News Agents Podcast

[JeannieDark]

The episode from yesterday is about the Scottish GRR bill and Westminster vetoing it. Guests include Helen Joyce and Katie Montgomery. Jon Sopel and Emily Matlis sat this one out which was a shame and Katie M was allowed to speak without challenge but I think it will have enlightened some people - Helen was clear as always.

Their description of the episode is:
">Two of the big conflicts which define British politics- the culture war and the war for the Union, have fused together. </p><p>The Scottish government's controversial Gender Recognition Bill, which would make it easier for people to legally change their gender and hailed by some as a great advance for trans rights, has been blocked, vetoed by the UK government. </p><p>UK ministers claim it would impact UK wide equalities legislation. In this episode, Lewis takes you through both the substance of the issue at hand but also how it is just the latest staging post on a constitutional clash of wills between Westminster and Holyrood, and how both issues, already fraught and volatile, are becoming interwoven making both all the more unstable still."
The News Agents visit Global Player: www.globalplayer.com/videos/brands/news-agents/the-news-agents/</p><p>You can watch our interviews in full at www.globalplayer.com/videos/brands/news-agents/the-news-agents/</p><p>

I found it helpful in as much as I hadn't fully understood the interplay between this issue and devolution to independence. Also the roots of the divergence in mainstream political thought between Scotland and other parts of the UK. (Although I do understand this issue isn't as widely supported in Scotland as the SNP claim). I didn't catch the name of the Scottish lady at the beginning who was giving the context of the issues but I thought she was really interesting.

I don't agree with Katy M that this is just an admin issue but I do appreciate that they'd gone out of their way to interview a trans person for the section. Helen Joyce was perfectly clear on the wider concerns.

I generally like listening to Lewis Goodall though, he is usually quite careful to present a wider focus and more context.

Yes I like Lewis, and at least he acknowledged that there is a clash of rights unlike many presenters and journalists.

I'm amazed by how relieved I am if any broadcaster even acknowledges that there is a clash of rights. I did feel annoyed though that KM trotted out that old half-truth about women's groups being consulted and supporting genderism.

Both DH and I are dedicated listeners to this podcast, so I'll have to ask him what he thinks. As I've said elsewhere, his view of this topic is HeadInSandLaLaLaArgh and so he'll be taking everything that KM said at face value.

I think Helen Joyce’s bit was a clip from her recent Triggernometry interview, I don’t think they interviewed her specifically for the podcast.

Funnily enough I would've said before that my DH is the same, but he listened to it and couldn't believe anyone couldn't see how open for exploitation by predators the GRR would be.