I might have found a political party I could vote for...

[BattyOrange]

I thought the Social Democrats had died the death when they amalgamated with the Liberal Party but apparently not. I've just looked up their trans policy sdp.org.uk/policies/transgender-and-biological-sex-based-rights/ and they pledge to support:

1. Segregation by biological sex in sport.
2. Segregation by biological sex in prisons and women’s refuges
3. The retention of biological sex and gender identity as distinct categories in public sector data gathering

They say "physical or drug-based medical treatments for gender dysphoria should be prohibited for anyone under 18 years of age" and they oppose self ID.

Am I the only person who didn't know this?
I haven't explored the rest of their policies/pledges yet but this is a good start!

Yes, I joined last year. But more as a book marking exercise as, without candidates, or any MPs, I can't see them gaining much traction.
However, who knows what is in the future? Surely we can't go on like this?

Have they still no candidates? Disappointing, if so. I like a number of their policies.

I joined as well. Thought they deserved membership dues for that kind of commitment.

Can they go somewhere? Well, I dunno. The Women's Equality Party got its first local councillor in 2019 ( www.womensequality.org.uk/local_election_19 )

and I know many women are unhappy with the WEP over exactly this issue!

I would be delighted to be wrong. I often am

If you are in London, you have the opportunity to vote for a candidate in the upcoming mayoral elections. Oh, and I'm sure a candidate is standing for parliament in Hartlepool in the May by-election.

MaMaLa321 I mostly joined as a way of signalling my dissatisfaction with the Labour party!

I forgot that they were back.

Don't know their policies so can't say if would vote for them.

Lovely diverse bunch on their 'people' page though

sdp.org.uk/people/

Yes, there is a Hartlepool candidate. There have been a few threads on here about them. They are solid left of centre economics and right of centre socially. People get twitchy because they supported Brexit (essentially because of a belief that government should be close to the people and that we should maintain industry in the U.K.) and because they unashamedly think that nationhood is important (economically and socially), along with family and community. Their leader is excellent (William Clouston) and they are good on women’s rights, but I think still a little far short of spot on (but that is me being picky). They have the advantage of being in no danger of getting actual power, so can say what they think.

I would vote for them if they weren’t also Eurosceptic. Pity.

Now that we have brexited I actually feel quite reassured by their principled position on brexit. I want a party who can see and wants to develop the positive of side of soverignty, but in a left wing (think Corbynite) way, not in a little Singapore kind of way. Though I would personally have preferred to stay in the EU and work on the problems from the position of power inside, now we are out I am less concerned about supporting a party that believes in it.

Just read that policy. Amazing. Had no idea but I don't think we have a candidate.

Thanks OP for starting this thread, the SDP were mentioned a while ago as being somewhere that still understands the definition of women. I had forgotten about them though and think I now have my answer for anyone coming canvassing for the local elections......

Thank you..I found a political home

I like the SDP and would definitely vote for them.

Have joined, thanks OP 👍😀

Want to abolish house of lords, who have at least debated some checks and balances. The Baronesses (and some lords have worked hard).

That’s interesting cis, I need to look at them again on that. While obviously the hOL needs further reform, it really is good that it is such a different type of chamber to the HoC. What do they want to replace it with?

Yes, not totally perfect - but then, who is? The fact that they've addressed the biological sex issue head-on is so refreshing these days. I've read the other pledges/policies and there's actually quite a lot there that shows promise so I'm joining and may well become active.

Having seen people* post on FB that they would vote for the SNPto get an independent Scotland even if the price was that women lost the right to vote in newly independent Scotland, I feel zero shame in being a one-issue voter for women's rights.

Women are 50% of the population, yet we are treated (and sometimes treat ourselves) as if women's issues only have the potential to ever affect a tiny, marginal number of citizens. Further, we're then encouraged to assume that women's issues can be put off until later, after we've sorted out the big issues!

This is all the odder when you remember (as we are often reminded) that trans people are a tiny number of citizens, and might only make up 1% of the population. Yet progressive society at large considers it a virtuous thing if you decide not to vote for a party that you otherwise support, solely because it wasn't sufficiently supportive of trans rights. In fact, people are lauded if they proclaim on social media that policies around trans rights are the issue that makes or breaks a party for them.

I refuse to feel ashamed that women's issues (such as the welfare of female prisoners, the right to single-sex hospital wards and access to female-only changing rooms) are equally important to me.

*men

I joined these 2 years ago after leaving Labour. I joined because part of their manifesto was to have an open and honest discussion regarding sex based rights. I felt like it was a bit of a ploy because every email and invite I have ever received, my main reason for joining, has never been mentioned again.

I feel like they felt a moment, and jumped on it. And now their priorities lay elsewhere.

@PaleBlueMoonlight

Yes, there is a Hartlepool candidate. There have been a few threads on here about them. They are solid left of centre economics and right of centre socially. People get twitchy because they supported Brexit (essentially because of a belief that government should be close to the people and that we should maintain industry in the U.K.) and because they unashamedly think that nationhood is important (economically and socially), along with family and community. Their leader is excellent (William Clouston) and they are good on women’s rights, but I think still a little far short of spot on (but that is me being picky). They have the advantage of being in no danger of getting actual power, so can say what they think.

Interesting - those are all pretty typical old-fashioned leftist viewpoints.

@FrankButchersDickieBow

I joined these 2 years ago after leaving Labour. I joined because part of their manifesto was to have an open and honest discussion regarding sex based rights. I felt like it was a bit of a ploy because every email and invite I have ever received, my main reason for joining, has never been mentioned again.

I feel like they felt a moment, and jumped on it. And now their priorities lay elsewhere.

I also joined, but then did nothing else.

Note the difference with, for example, Alba where the women who jumped in there immediately created a women’s conference to drive forward discussion and influence policy.

Also the WEP where from the outside (thus I don’t know if it is accurate to say there is only one - there may be more less visible members) it appears that a single person went in early and has driven much of the conversation and thus policy on a topic that benefits them.

Joining gives a party money and is therefore not useless if the party’s tendency is to go in the direction we want. But to create real change, we need assertive women to get involved and drive towards the changes we want. I’m not sure how easy it would be and I can’t do anything currently within the SDP because I’m not in the UK. But we can see how much influence a relatively small number of people who claim a trans identity can have when they get involved. What we really need is for women to attempt something similar. It likely won’t be handed to us on a plate, whereas “trans” has until very recently been, and to some extent continues to be, seen as progressive and thus likely to be welcomed, but it is certainly one of the ways we could influence policy in new and smaller parties.

Just to add, having had some direct discussion with William Clouston (through e-mail) I think he’d be open to having women on board who want to take the party in that direction. I think that for the current active membership it isn’t a priority though and that is what we are seeing.

Having seen people post on FB that they would vote for the SNPto get an independent Scotland even if the price was that women lost the right to vote in newly independent Scotland, I feel zero shame in being a one-issue voter for women's rights.

Sorry, what, Pothole? Where was this?

Interesting, both the SDP and this thread. Ironically, the SDP sounds a bit like Old Labour, which is sadly missed.

I’d normally vote Green, previously Labour. But since a whole bunch of male Green Party members ‘identified as women’ in order to vote a transactivist in as co-chair of the women’s section, I realise these are not my comrades. They don’t seem very interested in the environment or animal welfare these days anyway.

Off now to see if there are any SDP members standing locally..