Kemi Badenoch: Diversity obsession has led to Kafkaesque madness (KB for PM?)

[IwantToRetire]

Another really straightforwarded down to earth practical commentary of where chasing the rainbow has led us. And ideas on how Government cant, without being dictatorial help solve the mess.

The root of the problem is a fundamental misunderstanding of the Equality Act 2010, often exploited by those with a separate agenda. The Equality Act is a shield, not a sword. It is about preventing discrimination, not social engineering. There are no protected groups in the act, only protected characteristics. A white man is just as protected on the characteristics of race and sex as a black woman, yet many believe the act is there just to protect minorities, when in reality it protects us all.

Many companies’ diversity and inclusion activities are falling foul of the law; for example by confusing legal positive action and positive discrimination, which is illegal — except when selecting political candidates (a handy get-out-clause Labour devised to use all-women shortlists). Encouraging people from underrepresented backgrounds to apply for a job or go for a promotion is positive action, and legal. Restricting applications for a position to a certain group is positive discrimination and most certainly isn’t. This has led to increasing calls for the Equality Act to be scrapped. The act is 13 years old and could be improved but the issue is not the law. It’s bad actors misrepresenting it to suit their agenda.

Many of these laws were written at a time when institutions knew how to self-regulate. Someone proposing a terrible idea would be checked by colleagues in the organisation. Today, those colleagues are scared of being called bigots for disagreeing, so they say nothing. What the Farage and Sawers cases have done is show that this problem is getting worse. Long-held tenets of liberal democracy — freedom of association, freedom of conscience, the presumption of innocence — are being tossed aside in favour of dubious inclusion strategies that themselves fall foul of the law. In some cases they’re cancelling people before any wrongdoing occurs, leaving them with no way to prove their innocence.

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/kemi-badenoch-banking-scandal-natwest-niigel-farage-wdp3mmq0w
Also available via archive.ph

And is why they are gunning for Baroness Falkner.

It should not be enforced in any way.

You keep repeating this type of question, and repeatedly you have had it suggested to you that everyone has been asleeep at the wheel for most of the last 10 years when it comes to this issue. It is only thanks to the resurgent women's movement that the issue has been brought to public consciousness.

And yes, there are some Tories who have been thoroughly captured too. Look at at Caroline Nokes and Gillian Keegan. However, over the last two years it is only Tory MPs who have truly woken up and started to speak out in parliament. They have commisioned the Cass Review. Blocked Self Id both in Britain as a whole and also specifically the GRR in Scotland.

Kemi Badenoch has kept her position on the Women and Equalities Committee, and behind the scenes has been drafting and working on making guidance clearer.

What have the Labour party being doing? Smearing people, including their own members.

Can you prove that? I think civil servants are required to be politically neutral...

Quite.
It's all very well blaming "leftys" but the current government could sort this, if they wanted to.

You keep repeating this type of question, and repeatedly you have had it suggested to you

Yep. It’s on repeat

Good post btw

Civil service neutrality used to definitely be a thing...20 years ago. The Blair years moved a bit towards the USA approach of appointing your own advisors who agreed with you to run things (SPADs) etc. In practice this meant Thatcher had civil servants who were largely neutral on a day to day basis although most would have been civil service union members.
Now it seems, given the way civil service have now succeeded in 'taking down' or trying to take down several elected Tory MPs (Dominic Raab etc) by bleating about 'bullying'....ditto Baroness Falkner who was a LibDem Peer but they are still gunning for her as she wants to do her job fairly on behalf of all the protected characteristics, not just the T.
See also why do the Trade Unions not defend GC women? They have to go the the Free Speech Union instead. The left has morally lost its way but effectively taken over the management of the whole public sector and parts of the private sector through ESG /EDI etc.
Another example, it beggars belief that a Civil Service bigwig after 13 years of Tory Government would immediately go off to work for the leader of the opposition. That shows how little control the Government has these days. I think Civil servants no longer even pay lip service to the neutrality principle.

And this is where its helpful that I've been following the debate. Everyone has not been "asleep at the wheel". They have ALL deliberately minimised and dismissed womens concerns. ALL the political parties have been committed to TWAW until recently. The Conservatives are as guilty as all the others as they had the enquiry, without consulting feminist groups, and proposed a move to self ID, more streamlined GRC process etc. Incidentally I looked on the Gov website yesterday and it already only costs £5 for a certificate. So the £5 GRC was clearly conservative policy.

The conservatives have changed position on this recently as have Labour. The conservatives are the ones with the power to actively respond to the issue, they are in government for the next 18 months. Yet they haven't changed the law. They are just using it as a political football. All those saying "I'm voting conservative, at least they know what a woman is" are enthusiastically kicking their ball.

The conservative position isn't tangible policy, if it were KB would be pushing Sunak to strengthen the EA. Its all hot air.

There is clear water between Tories and Labour, many have explained why.

There is also a huge amount of invested interests in multiple institutions who are captured and yield their own power

Those who vote for Labour will be responsible for ground lost and women and girls losing rights

Just as we are climbing out of this mess. I’d say I hope they acknowledge their part, but going by various posts it’s highly doubtful.

