Labour is betraying women

[IwantToRetire]

. . . If Starmer’s government has achieved so much depressing stuff in 71 days, roughly 4 per cent of the way into a possible 5-year term, what they might achieve by the end of it fills me with dread. I believe that Labour showed us, and in some instances told us, what they would do, or not do, to ensure the continued erosion of women’s rights, and they are doing exactly what they said. Why some feminist women, seemingly in a blind bond to Labour, didn’t believe them escapes me. It also infuriates me that they think Labour deserve a bit more rope to hang us with.

Some prominent left-wing women, before the election, pleaded with us to trust Labour and allow them space to make the right decisions. They suggested that it was wrong to focus on the single issue of gender ideology, because women would benefit in so many other ways under a Labour government.

I wonder, did they envisage this Labour government? The one maintaining unequal benefits, placing violent men amongst their female victims and keeping the blurred line between gender and sex embedded in law? I can understand if those women were now as dismayed as the rest of us at what they are seeing, but instead they appear to be spinning for Labour, suggesting the violent men aren’t really being released or excusing it by blaming the Tories. They suggest we should wait and see what happens, keep the faith, trust the process. After many years of being told that women are influencing Labour “behind the scenes” my faith in that has gone.

If you are a feminist woman openly critical of Labour you may now be accused of “right wing drift”. This is nonsense. Instead, should scrutiny not be focused on how far Labour have drifted from the left? This is where condemnation should be aimed. . . .

NB - these are only some paragraphs from the article - you can read the whole article here - https://thecritic.co.uk/labour-is-betraying-women/

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2024/nov/17/starmer-aims-to-build-pragmatic-and-serious-relationship-in-meeting-with-xi-at-g20

Presumably this man is not naive but getting closer to Xi Ping at this juncture seems wilfully naive. Or deeply cynical in exchanging Britain’s security for a few shekels?

Well... the UK left the EU. America (or rather the Trump administration) has made it very clear that it doesn't consider any treaties made that don't benefit America to be worth following. Doing a flounce because someone has the wrong politics (Trump/America) is foolish - but the "America First" doctrine does make it likely that existing agreements won't count for much but also that any new agreements won't necessarily be kept. And there is a very strong chance of being caught in a tarrif war between the US and China which could hurt the UK much more than it hurts either of them. With that in mind, it doesn't hurt to keep as many options on the table as possible. Not least because not completely burning your bridges with one superpower leaves you left open to being completely vulnerable to anything another superpower demands. Personally I would rather see the UK work more closely with the EU (not rejoin, we had a vote sigh) but to at least find areas of cooperation in border security. defense, trade because quite difficult times are approaching and its better for the UK and the EU to work toegether. But its always better to negotiate deals when you have other options on the table. And its always better anyway to keep lines of comminication open with opponents like China. Biden for all his faults had the right line on this (cordial with China but also successfully persuaded the Netherlands to stop selling them chip making machines and to open chip making machine factories in the US. Smart geopolitical maneuvering).

Not least because not completely burning your bridges with one superpower leaves you left open to being completely vulnerable to anything another superpower demands. Personally I would rather see the UK work more closely with the EU (not rejoin, we had a vote sigh) but to at least find areas of cooperation in border security. defense, trade because quite difficult times are approaching and its better for the UK and the EU to work toegether.

Completely agree that the uk works more closely with the EU. Working closely with China is tricky because the state is highly strategic in negotiating its FD ‘investment’ and the UK has a new govt that may inadvertently focus on investment to the detriment of our security.

On a semi-sarcastic note, Starmer seems keen to promote state control of thoughts and speech that he disapproves of so maybe he has some things he can chat to Xi about - China’s authoritarian social credit system might give some of our politicians inspiration 😏

Seems that it is not only women who feel betrayed!

General Election petition gathers more than one million signatures see article at* *General Election petition gathers more than one million signatures

And the petition is on the Parliament Petition web site.

This means the Government has to respond in writing (after 10,000) and hold a debate after 100,000.

They have one day left to do both!

I wonder how they will wriggle out of this one.

