17.30 on Radio 4: Political Thinking with Nick Robinson

[nauticant]

Nick Robinson talks to the influential lobbyist and new chair of Stonewall, Iain Anderson, about how the case of Isla Bryson has brought gender politics to the top of the news agenda and how he thinks the heat can be taken out of the debate. Anderson, a lifelong Conservative who founded the lobbying firm Cicero and ran Ken Clarke's leadership campaigns, talks candidly about why he's now moving away from his political roots.

www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001j3cx

It'll be interesting to hear whether Stonewall engage in a meaningful way over Isla Bryson, especially since Nick Robinson will not be there to ask them easy and PR-friendly questions.

It's already up on BBC Sounds

Iain Anderson is very very keen to keep the link between LGB and the rest. Nick Robinson is actually doing a good interview and asking searching questions.

Ah, Iain Anderson has gone for [some people] who want to start a Culture War who are "very well funded".

Earlier on it was "LGBTQ people".

Apparently Theresa May promised LGBTQ people many things 5 years ago and it's well overdue for them to be delivered.

Apparently Isla Bryson isn't a man or a woman. They are a "transitioning individual". When pushed Iain Anderson went for Bryson being "a rapist".

He's getting pinned down.

Weasel words!

Want to convince people TWAW.

mentioned meeting K Stammer.

Nick Robinson doing an excellent job.

So does the chair of Stonewall just not understand the issues or is he deliberately avoiding them?

Deliberately avoiding them - that’s why they pushed #nodebate so hard

Disavowing Nicola because of her language. Apparently we aren't transphobes after all.

Anderson says has never called anyone a transphobe. Not his language. Agrees with Sturgeon in her aims but not her language.

A much more smooth presentation than what one normally gets from Stonewall. But there's no sign at all of a new direction. One could get the impression that he's unaware that there are these people called "women" who exist.

His speech was so hesitant. He was picking his words very carefully indeed.

I only shouted bollox twice, and hogwash once. Not bad.

So does this mean the days of 'no debate' are officially over?

Nick Robinson did well, especially in pushing the what is a woman issue, but didn't deal will the actual clash between women's rights and the demands of stonewall

Thanks OP I will have a listen.
Nick Robinson did a good interview with Paris Lees a few years ago and a mumsnetter posted a link of it that included a discussion that took place between the 2 after the interview had ended. It's worth seeking out.

I agree but at least the conversation is now being had in the BBC. And it seemed he was not buying Isla Bryson is a third gender - a rapist - line trotted out by Anderson

Slippery as hell. No commitment to debate, no acknowledgement that there IS a debate, dodged the difficult questions. Seemed to me to be a platform for announcing he doesn't like the Tories any more and he's Labour now.

Nick Robinson asked good questions. Anderson avoided answering them.

So apparently a transwoman is a woman, just not a biological woman. I still don't get it, but he seemed hopeful that he could persuade people.

Nice summing up by NR - basically Anderson known to be a smoother and fixer, so a definite change of tack by Stonewall, but will anything really change?

At all events, No Debate is dead in the water and Stonewall knows it.

Well done to the Terven!

You can tell he’s been in Westminster a long time. Very weaselly and no straight answers.