Webchat with Keir Starmer & Bridget Phillipson

[ArabellaScott]

www.mumsnet.com/talk/mumsnet_live_events/4663774-got-a-question-for-keir-starmer-or-bridget-phillipson

I never see these things in the webchat thread, so thought I'd stick it here to let people know.

I'm glad she specifically asked if they knew what the Cass Review was and if they'd read it. His answer about children not being able to do things without their parents being involved will incense Mermaids. Perhaps they've realised there's nowhere to go with this. Nowhere that Mermaids, Stonewall, GIRES, Gendered Intelligence, LGBT Foundation etc would be happy with anyway.

Even so, if parents are happy to trans the gay away then parents being involved isn't the answer. So even though TRAs would be happy perhaps with that part of his answer, I'm not.

Then, he spoke about "safe spaces" when the question was "single sex spaces". And he spoke of 99.9% of women being women and the rest not identifying with the "gender they were born in"...and I'm afraid I don't believe we'd be safe under him. There aren't "compromises" in terms of sex. We want and need single sex spaces. He categorically did not say we'd get them.

He also dodged his vision for "modernising" the GRA. And that won't support good child protection which undermines any nice words about Cass.

At this point I got 🚩 🚩 🚩 flashing in my head. As a previously lifelong Labour voter, I won't be voting Labour (AGAIN) and might spoil my vote (AGAIN). Depends what the local LD and Tory have to say publicly on the matter I guess. Or the national parties, since we now know what Labour's national position is. Which is that Britain will be like Canada.

No thank you.

he spoke about "safe spaces" when the question was "single sex spaces".

Well. He's either disengenuous or he's not bright. Either way: no, thank you.

I was disappointed to hear him say that both sides need to take a step back with regards to the conflict between transwomen and women and girls rights. Same old same old. There is no way I would trust Labour to reform the GRA (ie self ID) and at the same time protect the rights of me and my daughters. I just feel he is a disingeous wet blanket.

@ResisterRex i agree. I think if Labour get in, women can kiss goodbye to any single sex spaces or even the ability to define ourselves. You can’t have single sex spaces if both sexes can be ‘women’. His use Of ‘safe spaces’ was also very telling. I think he just confirmed what we all were thinking. They’ll be single gender.

In fact, if anyone wants to feedback to Labour how that webchat went:

No, thank you.

95% of the questions on that thread were about women's rights. From scared and worried women.

1 of those questions was asked. 1.

They still have NO idea of the strength of feeling on this issue

Ffs.

Yes.
Same old #behind fuckwittery

#bekind

Absolutely.

Disgraceful.

Yeah. There was a really good opportunity to let him know how women felt and it was wasted.

I think you could tell from the thread due to the deletions and reprimand bit to repeat

Wonder why so weak on it.

Not..

Not just me then 🙁

If I worked at Tory HQ, I'd consider polling to test whether women feel their rights would be protected under Sunak or Starmer as PM, and keep tracking it. That specific question: "who do you think would better protect women's rights?".

I'd also ask women and the general population what we think about how well children would be protected under each potential next PM.

If I was working at Tory HQ I'd grab a copy of the thread of questions and comments.

This may be splitting hairs, but KS says he knows what Justine is talking about with regards to the Cass report, but I didn't actually hear either of them say that they had read it (even though they were asked specifically a couple of times).

I agree. Even that wasn't totally clear. But they didn't deny they knew what it was.

God. The biggest child protection and medical scandal unfolding right before our eyes and the best I can say of their performance is:

They didn't deny they knew what it was.

Nowhere near good enough, is it?

I just don’t understand Labour. They’re throwing away an almost guaranteed win in a GE to pander to a tiny minority. The present government Is falling apart, they’d be a shoo in, but they’d rather piss off half the population.

99.9% of women are women... Bullshit.

No petal, 100% of women are women. The rest are men.

It’s a public forum, even if he didn’t read the questions before the interview, which I doubt, he could read them now.

Arguing for parental consent isn’t reassuring. No parent should be able to consent to the sterilisation of their child. Also what if only one parent consents? You end up in with heartbreaking situations where it ends up in court and the non consenting parent loses the right to have contact with their child.

Also as usual the practicalities of how you protect single sex spaces when men can self ID as women are never discussed. HOW does this work?

They haven’t thought these things through and just like Scotland they intend to plough on with them regardless.

95% of the questions on that thread were about women's rights. From scared and worried women.
1 of those questions was asked. 1.

And then people wonder why we are getting so angry and refusing to step back. Hes basically inviting a riot. How pathetic. But there again he's not exactly been a robust opposition leader over anything. A decent debater should have wiped the tories arse several times with all their imploding since he's been in opposition and yet nothing is coming across to normal voters how "fierce" he is. Hes very ineffectual actually. Very wet.

Agree @Boiledeggandtoast neither said they had read the Cass Report. Keir said safe spaces were important yet that seems to include Eddie Izzard continuing to use the women's toilets. Because only 99.99% of women are born female apparently.

Was a very disappointing interview and hugely wasted opportunity. Definitely not convince me to vote Labour again.

Especially when considered in light of Scottish Labour performance on Thursday at Holyrood. Allowing a poorly drafted Bill with huge implications for women to progress to Stage 2 while acknowledging already that it will be tested in court. Where have all the good politicians gone?

Pixie, wouldn't you want to kick their arse, rather than wipe it? 😆

But yes, you're right.

I went back to the thread and couldn't find my question so assu e it was deleted because so many nasty, silly women were all asking about women's rights and MN didn't want to put the the nice, kind man on the spot [fumes silently]

Yes, that ^^

I'm sure he would personally feel a lot more comfortable if TW and women and girls would shut up, which basically requires women and girls to shut up and give up their rights. No. No thanks. This issue isn't going away, it's getting steadily worse and the conflict is going to get louder and louder.

As to 'parental consent'.... can parents consent to FGM? Underage tattoos? Breast ironing?

he spoke about "safe spaces" when the question was "single sex spaces".

He's admitting that women need safe spaces but of course the issue is that there appear to be different types of women.

The Equalities Act doesn't mention "safe spaces" - it refers to provision for single-sex services. He didn't explain why this should only apply to sports.