No doubt some special circumstances (or the awfulness of the previous Tory government) means they will say they dont have to abide by the rules or with integrity.

Everyday I hear a new Government anouncement I just think they are now more Tory than the Tories ...

Lots of huge petitions calling for referendums and general elections have been made in the last 8 years. Here are some:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-42308552

The Tories ignored them, so will Labour. Of course the opposition wants an election it is is an odd topic for a debate though at this point. There was an election 4 months ago. There are local elections in May. The next general election will be 2028/9 unless lots of Labour MPs decide to undermine the government.

Way more effective to use the petition system to get debates on topics the government wants to avoid talking about.

I'm not supporting the petition, but was impressed by the number of signatures in such a short time.

Will also be interesting to see what the "Government" says in reply.

The Petition Committee can be quite strict about sticking to the rules.

I dont know if you remember when they told the then Tory Government that their reply to a petition about violence against women was rejected by them as being inadequate, and telling the Tories to re-write it!

I don't think the Tories would want an election now. It's too soon.

I see the Government is now 2 days late in formally replying.

I wonder if the Petition Committee will given them a public telling off.

A debate has been scheduled for 6 January 2025.
https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/700143

There written response is pathetic.

Or rather are insulting to the intelligence of voters.

There is a thread about this, but obviously is part of why this thread was started. https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/womens_rights/5232263-no-payout-for-waspi-women

https://www.theguardian.com/money/2024/dec/17/anger-greets-uk-government-decision-not-to-compensate-waspi-women

Freesing this Christmas by Sir Starmer and the Granny Harmers

Try to imagine a house that’s full of cold,
Try to imagine being 80 years old,
That’s where I’ll be since the cure left me,
I wish tears could heat my home.
What can I do without fuel?
I’ve got no place, no place to go,
It’ll be freezing this Christmas without fuel at home,
It’ll be freezing this Christmas while K-Star is warm.
It’ll be cold, so cold without fuel at home this Christmas.
And she told me that she doesn’t get out of bed till midday,
Because she didn’t want to turn the heating on.
Each time I remember, I’ve paid taxes all my life,
I cry as I wonder: Will I make it?
Will my wife?
I just break down as I look around,
And the only things I see are foreign walls and open doors,
And a freezing OAP.
It’ll be freezing this Christmas while the money goes abroad.
It’ll be freezing this Christmas while Rachel Reeves is a fraud.
It’ll be cold, so cold without fuel at home this Christmas.
We inherited a situation where there was a £22 billion black hole in the public finances. (Reeves speaking).
Do you remember last year when Rishi was here?
We never thought there’d be an end.
And I remember looking at you then,
And I remember thinking that next Christmas things won’t be this bad.
For us, but darling, this year things are even worse.
And we really, we really need warmth.
But two-tier here doesn’t care at all.
It’ll be freezing this Christmas without fuel at home,
It’ll be freezing this Christmas while K-Star is warm.
It’ll be cold, so cold without fuel at home this Christmas.
Merry Christmas, Keir, I hope you can sleep at night.

https://order-order.com/2024/12/12/watch-freezing-this-christmas-starmer-parody-song-tops-itunes-chart/

Based on Lonely this Christmas

Women and girls are the hidden victims of Starmer's broken promises
The situation facing violence against women and girls charities is of another order
https://inews.co.uk/opinion/women-and-girls-are-the-hidden-victims-of-starmers-broken-promises-3444215

Can be read in full https://archive.is/Fyj5A

@IwantToRetire apparently the BBC wont play it

Depressing to say it, but that halving of MVAWG seems hopelessly optimistic. What is the trend over the last ten years, say? Has any government of any country achieved anything near comparable in recent times? As the pieces points out, some things are happening behind the scene, but I think they've made a rod for their own backs.

Interview with Jess Philips in the Times. The VAWG strategy will be out in the Spring. It's a bit of a strange framing, I thought we were all agreed it was not women's fault. Not any mention of pornography.

Toxic masculinity is spreading because the MeToo movement did not bring teenage boys into the debate, allowing influencers such as Andrew Tate to dictate the agenda, Jess Phillips has said after the Gisèle Pelicot case

www.thetimes.com/article/3d03d2c7-73f5-4092-8820-48a9a91b0358?shareToken=4e7527eb35295f6f52b3702cc2fec6b0

Yes I heard that, and was going to comment.

