent everything the party is about, ideologically speaking. I think a party could easily be anti-woman (or whatever) with a leader who was not, and vice versa.

Party leaders are often chosen for reasons unrelated to their personal morals, and many people never have a strong affinity for the leaders of any parties available to be voted for, they vote or reasons unconnected with that person's personal life or views.

So, how do we square what Jackie Doyle Price, Liz Truss, Baroness Nicolson and a bunch of other Tories have done for women with Crispin Blunt in general and Ruth Davidson's astonishing rape clause in the child benefit stuff, and the fact that austerity hits women hardest?

Cos, I think I am going to have to vote Tory as they are the ones nearest to actually stating that "woman" means "adult human female".

But, it makes me feel dirty.

@Shedbuilder

Found this, earlier today — the Conservatives for Women website:

conservativesforwomen.org

Their proposals could have been written here on Mumsnet. I'm now, for the first time in my life, having to consider whether instead of just spoiling my ballot I'm going to have to vote Conservative to keep Labour and the Lib Dems out.

I believe the founder is a mumsnetter. She has posted here before.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/4098426-Conservatives-For-Women-launch-today

@vivariumvivariumsvivaria

So, how do we square what Jackie Doyle Price, Liz Truss, Baroness Nicolson and a bunch of other Tories have done for women with Crispin Blunt in general and Ruth Davidson's astonishing rape clause in the child benefit stuff, and the fact that austerity hits women hardest?

Cos, I think I am going to have to vote Tory as they are the ones nearest to actually stating that "woman" means "adult human female".

But, it makes me feel dirty.

One option might be to look to change the narrative on austerity within the Tory party.

There is form for this - the Thatcherite approach was a new thing in conservative circles, and it didn't really sit well with many of them. While there does tend to be a focus in empowering small units like families or small businesses, old-fashioned conservatism also tended to be big on stabilising social structures and governments embarking on significant projects like railways and infrastructure and such, and even caring for less well of elements in society. At one time it tended to be opposed to liberals who wanted fewer controls on business and a loosening of obligations to the working classes by the state or business.

Right now we're arguably seeing a resurgence of some of that kind of conservatism, pushing back at the Thatcherite neoliberal version which has had the rug ripped out from under it ideologically speaking. It's ideas about the economy have failed, and it's only the power struggle keeping neolibalism in place. There's a lot more articles about traditional conservative concepts and ideas being bandied around within right wing media at the moment than there have been for many years and I think increasingly people are receptive to those ideas.

If the LP can be transformed to a kind of liberal Party, why not transform the Tories into an actual conservative party?

The only solution I can see is this: for as many women to join the Conservatives as possible.

Labour will sit on the fence snd ultimately decide to woo the #bekind voters.

The Greens and the Lib Dems are a lost cause.

I am going to have vote Conservative because of them being the only party that has even a vague idea what a woman is. Whatever their faults if we lose the word/concept of woman then nothing else matters for women's rights - all else will be meaningless. Unless the Tory standing in your area is actually Crispin Brunt or one with his views then not swallowing your pride and voting for them will only harm women's rights long term - my reluctant conclusion.

I wish they had acted more decisively over the 'mother' debate (but Penny Mordant's involvement seems to explain that) though they have made some moves in other ways to support women and children over this issue and crucially there is not much in the way of local party, or national party, witch hunts coming for women who believe in sex not gender which is more than can be said of other parties (re Rosie Duffield and Joanna Cherry).

I'm in Scotland.

Never in my life did I think I'd be contemplating voting for the conservatives...

But maybe.

I actually emailed all the local ones about a completely separate issue. They've made all roads in my city 20mph which in theory is great, but that theory quickly goes to shit when everyone ignores it and it stops the ACTUAL 20mph roads (like school crossings) meaning anything. I wanted a crossing put in on the route my DDs take to school as cars consistently do 30mph + and the only one to email me back (agreeing profusely that if main roads are 20mph then school crossings need to be marked in some other way with a different limit) and do anything about it was a tory.

Nice chap.

Maybe he'll get my vote this year!

It’s regrettable, but women’s rights and place in the world aren’t a solitary policy that can be changed when a new government gets voted in. If we lose our rights it will be very, very, very hard to get them back. Voting conservative makes me 🤮 but I would be thinking of the long term.

I'd like to vote SDP as they're the only part with an actual policy around the issue. However, they're unlikely to get the numbers required to gain any seats so I'll be pushed into voting Tory.! But any candidate who come to my door will be asked some very pointed questions on the issue

I'm also finding it very sobering (and quite sad) that it's a Conservative group that most closely describes my position on women's rights...

But I really came on to say, on lighter note, that I love the fact they are describing Baroness Noakes as a "badass"!

@Wondermule

It’s regrettable, but women’s rights and place in the world aren’t a solitary policy that can be changed when a new government gets voted in. If we lose our rights it will be very, very, very hard to get them back. Voting conservative makes me 🤮 but I would be thinking of the long term.

This is how I feel. Sex-based rights seem to me absolutely fundamental to women's autonomy. If they go I don't know where we'll end up — but possibly somewhere very dark indeed. If voting Tory can stop that I'll do it.

Never. Austerity measures over the past 11 years have so disproportionately hit women that it feels like an insult to put the words conservative and women together. Not to mention all there other policies.

@DemolitionBarbie

I would rather walk over the hot coals of hell than vote conservative.

It's because of this kind of Labour=good/Tory= evil that so many mainstream parties have felt able to take the votes of 51% of the population for granted.

I'm gender critical . I'm so sad and disappointed in the Labour party but I'd rather poke my eyes out with a rusty spoon than vote Tory .