Labour women threaten to defy Starmer in a dangerous new rebellion

[IwantToRetire]

(I read the article because of the headline thinking Labour women have come to their senses over women's sex based rights. But in fact this is about online porn, so interesting that there is an instance when Labour women will challenge Starmer.)

Peers had already voted to ban semen-defaced images, screen-shotting intimate videos, and to bar the creation or possession of porn depicting incest.

On Monday they went further and defeated the Government by just one vote on an amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill which makes portrayals of sex between stepfamilies illegal too.

In 2024, 4.1 billion videos viewed on Pornhub featured incest-related scenarios. Campaigners are concerned that it normalises the concept and makes it more likely in real life. The Lords were told that in the UK, step parents perpetrate around half of all sexual abuse cases against children.

If the bill goes back to the House of Commons for parliamentary ping-pong by the end of the month, Labour’s women MPs have told The i Paper they will back the Lords’ amendments and defy any attempts by Starmer to force them to vote the same way as their colleagues on the benches.

Labour MPs and peers warned Starmer is at risk of leaning too heavily on the advice of Varun Chandra, special envoy to the United States on trade and investment, who will be making a business case not to impose more burdens on Big Tech for fear of alienating the Trump administration.

Women in Parliament are angry. It’s not just the Epstein-related furore over Peter Mandelson’s appointment and subsequent sacking as UK ambassador to Washington.

It’s the years of boys’ club briefings and Starmer’s decision to award a peerage to former close adviser, Matthew Doyle. Downing Street did not withdraw the nomination even after it was revealed Doyle campaigned for a friend charged with child sex offences. Doyle has had the Labour whip removed but remains a peer for life.

Last month Labour MP Emma Lewell told Starmer at a meeting with female parliamentary colleagues: “I can’t even begin to explain how much it hurts when people are screaming at me in the street that I am a member of the ‘paedo protectors party.’”

Extracts from a longish article at https://inews.co.uk/opinion/labour-women-bring-down-starmer-4277987

Can also be read at https://archive.is/uV2G1

I cant believe this is another instance where appeasing Trump seems to be more important than what is good for the UK.

And although I did vaguely know this was shocked to read:

... step parents perpetrate around half of all sexual abuse cases against children ...

I assume this means step fathers and if so why cant they say so.

These are old figures. Recent stats dont seem to identify whether a male perpetrator is the step father of the child being abused.

Not sure if I should put a trigger warning here, but so as not to cause any distress will say what follows is upsetting.

Analysis of interviews obtained from a random sample of 930 adult women in San Francisco revealed that 17% or one out of approximately every six women who had a stepfather as a principal figure in her childhood years, was sexually abused by him. The comparable figures for biological fathers were 2% or one out of approximately 40 women.

In addition, when a distinction was made between Very Serious Sexual Abuse (including experiences ranging from forced penile-vaginal penetration to non-forceful attempted fellatio, cunnilingus , and anal intercourse) and other less serious forms, 47% of the cases of sexual abuse by stepfathers were at the Very Serious level of violation compared with 26% by biological fathers.

The PornHub sounds like a disgusting site that should probably be nuked, but having said that I'm finding it difficult to feel any sympathy for Labours women MP's.

Campaigners are concerned that it normalises the concept

They've finally found a behaviour that they object to! Oh happy days, I didn't think there was a line that could be crossed for them.

They've happily voted through, and in some cases even demanded laws, that normalise objectionable concepts, such as men can be women if they want.
They've ignored the blatant sexual overtures to such behaviours that are happening in real life, real work places, real social areas, but it's loathsome behaviours online that their rebelling against.

I'm finding it really hard to find any sympathy for Labours women MP's.

4.1 billion videos viewed on Pornhub featured incest-related scenarios.

4.1 billion just on that one particular scenario?! God. We are doomed and tragically, our daughters are more doomed. Actually, our sons are doomed too by being exposed to this dirt. Is there ANY need to question further why misogynistic thinking is on the rise?

It is just so depressing to be reminded time and again that "politics" just doesn't work.

Surely the whole point of having a reprentative Parliament, eg women becoming MPs, is to ensure that they can have input into situations they have experience of.

How disgusting that in 2026 women are having to conspire together not to upset the men who think it is more important to remain friendly with some male geek who makes a lot of money but perpetuating misogyny and abuse of women in the virtual world.

And this at a time MPs are being oh so concerned about young people and the internet.

But not apparently women and the internet.

Will be interesting to see if they do have the guts to do it.

I suspect they will win more support if they do take a public stand.

And if it means Starmer is make to look out of touch, or incapable of making the right decisions, then this too needs to be make clear.

Your right. Politics isn't working. By the time they've ducked and dived through Labours selection process and brown-nosed their way into a position of power I think most MPs have lost sight of what they went into politics for. Let these handmaidens take a public stand and then maybe I'll believe they genuinely care about women.