Rumours are swirling that Harriet Harman, who is retiring as an MP, is set to be appointed as the new Chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), replacing the sensible Baroness Falkner. The Telegraph‘s Tom Harris has more.
This will be unwelcome news indeed for feminists who have been campaigning to protect women’s rights to privacy and safety. Harman has long been an advocate of Stonewall ideology that holds that “trans women are women”.
It’s a controversy that Labour would much prefer not to have been raised at all, and, lest we forget, it wouldn’t have been had it not been for the efforts of the likes of author J.K. Rowling – a former Labour supporter and donor – and the party’s own candidate in the marginal seat of Canterbury, Rosie Duffield.
The latest Labour frontbencher to become irritated at journalists’ inexplicable tendency to dare to pose the question about trans rights versus women’s rights was the party’s national campaign coordinator, Pat McFadden, who is normally one of the party’s most thoughtful and effective communicators. But asked whether trans women would continue to be able to use women-only spaces under a Labour Government, McFadden became irritated that the question was even being asked (which itself answers the question).
He resorted, as so many politicians do as an alternative strategy to actually taking a side, to his leader’s universal get-out. McFadden said: “For people going through this [transition] let’s act with a bit of kindness rather than using them as some kind of ‘gotcha’ question in an interview all the time.”
Isn’t it odd how, when pressed, certain politicians always – on every single occasion – demand understanding and sympathy, not with the women who are genuinely fearful of incursions into their private spaces and the genuine threat to their personal safety, but to the men who pose that threat?
And so to Harman’s rumoured elevation to head the EHRC when the term of the current chair, Baroness Falkner of Margravine, comes to an end in November. If Prime Minister Starmer goes ahead with Harman’s appointment rather than offers Falkner a second term, it will be a body blow to women’s rights campaigners; Falkner has earned the wrath of the trans industry by advising the Government to toughen protection for biological women’s spaces, even being forced to defend herself from allegations of bullying, which her allies maintain was nothing more than a witch hunt by trans “allies”.
Harman, on the other hand, has long been a “trans ally” herself. She was the architect of the Equality Act, which first established gender transition as a “protected characteristic” in law and critics fear her appointment would result in the continuation, or even extension, of Stonewall’s influence throughout Whitehall. …
No doubt Starmer would have preferred the prospect of Harman becoming head of the EHRC not to have emerged this side of polling day, although with only a day to go it’s unlikely to change many people’s minds about who they’ll vote for. He should understand that whether or not this appointment is made, everything his Government says and does on women’s rights will be analysed closely and appropriately critiqued.
Worth reading in full.
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https://order-order.com/2024/07/03/independent-inquiry-launched-into-channel-4-reform-report/
I posted this yesterday from TCW. The credit belongs to Kathy Gyngell.
Do keep up.
I hope that all those who went out to vote hoping that a sea change was coming feel suitably foolish.
The system is rigged in so many ways. The distorted representation of votes in parliament, the media assault on anyone that might be a threat to the establishment, the gaslighting making people think that this freak show we call elections represents their actual views and wishes.
Thing will only actually change in a meaningful way when enough people get tired of being suckered, say enough is enough and refuse to play the rigged game.
Labour 33.8% of the vote share
54% turn out
46.5m eligible to vote out of a population of 67m
69.4% of the population eligible to vote
0.694 x 0.54 x 0.338
Just 12.7% of the population voted for this government.
Time long overdue for PR
There are many varieties of PR, so you do need to specify which you prefer, and why.
For example, party lists only encourage central control, which has caused much dysfunctionality already. Multiple members for each constituency means muddled responsibility.
And, given that European countries have very different means of electing representatives, yet all have had their problems, there is much to be said for some thinking rather than unspecific soundbites.
Well said. Whenever I try to say exactly the same thing I get hammered on the downvotes, but your same point has been well received. An indication of the fluidity, and easily managed, of many?
We see clearly the next task.
Scotland, Wales, London show us what is in store for us all.
The demolition of Labour……we’ll have to get them before they get us……
Two thirds of the country did not vote for this (big majority of seats) government.
Time for PR.
As I already said on this thread, you need to specify which type of PR.
Wales clearly likes socialism as they have booted out the Tories. So let us all look forward the an NHS Welsh style.
Jet Set Climate Activists Kill Freedom – latest leaflet to print at home and deliver to neighbours or forward to politicians, your local vicar, online media and friends online. We have over 200 leaflet ideas on the link on the leaflet.
Based on declared seats Reform have the third highest share of the vote. And labour share of the vote is only just above one third.
Noticed that Chris Chope got back in for Christchurch. I think he was one of the good guys. Andrew Bridgen has failed for NW Leicestershire- by a long way as well.
He was one of the few good guys – constantly trying to highlight the plight of the vaccine injured in the HoC.
The people of Leicester NW deserve all the shyte that Kneel and Co can throw at them.
What a vile electorate.
It’s as though Andrew is worse than an inconvenience.
I’m shocked, truly shocked, telI you!
The https://www.midwesterndoctor.com/p/dermatologys-horrendous-war-against was worth a read, but in the “Benefits of sunlight” section it is silent about one of the fundamental ones. I.e. the way we use Ultra Violet-B to make vitamin D. Perhaps the author has shares in the manufacture of supplements, a cynic might observe!
If the Tories could do this after winning an 80 seat majority last time, just think what Labour will achieve in 5 years with double the majority.
How many extra windmills will Labour manage to plan, build, and put into production before they get found out?
And then there’s the miles of Power Lines, acres of solar panels and Carbon Capture & Storage installations that fail.
I do have a good idea on the number of CC&S successes.
So Reform won 14% of the popular vote, and got 4 seats in Parliament.
LibDems won 12% of the popular vote, and got 63 seats in Parliament.
Errrr, yes, that seems fair…
And the Greens got around half the Reform vote, but the same number of seats.
This election is the first chance that Reform have had to judge where their support lies on national issues. In their next election they will be able to crunch the numbers and build funding to allow then the target resources for best effect.