"WHILE the Tory leadership thoroughbreds gallop towards the final furlong (shurely knackers’ yard? – Ed) there has been less attention paid to the other contest, to lead the Lib Dems. Although Jo Swinson was the early favourite, the result is likely to be closer than expected after a surprisingly strong showing in hustings by Sir Ed Davey.
However, Sir Ed’s campaign has struggled with his various flip-flops over nuclear policy. Before the coalition, he was described in an academic journal as “the architect of the previous anti-nuclear Liberal-Democrat policy” from his days as a backroom policy wonk in the 1990s.
Accusations of hypocrisy
Yet as the coalition’s energy and climate change secretary in 2012-5, it was he who gave the go-ahead for the first new nuclear reactors in a generation, and even as late as 2016, after losing his seat, Davey was still defending his pro-nuclear record and insisting he secured “a good deal” on reactors. Davey has now drawn further accusations of hypocrisy, as he tours the country assuring the Lib Dems’ avowedly anti-nuclear membership he now opposes nuclear energy again.
Meanwhile, Swinson has difficulties with her own record. She has made little secret of her desire to have the party’s whip withdrawn from Lord Rennard over long-standing sexual harassment allegations (which he continues to deny, highlighting a “no further action” recommendation from the Met). After she told the New European that he “shows no remorse, no contrition for what happened and he remains a Lib Dem peer”, the paper speculated that Rennard might take legal action against the party to stop it banishing him.
Why is Swinson now so keen to be seen as proactive in this area? Could it be anything to do with the allegations of one of Rennard’s accusers, former Lib Dem candidate Dr Alison Smith? Back in 2007, Smith took her Rennard allegations to the party’s chief whip, Paul Burstow – and to Jo Swinson, then the party’s women and equalities spokesperson. “It very quickly became quite Kafkaesque,” Smith later recalled. “They were saying, ‘No one wants to make a formal complaint’, and I was saying, ‘I’ll make a formal complaint’, and they were saying, ‘That’s a shame because no one wants to make a formal complaint.’”
Both candidates look and sound decidedly “establishment” – Sir Ed with his knighthood, Swinson with her CBE – and both are to be found defending their voting records in coalition. Lib Dem members are left wondering if it’s much of a choice."
even their flip flopping on policy flagged in private eye is in each case forgettable and inconsequential
swinson seems dull, predictable and superficially nice, but the fact she is ambitious enough to be party leader indicates it is indeed superficial. that really means she’s as ambitious, cynical and ruthless as the next politico, but without the charisma or the visible brilliance to harness it
if the lib dems do well at the next election (which looks likely) it will be despite her leadership. whereas if they’d picked a macron type (tho obviously with more british qualities) they could seriously have caused some chaos
she might be wrong on rights to change gender, but that is one (and for lds and their voters, ideologically “pure”) fault. excluding that, important as it may be, she’s self-evidently miles better than any other main british party leader ever
Thankfully she's not wrong on gender which is great. And most people agree with that liberal view, even in this country, despite the bizarrely aggressive transphobic framing of the debate here by a minority of far right and extremely socially conservative extremists who are routinely contradicted by both evidence and the people they arrogantly imagine they are entitled to speak for. Hence the accurate use of the word "bigot" in their case.
If you're going to say they "identify" as women, "feel" like women or have "lady brains" you are also going to have to explain what those things involve.
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also swinson seems quite middle fo the road ; she's less likely to provide tabloid headlines than other lib dems
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Who are these no-marks??
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Why are you such a moron?
WAYSAM.
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LOL!
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You wouldn't get it, Dux.
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From Private Eye:
"WHILE the Tory leadership thoroughbreds gallop towards the final furlong (shurely knackers’ yard? – Ed) there has been less attention paid to the other contest, to lead the Lib Dems. Although Jo Swinson was the early favourite, the result is likely to be closer than expected after a surprisingly strong showing in hustings by Sir Ed Davey.
However, Sir Ed’s campaign has struggled with his various flip-flops over nuclear policy. Before the coalition, he was described in an academic journal as “the architect of the previous anti-nuclear Liberal-Democrat policy” from his days as a backroom policy wonk in the 1990s.
