Trans row threatens to overshadow Lib Dem conference

[IwantToRetire]

Sir Ed Davey faces activist revolt over party rules that allow biological men to take women’s posts

The current rules allow those who “self-identify as women” to stand for party posts set aside for women, which the activists say dilutes the chance that biological women can reach the top of the party.

The vote will be put before conference on Saturday, but it is understood that trans rights activists will try to get it cancelled to avoid embarrassment. This is despite a YouGov poll showing that three-quarters of Lib Dem members do not support the party’s stance on allowing gender self-ID.

Full article at https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2025/09/17/trans-row-threatens-to-overshadow-lib-dem-conference/

Also at https://archive.is/hykSr

Even 20 years ago the Department of the Environment was a disaster - that was when the local flood plain scheme went thought on appeal.

The relationship between farmers and DEFRA has pretty much broken down, not helped by DEFRA pulling the SFI without warning despite promises to the contrary. I'm not a farmer, but I know enough of them to have got the general vibe.

Has that been tested, though?

Would people prefer low wages and a 20% tax rate, or true market rate pay and, say, 22% income tax?

It seems the decision has been assumed, and not given to the electorate.

Jill Foster

Why does a separate group for women exist within your party in the first place, Ben?
Quote

Ben Maguire MP
Oct 1
I also met LibDemWomen, who are campaigning for stronger representation, equality, and policies that make a real difference. Their tireless campaigning for the safety of women and girls is inspiring.

This is interesting, and perhaps comes with ramifications:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cy5069p70x2o

That is interesting, thanks. Looks like Lab/Lib/Tories are all losing members, while Reform and Greens gain.

It will all be to the ultimate benefit of Reform, which has a much wider appeal than the Greens. Farage is Teflon, but Hypnoboobs is going to spontaneously combust through an unstable mix of self promotion, hubris and reality denial.

Party membership doesn't necessarily equate directly to votes, of course. But it will affect policy, when members vote on it.

Yes, that’s what I meant by ramifications. If the captured element are in the ascendant, it will only get worse, and that might in itself depress membership further.

The interesting point to me is that LD members actually do shit rather than join a party. They are more politically engaged than any other party members on an active level.

Exactly Lib Dem members and councilors are very active. They punch above their weight. They have great tactics too in targeting seats. Their huge gains in 2024 were a lot to do with that.

They are more politically engaged than any other party members on an active level.

I agree - I used to be one. And it’s the local politically engaged ones who have engaged with me who have ensured that I will never consider voting for them again. Very, very captured (I think it’s one or two individuals driving it).

I posted about this on another thread, and if membership does translate in votes then Your Party or whatever it will be called will win by thousands.

Cant remember which thread it was, but I posted the figures and Labour still has more than Reform, though thousands less than Your Party.

Most voters don’t join any political parties.

Exactly. We know from Momentum that membership does not remotely translate to votes.

That is interesting, thanks. Looks like Lab/Lib/Tories are all losing members, while Reform and Greens gain.

It beats me why they would go to the Greens - they are as bad, if not worse.
I resigned my LibDem membership over this nonsense, but I will still deliver leaflets for them. I think you have to take a wider perspective. But my subs should be used for politics, not having to compensate Natalie Bird winning a court case for wearing a t shirt which stated the obvious.

Yes, everyone knows that. It was about participation as a party in setting an agenda.

If there really are 800,000 members of Your Party the possibility of any number of schisms seems endless. Party conference could be exhausting if they are promising to have a Party by representation rather than top down platform politics.

Quick caution. Liberal Voice For Women stand up for women's rights and is made up of sex realists. Lib Dem Women is the Associated Organisation of the Lib Dems and is totally captured. It's the LVW that is fighting for our rights for women's quotas to be women only.

Well I joined the Greens several years ago in order to vote on particular position.
I only paid for one year and my credit card was renewed so they haven’t been able to take a subscription from me.
I still receive all member emails and can vote freely without being paid up member. I wonder how many others this applies to.

Oops wrong party sorry!

Do not worry. They have a similar problem in 'The Greens'. Totally captured. I don't know that they have an LVW equivalent, i.e. a growing number of sex realists in the party, women and men, who work together to achieve equality for women in the party and beyond.

Same, I had been a paid up party member but ended my membership and began tactical voting to keep the Tories & Reform out.

Are there any reasonable, viable parties that don’t cowtow to gender-woo?

I left the LibDems for the same reason.

Absolutely stuck for who to vote for next time round.

I left the LibDems for the same reason.

Me too.

So did I.

I literally just vote tactically now, because it’s pretty much impossible to find any party that doesn’t have something stupid in its policies, so I go for the least awful.