Janice Turner calls on Keir Starmer to get off the fence re the EA

[Clymene]

I so love her writing. I'm not optimistic that he will turn his back on the shrieks of the TRAs but I'll be watching

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/5fc9f474-d576-11ed-9f4d-c5bd4b89feab?shareToken=1919c0cc4b466ca2baee0bb02a66eba2

I can't read the article? But of course he won't, the lily livered gobshite.

The information in this section of Turner’s article is concerning:

'So will the government take up Baroness Falkner’s advice and clarify the law? No. Tory insiders claim there isn’t a guaranteed majority since even moderate Labour MPs are too fearful of LGBT activists to uphold biological sex. Opening up the EA also risks disastrous amendments, like the insertion of “gender identity” to nullify sex. It is enough, Tories say, that Falkner’s letter will empower companies to enforce existing law.'

Try this link 👍

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/5fc9f474-d576-11ed-9f4d-c5bd4b89feab?shareToken=1919c0cc4b466ca2baee0bb02a66eba2

I don't know why I seem to have trouble recently with share tokens.

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/5fc9f474-d576-11ed-9f4d-c5bd4b89feab?shareToken=eae64521ac9d223622e9ab1bbfb8cb0a

Here's another one

Yeah I saw that, I hope that MP’s actually grow a spine.

Cheers 👍

Excellent article.

Clymene, I noticed that when I followed the original link that you kindly posted, there was an underscore added to the end of the URL, so I deleted the underscore (tried it out in a browser to check it worked) and re-posted the modified link.

I don’t know if this strange thing happened because of how The Times formats share tokens or because the new way Mumsnet has introduced for dealing with URLs is not exactly intuitive at times 🤷‍♀️

Yeah, there was lots of positive sounding talk from Sunak and Badenoch, in the headlines I saw recently, I would hate to see that not followed up with actual movement towards proper clarification.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11951291/Schools-told-record-pupils-sex-listed-birth-certificate.html

They are recording a child's sex at school.

A child can't obtain a GRC so maybe this is easier.

Thanks for the share token.

I don't understand this bit:
'So will the government take up Baroness Falkner’s advice and clarify the law? No. Tory insiders claim there isn’t a guaranteed majority since even moderate Labour MPs are too fearful of LGBT activists to uphold biological sex.'
The government still has a hefty majority - I know it's not 80 seats any more but enough to get this voted through easily if this so wished, no matter what any of the opposiion do, surely?

I don't understand this article either, have said the same on another thread. Also why would Keir/Labour take this head on when it's more problematic for them than the Tories ?

@Violetparis , they should take it on as a world leading defender of civil rights. Across the world people are looking for a voice to defend women's rights and do whatever is equitable [for this week's men's rights issue].

Not going to be these guys.

I've seen enough video footage to know that Starmer isn't really on the fence, he's fully on board with the Labour SPADs pushing this ideology.

Janice is a ⭐️. Her writing is always so well informed and crystal clear. Thank you for the link.

Starmer won't take it on because, like many Labour leaders before him, he's not in control of his party. Ironically, I think the only thing that might give him the control he needs to take it on, would be a comfortable government majority. But unless he can prove before then that he's got a grip, then voters like me aren't going to take that chance.

But let's take a moment also to reflect that, if this article is correct, the Tories don't plan to take it on just yet either. Instead they will make it an election issue. Now I understand their reasons - that's how politics works, but I've seen a lot of rhetoric lately about not trusting Labour - well let's not kid ourselves that any of them can be trusted.

Bear in mind there are two options to change the Equality Act.

1 -Putting forward a bill to rewrite the Equality Act in detail. Takes a lot of time, can be amended.

2 - Or the Tories can issue a Statutory Instrument saying sex in Equality ACT means biological sex as in the original intention. Far quicker, cannot be amended only choice is a Parliamentary vote Yes or No, Abstain. Statutory Instruments are used all the time for this kind of thing to fix acts with loopholes, bad wording.
This is what Sex Matters has argued for. It is the best option by far.