Accusations of hypocrisy
Yet as the coalition’s energy and climate change secretary in 2012-5, it was he who gave the go-ahead for the first new nuclear reactors in a generation, and even as late as 2016, after losing his seat, Davey was still defending his pro-nuclear record and insisting he secured “a good deal” on reactors. Davey has now drawn further accusations of hypocrisy, as he tours the country assuring the Lib Dems’ avowedly anti-nuclear membership he now opposes nuclear energy again.
Meanwhile, Swinson has difficulties with her own record. She has made little secret of her desire to have the party’s whip withdrawn from Lord Rennard over long-standing sexual harassment allegations (which he continues to deny, highlighting a “no further action” recommendation from the Met). After she told the New European that he “shows no remorse, no contrition for what happened and he remains a Lib Dem peer”, the paper speculated that Rennard might take legal action against the party to stop it banishing him.
Why is Swinson now so keen to be seen as proactive in this area? Could it be anything to do with the allegations of one of Rennard’s accusers, former Lib Dem candidate Dr Alison Smith? Back in 2007, Smith took her Rennard allegations to the party’s chief whip, Paul Burstow – and to Jo Swinson, then the party’s women and equalities spokesperson. “It very quickly became quite Kafkaesque,” Smith later recalled. “They were saying, ‘No one wants to make a formal complaint’, and I was saying, ‘I’ll make a formal complaint’, and they were saying, ‘That’s a shame because no one wants to make a formal complaint.’”
Both candidates look and sound decidedly “establishment” – Sir Ed with his knighthood, Swinson with her CBE – and both are to be found defending their voting records in coalition. Lib Dem members are left wondering if it’s much of a choice."
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Jo Swinson is no friend to women
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She is a total fud
The people in her constituency are natural libdems but she really tries them
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tbf to dux for once he has a point
these two are no marks
even their flip flopping on policy flagged in private eye is in each case forgettable and inconsequential
swinson seems dull, predictable and superficially nice, but the fact she is ambitious enough to be party leader indicates it is indeed superficial. that really means she’s as ambitious, cynical and ruthless as the next politico, but without the charisma or the visible brilliance to harness it
if the lib dems do well at the next election (which looks likely) it will be despite her leadership. whereas if they’d picked a macron type (tho obviously with more british qualities) they could seriously have caused some chaos
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notwithstanding my post above, this is v harsh
she might be wrong on rights to change gender, but that is one (and for lds and their voters, ideologically “pure”) fault. excluding that, important as it may be, she’s self-evidently miles better than any other main british party leader ever
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A prime minister who doesn't know what a woman even is, is no use to me.
Especially not Jo Tory lite lets allow tuition fees to be tripled so we get our pointless PR referendum Swinson.
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She has bad prior on primary schools too
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ok well then it’s all fooking pointless if that’s ur attitude
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@hools
I agree she’s far, far from perfect - see my post above
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Thankfully she's not wrong on gender which is great. And most people agree with that liberal view, even in this country, despite the bizarrely aggressive transphobic framing of the debate here by a minority of far right and extremely socially conservative extremists who are routinely contradicted by both evidence and the people they arrogantly imagine they are entitled to speak for. Hence the accurate use of the word "bigot" in their case.
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She has got a funny carrot cruncher Scotch cross accent. But carrot cruncher in a woman is hot so - another plus.
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Lol @ the idea I am far right or socially conservative
Please explain in what way transwomen are women fookwit
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If you're going to say they "identify" as women, "feel" like women or have "lady brains" you are also going to have to explain what those things involve.
I'll wait
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Getting back to Swinson there is fook all point in all women shortlists if everyone on it has a cock
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Linda do you believe that men and women are different?
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I'm curious because you seem to have hotch-potch views.
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Also are you in any way like Julia Stiles in 'Riviera' because that's how I imagine you.
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Bit less glam tho.
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Having googled it, sadly this seems unlikely
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Very important that we are all on the alert to stamp out hateful transphobia
Urban myths and lies such as trans women attacking cis women in bathrooms or prisons, when there is no documented evidence of this.
https://www.dazeddigital.com/life-culture/article/43287/1/trans-non-binary-people-uk-media-transphobia-epidemic-infinite-identities
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https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/news/3928585/transgender-sex-offender-female-only-fife-hostel-katie-dalatowski-furious-residents/
Etc
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Foreigner Clergs. Doesn't count. One of Celtic Labour's immigrants
Must read the Scotch Sun more often
https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/news/4503085/woman-headbutt-scotland-pub/
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The most significant thing Swinson has ever done is to bed RoF's Legal Alien.
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