Rosie Duffield and threats

[RedToothBrush]

She's pulled out of local hustings because it's not safe for her to attend.

But Don't worry.

Keir Starmer will be along to offer his support to Rosie and condemn these attacks on democracy soon...

Cashman has been hectoring both people and businesses for years via social media without getting into trouble so I’m glad to see him experiencing a consequence for his negative behaviour. I’m sure it was a wee bit of shock for him given that he enjoys the prestige his position on the Labour benches in the Lords affords him.

This suspension of the Whip is a small step towards bringing civility back into political discourse; I hope political parties continue in this vein and remind their members that they are part of broad coalitions of similarly-minded people and that respect among members is expected even when they disagree with each other.

Cashman has been hectoring both people and businesses for years via social media without getting into trouble so I’m glad to see him experiencing a consequence for his negative behaviour.

True. Last week was the turn of thames clipper and James dreyfus. The first was just bizarre (where's the rainbow flag, are LGBT people not welcome etc) the latter was just plain mean.

Re starmer, if the personal is impacting him to this extent professionally, then we have a problem.

TRAs on twitting are melting down over Cashman losing the whip including Windy and the usual suspects.

BBC coverage is interesting
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c722yx482xno

Look how it describes Rosie the language:

Ms Duffield, who has been a defender of women's rights and female-only spaces, has previously faced death threats and multiple instances of abuse over her stance on sex and gender.
She said she would be holding "secure local events" so constituents could put their questions to her.
Ms Duffield has spoken out about feeling unsupported by Labour in the past over her views on trans issues and did not attend the 2021 Labour Party conference after online threats to her safety.

I think people are underestimating the importance of this. TRAs have been hounding Rosie for years, the abuse has been awful. Besides a few apologies this is the first time anyone has been punished for any of that.

Remember if Rosie is free to say what she likes and can't be targeted for saying it the TRAs have serious issues. Intimidation is their best weapon and it has worked really well in the past. Now we are seeing that weapon is backfiring. If they can't frit Rosie or complain about her speaking out then what can they do.

The real question is this just a one off because of the election. We shall see soon enough. If they backtrack later it will be obvious. The precedent is set.

That article was a pretty succinct and factual account of things (something I have sadly come to not expect from BBC journalism in recent years).

How privileged, how untouchable must Cashman have felt to be crowing about his own party colleague feeling unsafe, during a General Election, and on the anniversary of Jo Cox’s murder. How untouchable again must he have felt to issue such a pathetic damage-limitation apology, failing to mention the name of the woman he’d wronged? Shameful little fritter.

Love the wording in the BBC article. Finally, some balance.

I think people are underestimating the importance of this. TRAs have been hounding Rosie for years, the abuse has been awful. Besides a few apologies this is the first time anyone has been punished for any of that.

If I am underestimating it - which is quite possible - it's because I've spent the last 5 years giving Labour one last chance and staring into the tea leaves looking for signs of change.

I've said all along that I'd wait for their manifesto, and I did. But really the final straws were:
When they dismissed the Tory proposal to clarify the Equality Act, and with it women's concerns, as a distraction.
When I contacted my Labour candidate to seek reassurance that they would stand up for single sex spaces and they didn't reply.

I'm still pleased to see them do this today because a) it's never too late to do the right thing and b) because they're going to form the next government regardless of anything I do. But as far as winning my vote goes then nope, that's gone.

That's remarkably plain speaking of the BBC.

I wonder if we'll see a shift in some parts of the media in how they report following a change in government?

I wouldn't be surprised to see a reframing to be favourable to Starmer/Labour.

E.g what they would have criticised the Tories for and implied bigotry will suddenly become common sense and maybe even feminist when Labour do it.

Maybe the BBC are having a "wait, are we the bad guys?" moment

Saw a tweet saying that Rosie Duffield is going to be on Andrew Neil's Times Radio show tomorrow. Will be an interesting listen, on at 1.00.

About time Andrew Neil followed up on his supposed mea culpa moment.

And all the other labour members who tweeted against her?

I’d really love to see leaders from the other parties stand up for Rosie - whatever your politics, behaviour so threatening that a candidate to be an MP not feeling safe to attend hustings is extremely serious. Address it as a threat to democracy - that is what it is

An article in Spiked

https://www.spiked-online.com/2024/06/17/keir-starmers-betrayal-of-rosie-duffield/

I'm not sure if the article was published before Starmer commented on Cashman or if Starmer's remarks were considered so vapid they weren't worthy of acknowledgement.

I too sometimes imagine what would happen if a trans MP got half the abuse, threats and bullying suffered by Rosie Duffield. I'm pretty sure Starmer would have plenty to say and there'd be so many meetings and photo ops.

I'm certain that they'd have been drummed out of the party, toute suite and been prosecuted.

As JK Rowling said "They say karma's a bitch, but I hear she's a TERF."

Couldn't happen to a nicer bloke. Shame he can't be expelled from the Chamber .

would love to have been there to see his face when it dawned on him that he could no longer spout any old bollocks without consequence.

Interesting bit of info supporting Rosie's choice:

Paul McNally
Jun 14

I’m at the hustings that Rosie was forced to absent herself from. When her apology was read out there was immediate toxic & personal yelling / argy bargy from people only attending to derail proceedings. She made the right decision which allowed other candidates to be heard.

Starmer is on Nick Ferrari LBC tomorrow good chance Rosie's situation will come up.

Sophie Sparkles [the Scottish TRA who was too crazy for the Scottish Greens and was let go} has sent in a complaint about Rosie to Labour now because Rosie reacted to hearing in a committee hearing Kirsty Blackman quoting an over the top threat of suicide by one of Sparkles' partners in 2023.

I see that Cashperson has had the Labour whip withdrawn.

Is Nick Ferrari likely to ask proper questions, or is he more in the 'disappointed centrist man' fold?

Last week was the turn of James Dreyfus

Michael Cashman is a raging homophobe as well as a misogynist.

Cashperdaughterson or Cashpersondaughter surely?

Cashpersprog.

Well, yous are more on the ball than me!

Listening now.
I recommend it.

Listening too, it's very good.

I'm listening too. It's an extended interview. Andrew Neil is on top of what has been going on - and clearly appalled by much of it - and giving Rosie lots of time to talk. It's like a breath of fresh air and makes me realise how poorly covered the whole topic has been by the BBC etc.