Option 2 The Tories can definitely do, they have time for it. They would almost certainly win the vote bearing in mind so far Labour Front benchers have all said clarifying the Act is a good idea. Remember the vote on Activating clause 35 to stop the Scottish GRA went through easily. With an 80 majority and Labour probably abstaining that is an easy win.

What this article is saying is the Tories might do option 3 - do nothing and use it as an election weapon to say they will do it next time. That would be cynical, but obviously could get them votes. However, it is risky because do the Tories really want to extend this? After all it was the Tories who put male rapists and murderers in women's jails, allowed mixed sex wards to continue, changing rooms etc. Just using women as props underlines the Tories own sexist ideas. Option 2 still puts Labour on the spot and every other party. Because either you vote that biological sex exists YES, doesn't NO, or ABSTAIN - that this question isn't a big deal. Anything but yes makes you look stupid. The Lib Dems/SNP might be stupid enough to vote NO two major threats the Tories made to look like clowns. Labour will probably have a huge row about it and abstaining is still dumb.

Having the Vote for 2 early in 2023 is a great way to start off a campaign for a May election. Starmer abstains = he is confused about what a women is or isn't look how he voted. Or if Labour go for Yes = the internal Labour war shows their party as divided and the Greens/Lib Dems/SNP might go crazy attacking Labour over this. The debate continues, more culture war drama. The SNP break down further Sunak has saved the Union. The attacks and Tory puff piece articles write themselves. Because whatever happens in the UK this argument is going to continue in a much worse way in the US and the Tories can use that as a backdrop to undermine any left leaning party that doesn't say genderism is daft.

Thanks fromorbit.

If only we had a mainstream party that said, 'Can we fix this? Then let's do it'. Never going to happen though - we really are on our own.

The Tories are playing a dangerous game if they use changes as recommended by the EHRC as an election tactic or promise.

If they can't get it through with a majority of 80, they wouldn't in any new parliament.

And also if Labour propose the same changes, then both parties are indistinguishable from each other, I'll vote Labour willingly.

No, they need to have principles.

They need to lead.

They need to govern.

They need to conserve.

You know, a CONSERVEative GOVERNment.

That means Sunak and Badenoch leading this battle from the front, dragging Starmer and Labour with them, getting the requisite changes.

Whatever it takes.

If this is not what happens, then women will know a few things. Your rights are simply a political football, a tradeable commodity.

You mean so little that a party with an 80 seat majority cannot guarantee your rights.

I'd be pig sick if I was a woman and this was the upshot, hell it makes me sad as a man even contemplating the sheer cowardice of our political classes.

That means Sunak and Badenoch leading this battle from the front, dragging Starmer and Labour with them, getting the requisite changes.

They don't need Starmer and Labour or anyone else. They still have a 60 seat majority, they just need to whip their own MPs. Why are they not doing this?

Why indeed?

All politics.

Good post

This stuff is a gift to any non left party. It’s just when they want to use it to maximise impact.

The escalating mob violence from males is not helping the left on this issue

They need to lose on this issue. It’s taking time though. So much brainwashing re be kind

Meanwhile women are assaulted for merely speaking

if the Tories dont put forward a Statutory Instrument they are at risk of women voters thinking they are just as bad as Labour and refusing to vote for them. It would also show Sunak as being no more in control of his party than Starmer is of his.

Manifesto commitments might cut it for other parties, no use for the government that has already presided over the erosion of womens rights.

The tories ducking this will undermine its use as a weapon against other parties who can truthfully say you havent done enough to rectify the problem so you cant be trusted. If the tories meant to do this they'd get on with it now.

The Commons breakdown is:
Conservatives 355 seats
Everyone else 295 seats

Conservative majority 60 seats.
Sinn Fein don't sit or vote so that increases the Conservative majority to 67 seats.
The DUP would back the Tories on this adding another 8 votes, bringing them up to 75 votes.

Is the Conservative Party really saying they can't whip enough of their own MPs to vote with the government to protect women's rights? The party that knows what a woman is?

I call bullshit!

Meanwhile the stunning and brave MP for Bridgend is growing their hair and has dyed it blonde.