Local elections and sex/gender/trans issues

[DameHelena]

I am REALLY struggling to see who I can vote for tomorrow, due to their position on this issue.
Labour: no
Lib Dems: no
Green: no
Very much would like not to vote Tory (am historically Labour and/or Green and tend to go Green in local elections).
We have a Womens Equality Party candidate, but I can't find their official stance on women's sex-based rights. Does anyone have any knowledge? And how are you voting if you're in the same position as me?

@toots111 & @ScreamingMeMe

I think what you're missing is that I only do this in relation to a very specific issue: the Tories' dismantling of the process of democracy itself.

I completely respect that there are different opinions about economic policy, the size of the welfare state, Brexit or for that matter trans rights. That's exactly why democratic process is so important - it allows us to debate those opinions and policies, reject those that have been found not to work for most people and effect change for the better without needing violence or societal upheaval to do it.

I never called anyone a fascist because of austerity post-2010, because of privatisation of the NHS or because of Brexit. I only use the word to mean what it actually means: the replacement of genuine, fair, open democracy with an effective dictatorship of the right. You mention previous posts of mine, but I notice you haven't said anything about the actual substance of this, such as the elections bill. You seem to just want to shoot the messenger. Believe me, it gives me no pleasure that this is happening; I'm amazed how many people seem either completely ignorant or in denial about it though.

I have friends who vote on the right and they respect my beliefs, but I expect they wouldn't (and I wouldn't expect them to) if I supported a push towards left wing autocracy that threatened democracy itself in the way this government is.

I remember posts like that on here in 2019. You'd have thought the realisation that managed to piss off Rother Valley and Redcar might have led to a little self reflection, but no. Everything was everyone else's fault and it seems like it still is.

@Floisme Well the dismantling of democracy is certainly not my fault.

Wow, so many people voting Tory despite all that they've done to defund the NHS, plunge more people into poverty, dismantle the social safety net etc etc.

So you're going to be a single issue voter and this is your single issue?

@Fifteentoes could you elaborate further on the Elections Bill and issues with it please?

Just read this in The Times. A Lab/Lib/SNP coalition would be the worst outcome I think for the issues we've been fighting on. An outright Labour win would be better all things considered.

Tories could lose majority at next general election
The Conservatives will lose their majority at the next general election and emerge as the largest party in a hung parliament, according to a projection based on the local election results (George Grylls writes).

The projection, based on voting in 1,700 wards, found that the Conservatives would win 278 seats, ahead of Labour on 271, the SNP on 50 and the Liberal Democrats on 28.

That means the Conservatives would fall 48 seats short of a majority — and give the option to Labour of forming a minority coalition government with the other parties.

The Sky News study looked at 4.6 million votes and examined how the parties’ vote shares had changed compared with 2018.

Wow, so many people voting Tory despite all that they've done to defund the NHS, plunge more people into poverty, dismantle the social safety net etc etc.

Yeah but those things are all the left's fault. Do keep up.

As I keep saying, the left can have my vote back whenever they choose. All they have to do is reassure me that they will uphold my legal rights.

This is Mhairi Hunter's replacement

www.glasgowlive.co.uk/news/glasgow-news/glasgow-election-candidate-aims-citys-23844135

Another male born person who doesn't think women should have their own spaces. It's depressing that people voted for someone with those beliefs, but we should welcome the fact that Elaine will open the eyes of even more people to this awful ideology.

Also, why do these people always claim that women just come up to them and compliment them on their looks?!!

@VestofAbsurdity

Probably the worst in terms of potential scope (though the least specific, so harder to get anyone excited about opposing right now) is governmental interference in the electoral commission:

www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/feb/21/uk-elections-watchdog-warns-bill-threatens-its-independence-electoral-commission

In a strongly worded and highly unusual public letter, the Electoral Commission said provisions in the elections bill for ministers to draw up a new “strategy and policy statement” – which the watchdog must take account of – had no precedent in comparable democracies.

