Scottish Labour overture to JKR?

[mzdemeanour]

Just spotted this on the BBC election live feed and thought it was worth posting separately.

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar has told BBC Scotland News that he's "more than happy" to have a conversation with Harry Potter author JK Rowling in order to try and convince her to support the Labour party.
Sarwar says he has "a lot of respect for" the Harry Potter author and adds that he's "proud" of the backing she's previously given Labourr_.
Asked why he has voted for legislation in Scotland aimed at making it easier for someone to change their legally-recognised sex, the Scottish Labour leader says he did so after the SNP gave a "cast iron guarantee" it wouldn't negatively impact the UK-wide Equality Act.
He adds that has proved not to be the case and says it's a "tragedy" trans people now don't feel more protected and women don't feel more reassured.
The Glasgow MSP has said he wants a "grown up approach" that removes the "indignity" of the process of changing sex, but still protects single sex spaces "based on biological sex".

Weasel words or a reverse ferret?

I don’t understand why they are pretending to care. It’s looking increasingly likely the Tories will be wiped out in 2 weeks time. A few women voting independent or spoiling their ballots won’t change that.

I wonder why they don’t just go all in with self ID? They obviously have zero respect for women. And they’re living in La La Land if they think this half measure is going to please TRAs for more than a millisecond because men will still need a diagnosis to apply for a a special certificate before they are recognised by the state as women. Nobody will be thanking them any more than when the Tories lowered the fee and put the process online. The whole thing will just be a waste of time and money.

And the lawsuits will continue because the law will remain an incomprehensible fudge.

Asked why he has voted for legislation in Scotland aimed at making it easier for someone to change their legally-recognised sex, the Scottish Labour leader says he did so after the SNP gave a "cast iron guarantee" it wouldn't negatively impact the UK-wide Equality Act.

Does he think this makes him look in any way good, or credible? "Bigger boys done it and run away." For goodness sake, he whipped MSPs to vote for legislation that hadn't been properly scrutinised, and he resolutely ignored all the women's groups who pointed out courteously, coherently and at length the many conflicts with the Equality Act. I remember him being told over and over again how ineffective Pam Duncan-Glancy's amendment saying that nothing in the gender recognition reform bill would affect the Equality Act was: like a child putting "it wasn't me" on the empty biscuit tin. When he admits that he should have listened to women and apologises for being too ready to accept a useless "cast iron guarantee" from the SNP, then there's something to talk about. Until then, he comes across as an unprincipled numpty.

Hummm I'm a sceptical old crone & think asking to talk is just a handy way to bat away questions about it.
"what do you think about what JKR wrote/said/thinks"
"I have said I would be delighted to speak with JKR"
no actual information given...
I hope JKR makes it happen but I bet Labour say they have scheduling issues

Reacting to her comments, a Labour spokesperson said: “Sex and gender are different, as Labour’s Equality Act makes clear.
"That’s why we have consistently said that we will not introduce self ID and that we will protect single sex spaces for biological women."
this sounds great until you remember that Starmer goes out of his way never to say single sex spaces, always the muddy "safe spaces"

And "the SNP pinkie promised that the legislation wouldn't do what is said it would" is beyond contemptible.

JKR should suggest a televised discussion with Anas Sarwar or Keir Starmer-preferably live so it can't be edited.

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar has told BBC Scotland News that he's "more than happy" to have a conversation with Harry Potter author JK Rowling in order to try and convince her to support the Labour party.

Parse that sentence again because what he has actually said is that he wants to convince JKR to support Labour. Not ''I want to hear why she stopped supporting Labour and see what we can change to in her support back''.

Labour seem to have a complete inability to listen. It's actually quite weird.

How very interesting that the thing that never comes up on the doorstep and that no one cares about and only affects a tiny percentage of the population and that nasty women have made in to a toxic debate is suddenly rather important to the LP.

Hmmmm...🤔

He's saying look everyone, the Labour Party are so reasonable and care about women. There's obviously been a misunderstanding about this issue from JKR and we just need to meet her and mansplain explain to the silly little lady.

Yes what flipping indignity is he talking about? A need to live in your new identity before a Dr signs off on a major change and an online application and £5? Try applying for disability benefits and the indignity of that!

I think he sees 'men in dresses' as 'sub men' and therefore inferior to him and other 'real men'. And that's why he thinks it's undignified to publicly go through that process.

I also think he finds it embarrassing to talk about, as does Keir. They are so squeamish about the whole subject and always, always refer to trans 'dignity' when asked about women's rights.

They are so visibly uncomfortable in their body language, you can literally see them squirm. It's like a dad being asked to talk about periods with his daughter. He would rather be anywhere else.

There's also got to some sort of incentive for Labour to be hanging on to the trans wagon. Lots of donors to keep sweet including the big unions.

JKR has played a blinder by saying she would happily meet them- once the other women's groups, such as LBG Alliance and Labour's Women Declaration meet first...

...who all then followed up to say they were available on Twitter.

Very nicely done, that.

She continues to impress me more and more.

Absolute Ledge Queen