The cancellation of women is bigger than a culture war (Tory MP in the Telegraph)

[ItsRainingProstateOwners]

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2021/10/11/cancellation-women-bigger-culture-war/

Miriam Cates is Conservative MP for Penistone and Stockbridge.

@NutellaEllaElla

Penistone

I wonder if it identifies as female these days.

@User135644

We're all Tories now.

Indeed. Labour, LibDem and SNP cannot ignore 51% of the UK population forever.

Bravo!!!

And Penistone

I'm not a Tory thanks.

To see this from mainly a party political point of view misses that this is an issue for women and girls full stop. Half the population.

The fact that none of the main parties at leadership and higher levels give a toss about us is one side of it.

The fact is that women who are left inclined are politically homeless.

Women’s rights have been won on the basis that there is such a thing as a woman, that females are different to males, not just in terms of our biology, but in the challenges we face, our psychology, our role as mothers, and the life experiences we have.

If we erode the very concept of women - for example by saying that trans women are women, or by denying the importance of biological sex - we erase the rights of women. I for one can’t stand by and let that happen.

good. thanks.

I am a Tory now. Under duress, unhappily but also unapologetically. Because every party I used to vote for / consider voting for told me to fuck off.

So I did.

I hope one day there will be a left of centre party which doesn't actively support, and indeed lobby for, the rape of female prison inmates by male prison inmates. Then perhaps my voting choices might go back to where they used to be.

@SirSamuelVimes I am in the same position as you are. But this is just too important an issue for me to put a cross against anything else.

Yet trans activists have succeeded in campaigning for biological males who identify as female to be allowed into women’s sports, women’s hospital wards and women’s prisons, even when these trans women still have intact male genitalia. This is not acceptable, and presents a serious threat to women’s safety, as well as our sex-based rights.

women's safety is so far down the agenda. lots of noise about it but little action to make much difference. Keeping womens spaces single sex would be something that does make a difference but I think they prefer the hand wringing and not doing anything about it in case it upsets a small very vocal subset of males.

@SirSamuelVimes

I am a Tory now. Under duress, unhappily but also unapologetically. Because every party I used to vote for / consider voting for told me to fuck off.

So I did.

I hope one day there will be a left of centre party which doesn't actively support, and indeed lobby for, the rape of female prison inmates by male prison inmates. Then perhaps my voting choices might go back to where they used to be.

Workers Party of GB

I will never, ever vote for the Tories.

But that is a bloody good article, well done that MP. There surely has to come a time when the others will see sense? They can't carry on talking about the emperor's new clothes forever, can they?

Again I would encourage women to find out the views of their own local candidates.

There are women ( and men) across all parties who are against this.

The Tories don't care about this topic. The leadership doesn't care about anyone except themselves and their friends.

Don't overlook a woman you could back. Get enough women in who feel that way, whatever the party, and that would be the best result.

IMO.

@NiceGerbil

Again I would encourage women to find out the views of their own local candidates.

There are women ( and men) across all parties who are against this.

The Tories don't care about this topic. The leadership doesn't care about anyone except themselves and their friends.

Don't overlook a woman you could back. Get enough women in who feel that way, whatever the party, and that would be the best result.

IMO.

I think this is spot on, especially if the tory candidate is a genderist. Some people will never vote for a certain party, I used to be like that too, but I've decided I'm a single issue voter now so I will vote based on that. If both the Labour and the Tory candidate where I live agree with me on this, then I'll look at the other policies, but I'd have to bear in mind the overall party opinion too. And in places where they just weigh the Tory or Labour votes then a spoiled ballot or a vote for a smaller party based on this issue also makes sense.

Excellent thank you - every single time someone says the emperor has no clothes more & more people will notice or soak up too.

SirSamuelVimes amazing trick thanks!

Oink yes.

If unable to find their view on this, imo a woman is a better bet than a man assuming they aren't the I can see souls woman Nadine dorries etc.

At a national level at the moment I think the Tories will get a landslide.

Locally, MPs and councillors as well obv if they support women and are elected then that will be a massive help obv.

Their other policies are important as well.

I've always voted for the party I want. Before this I floated around labour libs greens etc.

I'm in a tory stronghold borough so it doesn't really matter anyway.

I don't know if I could vote conservative. Ever.

I'm thinking though. I mean there are two sorts of Tory mainly. The nasty bastards and the ones who aren't bastards their views come from a different place.

I read a book years ago by a USA democrat advisor / messaging person. Pretty influential over there I think.

