Sunak: I’ll change the Equality Act to protect women’s spaces

[Binglebong]

Sorry to dump and run but this needed sharing.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2024/06/02/rishi-suank-equality-act-protect-womens-spaces-tory/

I have actually. I was critical of plenty of the Covid stuff, the spending and lockdowns

You were likely for those things if Labour

I’ve asked you if you support Labour’s proposals based on gender ideology, that’s just a question, do you?

I am saying that you seem to have uber confidence that this could have / would have happened. You are the one here saying that whipping it would have worked.

I don't believe they would have been able to, no.

If it is in the manifesto, they can declare that the electorate voted on it as part of the manifesto. Now, will they get in again, I think that is highly unlikely. But having it in the manifesto does hold MPs standing for election under that manifesto to have some degree of responsibility for delivering it.

Sunak could have done a 3 line whip/make it a confidence issue, instead he scuppered the legislation by calling an election.

So for me, given he must know he isn't going to win, he had no intention of doing this.

If you re right and there isn't the numbers in Parliament, well, it will never happen, whoever wins in July but at least Labour are launching a consultation, which means we can all lobby for change.

Manifesto's aren't in any shape or form, biding.

Ikr.

it's not Kemi who I think hates women.

I must admit I'm rather shocked. That apparent women would undermine her clearly overwhelmingly genuine attempts to address this issue, just because she's a Tory.

Today is my favourite GE day so far. An open goal for Kemi, and she spoons it over the crossbar 😂

I think its the best thing I've watched all year to be honest.

I can't remember anyone who might not be a labour party supporter, saying anything similar about say Rosie Duffield.

Well you’re voting for it not to happen so you can’t complain when Labour get mandate to do their version

I thought the Tories wouldn't support any changes? thats what a pp has just said.

My prospective Lab candidate is visiting on Friday, i'll be asking her what her views are.

Whether i vote for her or not is still undecided.

I actually would prefer single sex spaces where needed for safety/dignity, protected by the EA. "Gender" as protected characteristic in other settings e.g. social

I completely disagree with this.

The biggest negative effect on my life from GI is the loss of women only social settings and groups. When I see advertised a woman only event, I have no idea if it will be women only. These are events set up specifically in recognition of how women experience the world differently; they utterly lose their focus and purpose if males are there. So I have stopped going - why pay and travel only to find out its not what I signed up for as a male is there?

We live in a democracy. Women are entitled to single sex social groups and events simply because they want them. Simply because they enjoy them. Simply because they feel fortified and nurtured by them. Simply because they are important to them. We shouldn't need to beg special circumstances to have them. We shouldn't have to start holding them in secret - where you have to be in the know simply to get an invite. We should be able to have them simply b because we want to.

KM used a statutory instrument last year to pass several amendments to the Equality Act. There was no need for a vote. I'm unclear why this couldn't have been used in relation to the definition of sex. Any constitutional experts?

It’ll be in the manifesto

Labour have said they’re not doing this

Voting for Labour gives mandate not to do the EqA change but to make GRCs easier and quicker

If you vote for the latter then that’s what you’ll get

How do you know this? do you work for CHQ ?

What was the announcement today, scotch mist?

And no I don’t do you work for Labour HQ?

If the Conservatives including Badenoch wanted it, it would happen. They haven't really had rebellions even on contentious policies like small boats. So you are clutching at straws using that to explain why it hasn't happened.

It hasn't happened because the Tories don't want it to. They are playing politics with it, they always were and now it's backfired.

I can't help it that it makes me happy to watch them messing up. This issue is important to me, too important to be used as a politically divisive "wedge" issue which is what the Tories have been doing. Now they've had to put their money where their mouth is and they've got nothing. As a lot of feminists will have suspected all along.

@thefireplace are you following the announcements and responses from Labour?

I agree. I'm quite into the outdoors. Lots of things are advertised as woman only. Events & courses that require an overnight stay in shared accommodation. It is often unclear what 'woman-only' means. Also stuff in the broad 'wellness' sphere, (some of which is of course absolute bollocks) particularly where you are looking at group sessions where you might be quite vulnerable. It's quite important to me that these are truly women-only

Fine. Lots of women agree with you. Unfortunately no political parties do.

I can't help it that it makes me happy to watch them messing up.

Clearly. Even when it's over some legislation that you, presumably, would agree with.

And had he tied it to a confidence issue, how do you think that would have worked?

I think we have already established that there is a known faction in the Tory party that don't support this at all. All this 'he could have'/ 'she should have', has assumed that enough support for a bill like this would be in that party to defeat the other parties.

Whereas, on this board, and in women's groups, we have been rather clear that there is opposition aplenty in Westminster about this issue. It is not a new thing that there is opposition in both parties about this issue.

It is also not a new concept that there is confusion and limitations to what can and can happen without voting it through parliament. And again, the education guidance really highlighted that there was limitations to what could be and couldn't be done without further clarification of laws.

I have also been clear and said numerous times now that even if they get back in, it might take yet another election term or two to make the changes needed. Plus that each time the discussions are had, the window to what is possible to achieve and what is actually needed shifts and resolves.

By all means, hold tight that wonderful consultation though. Because maybe you can tell us what happened to the Scottish Government consultation that many of us submitted to? Could you remind us how that went?

I recall threads on this and many posted the EqA will be changed, it needs consultation- remember your favourite thing for Labour consultation

No it won’t was the response

Well here’s the change. Vote against it as you will, don’t complain when the EqA isn’t amended

Would be good to see this

It is odd. Party before women I suppose

How men win

I don't hold women politicians in any higher esteem than men. Especially not when they are doing and saying things that harm women.

Badenoch is awful. I'm not going to pretend she isn't just because she's female.

Meanwhile I don't notice you being critical of Kellie-Jay Keen's choice to go up against a feminist Labour MP. Or condemning what Badenoch said about the rape comments towards said MP. Its almost asif women only count if they are in the "MN GC approved" gang

Who said 'the Tories wouldn't support any changes'?

Oh, not just one consultation, Helle! They've binned at least two of my carefully considered responses, that I squeezed in during homeschooling and covid lockdowns. I remember the fucking wordcloud.

Massive responses, vastly in favour of women's rights.

Then what happened? They went ahead and did what they wanted anyway. It was all pointless busywork.

'Consultations' can get to fuck, there is no way anyone can paint another consultation as a positive. I mean fine, if there is one, we can take everyone through the points again one by one, I can tell you now they all end up with either 'you cannot change sex' and 'men must stay out of women's spaces' or they end up with Isla Bryson twerking on the grave of Nicola Sturgeon's political career.

Yes. Because it shows what I suspected, which is she was stalling for the election. In fact I think I started a thread about it at the last Kings Speech

This is what I would call a normal attitude to politics.

We know that Kemi had a lot of opposition from within her own party, we've seen her deal with it.

Likewise Rosie Duffield. Actually being told it's unsafe to attend her own party's conference!

But this horrible desire to see women from a party you don't belong to fall flat on their face, over an issue that is very important to you is fucking weird.