“It is our firm and shared view that the introduction of a strategy and policy statement – enabling the government to guide the work of the commission – is inconsistent with the role that an independent electoral commission plays in a healthy democracy,” the letter said.

“This independence is fundamental to maintaining confidence and legitimacy in our electoral system.”

There are a number of other issues, such as the introduction of having to produce approved photo ID for voting. While the government claims this is to combat impersonation in voting, all the evidence suggests that this is an almost non-existent problem. And the most likely people to be unable to produce the required ID will be the young, itinerant, immigrant etc. etc. - ie. all those groups most likely to vote Labour.

Canvassing and getting the vote out at elections, I've seen first hand how hard it is for some people to simply vote. People with disabilities, or caring for others, people who don't own vehicles or for whatever reason can't get to a polling station. People who's lives are just so hard and frantic they don't have the space to think about and prepare for it. Yes, you can say people should make more effort if they care about how the country is run, but the fact remains it's easier for some people than for others to make that effort. Changes to the system should be designed to make it easier for EVERYONE, not to exacerbate the divide so we can continue to be governed by an unrepresentative wealthy gerontocracy.

The bill also allows expats of over 15 years non-residence here to vote and contribute to party funding, for the first time ever. I wonder who that's supposed to benefit?

www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2021/sep/07/what-does-the-uk-elections-bill-set-out

@OvaHere

A projection of general election outcome based on local election results is pretty meaningless though, for obvious reasons.

I think it means that they're not remotely 'passing' and embarrassed people stumble for something to say that won't get them in the shite, or they're using people like Elaine as props in their own performance.

I hope Elaine does sort out the bins and has time to crusade for third spaces.

Sadly, enough dangerous Green nutters have been elected to more than make up for Mhairi Hunter losing her seat.

Alba did a little better than in the last election, but didn’t come close to making a breakthrough. I think 8% was their best result with most getting 1–2%.

Proud to be from Cardiff if this is true

‘A counting staff member pulls me aside to say there is a definite pattern in the spoiled ballots, with many saying 'respect my sex to get my x', appearing to be a coordinated campaign. One ballot even had a ranting essay’

twitter.com/alexgseabrook/status/1522597660452134912?s=21&t=ZJLOzGlN5mmSrvTAay4S3Q

I hope Elaine does get a full post bag though asking for advice on making more bin collections inclusive.

From the article:

She said: “The number of women I have seen who say ‘hello I like your look."

One of two things are happening there:
Either these women know that Elaine is clearly male and are saying this sort of thing to 'be kind'/virtue signal/fawn (you see this quite a lot in online groups eg. Beauty groups that are female dominated and a very obvious male comes on with various 'looks' and women are falling over themselves to them how amazing they look).

Or

People don't clock that Elaine is male and Elaine is bullshitting.

Because, let's face facts - if Elaine were an actual woman of that age, dressed in that way, no one would be complimenting on her on her 'look', she would be invisible.

Hoping this might get some traction in the media now. The issue that's always ignored .. JK Rowling has retweeted it so it's getting some attention. All our individual protests hopefully making a difference.

Yep. Me too. I'll vote Labour again just as soon as they say very clearly that single sex spaces are legal, essential in many cases for adequate child safeguarding and that women's rights matter.

I won't hold my breath.

Just had a look at my local democracy website pages - there has certainly been an increase in spoiled votes in the last year.

Some terrible turn-out figures, too - as low as 18% in one ward.

One ward was won by just 20 votes!

Elaine tweeted this.

Good to see that spoiled votes have been noticed in Wales. Can anyone else find out where there might be more than usual? . Are numbers kept?

@Clangyleg the number of rejected ballots is published along with the election results, usually underneath the number of votes that each of the candidates polled, ward by ward.

I'm looking at one ward where there were more rejected ballots than the lowest ranking candidate received!

Low turnout is generally A Bad Thing, but it might make the number of spoiled ballots more significant. Is it legal to disclose what was written on them?

This a thousand times!! It’s such a simple thing for Labour to do and yet they just can’t….

i can’t take the fascist stuff flying about seriously 🤪