Protecting single-sex spaces not top priority for most voters, says Jenrick

[IwantToRetire]

“I don’t want the Conservative Party to just be a one-issue party, or to just go down a rabbit hole of culture wars.

“I’m as concerned as the next person about what my kids are being taught [in] school or how we’re ­approaching sensitive issues like safe spaces for women and trans.

“But that is not what 90 per cent of the public are thinking about. Most of the time, people are concerned about the cost of living, housing, public services, immigration, and I wanted to be spending most of my time on those things. If we can do that, then I think we win back those Lib Dem voters.”

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/protecting-single-sex-spaces-not-top-priority-for-most-voters-says-jenrick/ar-AA1pQsd6

Now that the tory leadership contest has officially started, expect many more leaks that this.

Though strange that today hardly any papers bothered to report on Kemi Badenoch's launch apart from attacking "Dr Who"

Well one up side is that they're looking to battle it out with the LibDems for voters, and not Reform.

And when I voted in the poll attatched to that article, 84% of voters disagreed with Jenrick's view.

It's not a 'stand-alone' issue, as we here know all too well. It's about human rights, safeguarding, reality vs fantasy inter alia. And it's therefore woven into every aspect of our society. If Jenrick can't see that, then he's a bigger fool than I'd thought.

He’s being a fool, it very much is for me, we know once our rights have been given away it’s very difficult to claw them back. It’s not a culture war, it has a real world impact and it’s about being able to just speak the truth. Idiot.

I don't know where he's getting his information from because protecting single-sex spaces is virtually the only subject I hear people talking about.

He sounds thick as mince to be honest.

We must run in different circles. I hardly know anyone who is interested, and if I ever bring the subject up most people either don't know what I'm talking about or move the conversation on. So for once in life I would have to agree with Jenrick (and now I feel kind of dirty!).

I read an article about this yesterday and, iirc, it was a little more nuanced. He definitely came across as GC but claimed it wasn't at the top of things that people were concerned about. I suppose that's a fair assessment, genderism itself is a luxury belief. At least even if he's talking it down, he is talking about it.

Was appalled to read this - I think Kemi is the biggest ally on this in the Tories, but she is a bit too right wing on some issues for me. My biggest concern is that although she is the front runner, acc to inside sources in my local Tory association, I really do not think the nation is ready for a black woman PM. It’s hideous that this should be the case, but I being realistic, I think racism and misogyny are peaking in the general population.

Yes, I noted that yesterday. He hasn't much hope of winning the leadership election, and I guess he's trying to put some daylight between himself and Kemi Badenoch. Still,a disappointing comment, anyway, and one displaying a real lack of political acumen.

I think the Tory party is totally "ready for a black woman". If the Tory members in the shires vote for her ( she seems to be a favourite) then I don't see why anyone else wouldn't?

The Tories have had three female leaders now, and one PM of Asian origin.

I'd love to never hear about it again, personally, but don't feel I have the luxury to switch off. I do understand that other people, especially older conservatives concerned about the economy, immigration, free speech etc think TRA stuff is all mad or possibly exaggerated and want nothing to do with it.

I hope Kemi wins because I think she will hold Labour accountable.

Not just on this, but a whole host of things I think they're incompetent on.

I am not talking about the tory party being ready - it’s the electorate at the next GE that I don’t feel are ready after the riots and the increased support for the Reform Party. I hope I am wrong, but am nervous it could be a strategic mistake. That said, the insipid Starmer may put voters of middle aged, middle class white men, so maybe it’ll balance out by then.

She’s actually quite popular with tory members, she’s neck and neck with Jenrick apparently according to the Telegraph (aggregate bookies numbers).

It does feel like another case of being told what to believe rather than using our eyes.

I do too, and joined the Tory party last month so I can vote for her. I just worry about her electability given the nasty, racist comments we saw in the wake of Sunak and are seeing about her. I despair at the way this country is going sometimes.

But the Tory party membership is perhaps the most conservative demographic of all.....I personally don't think the riots were really about race ( skin colour), anyway - so much as about uncontrolled migration and lack of assimilation into the host culture by people from other cultures.

Her main role if elected will be to hold the government to account on key issues. To expose the flaws. It is five years until another general election. A lot can, and will, happen in that time.

Jennrick would be too insipid for the job.

I don’t think the UK population (or the tory party) cares that much about race and sex. I think they want someone who looks like they tell the truth and will fix stuff. I’m Asian I was talking to some Asian friends who live in the gulf who were surprised that the UK wasn’t in uproar over Rishi Sunak being brown. I just don’t think people care that much, I’m not saying there aren’t racists I just don’t think a)they are the majority and b) even if they are a bit racist they will still vote for someone they think is competent.

I also think people vote for reform because they don’t feel like they have an alternative and that politicians keep lying to them, which tbf they do.

For many race/immigration are the same thing - you can’t really divorce it from the ‘lack of assimilation’ argument - they’re not protesting white immigrants, are they? For instance the average number of permanent visas offered for Aussies/N Zealander is around 92,000 and more than 500,000 temporary visas are given each year too… no one is protesting those, are they?

Agree with this and yet so many female leaders, one ethnic minority one and possibly a second one. labour have managed zero women and zero ethnic minority leaders in that time.

I also think it’s not so much about race, it’s about culture.

What matters most to the Tory faithful is that the candidate clearly articulates their values - not their skin colour, background, or sex.

The Reform votes was largely, as you suggest, a protest vote.

Because they blend in and generally you don’t hear about Australian grooming gangs or Australian terrorists etc to be blunt. They are not seen as potentially harmful or visible.

I think there are rather a lot of core labour voters who are very conservative ( literally rather than politically) in their outlook. I'm not convinced the party truly represents them, and hasn't for a very long time.

There was a lot of disquiet about eastern european migrants some years back - and that was the time that heralded the rise of Nigel Farage. This was before the mass movement of people claiming asylum began.