Dont understand, if it makes the charts, surely they should play it.

Thanks of the link to the Times article.

Phillips believes part of the problem has been that teenage boys have not been part of the conversation post-MeToo and individuals such as Tate, the toxic male influencer, have filled the void. Tate is viewed positively by almost half of young men, according to a report published this month by Dame Sara Khan, the former counter-extremism commissioner.

Phillips said: “We didn’t engage young men in the debate post-MeToo and sort of the idea of victimhood became a threat to them. But if in school we didn’t speak to them about it, if they weren’t feeling part of the conversation, they found someone else who would talk about it. And those people were baddies online.

What a disappointing attitude by JP. Even as a mother of boys she must have been aware that Me Too was about empowering women to speak out.

Does she really think it is part of women's role to not just speak out but explain to men and boys that they should be concerned. Why isn't she worried the her sons seem to lack the emotional empathy and respect for women which is why they didn't give 2 shits about what women and girls were saying.

That is the starting point. Ask why males of any age didn't just stop and think about what women are saying. Where are the men who could have started a conversation about how it is men's behaviour that created the need for women to start Me Too.

Exactly, women doing it wrong again.

Toxic masculinity is spreading because the MeToo movement did not bring teenage boys into the debate

Jesus. If that’s the extent of the analysis that underpins their VAWG policy we’re definitely all doomed. Apart from Weinstein’s conviction, the Me Too movement accomplished precisely zero. It was an infinitesimal moment in time so why on earth is she even referencing it?

If the 25% council tax relief goes for single occupancy as threatened that is also going to directly hammer women and children. Many of those single occupiers will be single mothers

You are right.

Are they seriously considering this? It hammers me too! 😀Or, more generally, older people. Who may well be mostly women, I don't know the stats. On top of the WFA?

That was always a crazy promise, how could anyone make a promise like that? What was their plan?

To me it seemed like a clear case of just saying what people wanted to hear.

It's very weird, MeToo did not cause domestic violence - did anyone think that somehow it could stop it?

There is a very naive kind of activism that seems to think that if only you tell people a certain things is bad, somehow that thing will stop happening. You don't have to even understand the causes much less address them.

There's no real engagement in the actual causes of violence, which is why they don't seem to understand that some of them (some people are just bad) can't really be fixed, while others (alcoholism, say) are very difficult to eliminate.

I have noted a significant increase in the number of single professional woman in their twenties. Many of my friends' children are now mid to late twenties and around 25% have been in, or are in, medium to long term relationships. Most of the young women have not had serious relationships.

Young professional woman now have disposable income of their own (they don't need or expect to be taken on dates to have a nice meal out or go to the movies). They aren't of the mindset that they need to settle for any man who will have them in order to be able to move out of their parent's home. In line with this, they have no desire to enter into a relationship with a man unless what he has to offer them enriches their lives. 'Talking to' and dating men rarely progresses to the boyfriend/girlfriend stage as the young men don't shape up to 'boyfriend material'. The narratives of these young woman is often about young men who are self centred, childish and sexist.

Meanwhile, the young men's narratives are often of 'demanding' young woman who expect too much from them, are controlling, and seek to stop them having fun.

My take on it is that young women are now voting with their feet, they can see where relationships with sexist men end up and would rather be single than in an unsatisfactory relationship . Unfortunately, this doesn't seem to be leading to the young men who 'can't find the right girl' seeing the light and changing their ways. I think misogyny is so embedded in society that the default is to blame women for this predicament.

I'm not sure where this is going to take us, but unless it involves sexist men recognising that their values and attitudes give women 'the ick', I fear that this is one of the factors at play that has led to 'going backwards' in terms of sexism and misogyny.

I read an article a couple of years ago about the myth of the 'dried up, undateable older woman'. It questioned how the narrative of older woman being unable to 'find love due to men not finding older woman attractive' survived when the facts are that older woman find it far easier to date and be in relationships than their male counterparts.