Kemi Badenoch on the Tavistock GIDS

[InTheCanteen]

This is so good:

Tavistock scandal shows the dangers of civil service groupthink

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/0df1a300-1022-11ed-b7aa-67f5549661eb?shareToken=a63b0046a438836d715431528446b1a3

“I insisted on meeting campaigners on both sides of the debate: not just Stonewall but, to the horror of some officials, the LGB Alliance. I met clinicians and, most importantly, I asked to meet young people who had used the Tavistock’s services.

One such young person was Keira Bell. To my surprise, I was advised strongly and repeatedly by civil servants in the department that it would be “inappropriate” to speak to her. I overruled the advice. Along with other advisers across government I met Keira and listened to what she had to say. Her testimony was harrowing and brought many on the Zoom call to tears. Keira described how, after being put on puberty blockers at the age of 16, she was given testosterone shots at 17, before her breasts were cut off at 20. Worse was the casual indifference she described from the GIDS service to her continued post-surgery wellbeing.“

That's very brave of her to put that out and shows how well she understands the issue.

That is a bloody good article. Thanks for sharing.

Its blistering in its attack on the cowardness and craveness from politicians and officials which has allowed this entire mess to unfold in the first place.

‘I could not have done anything without being empowered by my senior minister, Liz Truss, to challenge advice, meet whoever was relevant and do my job as I saw fit.’

This is integrity, and this is courage.

She briefly spoke on the same subject in a GB News interview:

twitter.com/GBNEWS/status/1553320568602202113

the civil service eh? What would we do without them?
(maybe have a chance of being governed in a way that accords with the ethics and common sense of the vast majority of the British people. And that would never do. Islington mores must rule us or we will not be civilised)

A Labour MP told me in private she was grateful her party was not in power because they would not be able to face down the large number of activists online that Labour relies on to push its message.
Ouch

Hancock commissioned the Cass Review. Well, scratch my...

I hadn't seen this and started a thread, sorry. It's a brilliant article, covers so many points. I hope Chris Bryant can sleep at night. Bravo Kemi.

‘To be as frank as I can be now, I would have had to resign my position and risk a more compliant person taking on the role.’

I couldn’t admire her any more.

That really is impressive. Hopefully more people will feel able to speak out now.

Me neither.

My politics are different to Kemi's but she is clearly a force to be reckoned with and has the courage of her convictions. She has a very sharp mind too.

It's so refreshing to hear a politician honestly say what they think.

Future PM, I think.

What a great piece. Thank you, Kemi.

Yes. These people should be disciplined. It’s completely outrageous. I have worked in the senior civil service and during your training impartiality is emphasised again and again. The behaviour she describes is disgusting

This is really surprising!

The article is a really interesting insight into how things work and how much power advisers must have with lazy ministers. Good for KB pushing to actually review all the evidence and ensuring that she fully understood the issue.

Also: isn’t Labour awful? It’s just so awful. The worst thing Boris has done, in a list of very bad things, is allow this corpse to reanimate itself.

I’m both terrified and delighted to see that Michael Gove is with us.

Excellent article.

I could never vote Tory because of their other policies but they seem to be the only party on the right side of the debate with this issue and the more I hear from Kemi, the more I admire her.

So much about the article us shocking. One of the worst things for me was the civil servants trying to dissuade her from meeting Keira Bell.

Meeting with a young woman who has had a particular experience of NHS healthcare and wants to be heard would be ‘inappropriate’ - lunatics.

I've heard something similar from a local councillor!

Grateful not to be in power because they can’t face down mantrums from stripy haired online activists. How are they meant to face down Putin? They can’t even protect children.

Yes. Yes it is. & gracious.

@TullyApplebottom I think Peter Daly explains it well here mobile.twitter.com/peter_daly/status/1551976840063057923

Civil Service sees itself as a 'moral community' imho, based on the last 3 years of working there.

It's a problem.

Brilliant article. Just brilliant. Thank you Kemi