It was about why the right messaging is so much more successful than the left. It also explained the mindset of those on the right in the population who are decent people.

Before i read it I was very polarised. A lot younger as well. I couldn't understand why decent people would be right. To me right was essentially evil and left good.

That book made me understand why decent people support the right.

I don't know if I could do it. If my local candidate was the woman who wrote that AND her other views in general were reasonable. Then I would consider it.

If it's going to be Tories anyway then trying to get some who support women and are not in the horrible group. That would be better than not.

I should have been happy to vote green, labour, and with reservations lib. And WEP but they are hopeless across the board.

But they have all been vocal in their attitude to women saying no. More. Calling us all sorts of names. Expelling us. Etc.

So what are women supposed to do?

All we can do, is think and decide. And no one should be trying to shame women for that. We didn't ask to be in this position FGS.

There is a huge and significant difference with the Tories and Labour on this, though, that goes beyond individual candidates (though it's always worth looking at them carefully.)

And it's what I always want to answer when someone says, the Tories are just as bad on this really.

But there is no way a Labour MP could write and publish this article without serious backlash from the LP, maybe even ejection. That's not a small thing. An individual Labour MP might agree, but they aren't even allowed to say so in public.

What about thingy who couldn't go to the labour conference? She speaks up.

Tories can speak up because it's not an issue they as a party are even slightly interested in. I doubt they care when it's commented on, on either side of the debate.

@SirSamuelVimes

Trick to access articles if using your phone - click the link,then immediately put your airplane mode on. The article will load but (if you are quick enough) the blocky thing that comes up over the top of the page won't have time to do so.

You do have to be mega quick though!

Thanks, I have a fairly old laptop & it worked on that, will be useful in the future as well!

@LobsterNapkin

There is a huge and significant difference with the Tories and Labour on this, though, that goes beyond individual candidates (though it's always worth looking at them carefully.)

And it's what I always want to answer when someone says, the Tories are just as bad on this really.

But there is no way a Labour MP could write and publish this article without serious backlash from the LP, maybe even ejection. That's not a small thing. An individual Labour MP might agree, but they aren't even allowed to say so in public.

I agree, I mentioned overall party opinion; also if the Conservatives came out with a plan to scrap the GRA for example there would be no doubt whatsoever that they would be the best choice. The thing is, a lot of women swore they would never vote Tory. Labour use that to their advantage - the Tories are the nasty party etc. It's emotional blackmail really. "If you cared about the NHS you'd vote for the abolition of woman as a legal entity" doesn't sound as good, but that's basically the line. Whereas for me I see it in reverse; if Labour really gave a shit about improving people's lives, they wouldn't throw away so many votes on this nonsense hardly anyone agrees with. They've told me they don't want my vote. So if that means they never get to implement the rest of their manifesto that's on them really. You've got to be in government to get stuff done, and they're not even trying.

They've told me they don't want my vote.

Yes. Lib Dems have said the same thing. I've voted for them quite a few times in the past, but I've taken careful note of the party's instructions and shall be sure not to sully their electoral purity by voting for them again. I'm pretty sure the Lib Dems are doing well enough for votes anyway. They won't need mine.

I'm willing to vote Tory on this issue. They're better on free speech and personal liberties anyway.

@SirSamuelVimes

Trick to access articles if using your phone - click the link,then immediately put your airplane mode on. The article will load but (if you are quick enough) the blocky thing that comes up over the top of the page won't have time to do so.

You do have to be mega quick though!

You are a bloody genius!! Thank you. 🥰

The fact this is the Tory MP for Penistone and Stocksbridge really shows how Labour have lost their way. For several decades, the sight that greeted you when you drove into town was massive foot-high graffiti on the side of the old cinema reading "KICK TORIES OUT". A much-loved local landmark that somehow nobody ever got round to removing. You can still see it on street view.

@User135644

We're all Tories now.

Gross. Speak for yourself!!

@Lokdok what David Lammy said about us was more gross

This issue hasn't made me a Tory, aside for respecting individual politicians for speaking out, but it has made me unable to bring myself to vote for other parties.

I am wondering if the LP, Lib Dems, Greens etc are still under the impression that 'stealth' is working and haven't seen the incredible amount of coverage GC's are getting? There must come a point where they actually start to think that maybe no debate, wasn't a good strategy. I am not sure there is an easy way back for these parties and I think the beginnings of this were Jess Philips and I think later KS's comment about both sides need to talk. Well we're talking