😂omg this is batshit. This is like the old US days where people where scared of "commies" and the reds under the bed.

SPADS don't run anything. Civil servants are bound by their contract to be neutral. People shouldn't have to put up with being bullied at work and of they complain they aren't "bleating". Sue Gray hasn't "immediately gone to work for the opposition" and there are a number of serving MPs on both sides who used to be civil servants. It's normal.

Hilarious. We have had a right wing government in power for 13 years, enacting increasingly right wing policies yet Leftys are taking over 😂😂😂

What rights do women and girls lose if Labour enact their policy?

Oh oops, ignore that because I still don't want to talk to you. You aren't posting in the spirit of debate

Labour party MPs have behaved atrociously. Lisa Nandy and Rebecca Long Bailey ( and even John McDonnell who I used to have some respect for) referring to WPUK and FPFW as 'hate groups' and demanding people be thrown out of the party.

Rosie Duffield had to be escorted by police to her own party conference, and has been repeatedly shouted down in the house by her own colleagues ( Ben Bradshaw, Nadia Whittome). The truly awful Lloyd Russel Moyle even moved across the chamber to intimidate an opposition MP ( Miriam Cates).

David Lammy think men dan somehow get a cervix and has referred to women as " dinosaurs hoarding rights". Not a word of condemnation was uttered when a group of TRA activists attacked a fringe event at the Labour party conference in Brighton.

Iain Anderson ( Stonewall) has only recently crossed the floor so he can have more influence on Labour policy. The leadership team still regularly meet with Stonewall and make them promises.

Labour cannot be trusted on this issue.

😂 yep try harder at your ignoring

Changing the EqA definition is the best bet for women and girls.

Labour oppose this

It’s what gives us single sex spaces not mixed sex

Labour advocates would rather their misogynists in power than see the definition change

Oh dear.

The continuing fudge, and total lack of clarity will inevitably result in even more males in female spaces - and the continuing erasure of the word woman and all words relating to women; and even then the TRAS won't be happy. Now they want 'female' too.

Until there is clear defintion of sex, women's rights and protections will be ever more eroded, and so will words relating to women and their bodies. TRA activists will never be happy. They are now trying to claim 'female' too.

Labour MPs have cheered on as men attempt to 'breastfeed'. My MP has a conspicuous 'Mermaids' icon at the top of her twitter bio. They still meet with Stonewall and Iain anderson has recently crossed the house in order to exert influence - which is not purely coincidental with Labour recent 'announcement'. It is pure PR and nothing meaningful.

Sorry duplication.....

Incidentally I looked on the Gov website yesterday and it already only costs £5 for a certificate. So the £5 GRC was clearly conservative policy.

You started this post with "I keep up with the debate". And then came out with this gem!

Why do you think everyone here is referring to a five pound certificate?

Did we think Labour announced that last week?

It's interesting watching you push everything through your own predjudice filter despite your rather superficial knowledge of events.

It's handy though as we get to keep explaining the current situation for people.

The Conservative party didn't consult women on this issue and when they published guidance, said only "women purporting to be feminists" had concerns

David Davies got called a transphobe and a c* on twitter by Conservative colleagues for saying women couldn't have a penis

Crispin Blunt tried to push through self-ID via an all parliamentary policy group, based on inappropriate lobbying from charities

Theresa May promised to streamline the GRC process

Kemi Badenoch didn't bother to vote against Scotland's gender identity Bill at all.

Jamie Wallis, conservative mp, became parliaments first transgender MP despite not changing his pronouns and being involved on a variety of seedy and possibly criminal activities. Conservative Prime Minister Boris Johnson commended his bravery.

Penny Mordaunt, leadership hopeful, is a supporter of self-ID.

I don't think they can be trusted on this either.

It is pure PR and nothing meaningful.

Which their faithful will swallow and spread around.

There is an awful lot of mangled language, derogatory language towards women and obfuscation but it comes down to - Labour oppose the use of biological sex in the EqA

Alongside all the other stuff how are their advocates missing this?

Have you got the slightest interest in this topic other than using it as an excuse to whine about the Conservatives?

You are performing to an empty room. Nobody is unaware of the above - but let's look at the actual facts - in terms of actual actions that have been taken - and statements issued. It is only the Conservative party who have acted to block Self Id ( Theresa May was ages ago) and commission a review into GIDS services. And now it is Kemi Badenoch who is working on greater clarity in order to protect women's spaces and women's dignity.

Penny Mordaunt fell foul in the last set of hustings due to her utter incoherence - it is only because she is attractive that many male members support her.

Penny Mordaunt fell foul in the last set of hustings due to her utter incoherence - it is only because she is attractive that many male members support her.
Wow. Misogynist much?

Agreed. Politicians do only one thing well. Putting their finger out to judge which way the wind is blowing, and altering their principles to fit.

On detail like minimum wage and smoking bans, national policies like Brexit, and social change like gay marriage and trans rights.