Parliamentary defections

[mrtoad]

I've not blocked anyone on this forum before, but seeing a member whose profile picture celebrates a brutal war criminal has crossed that threshold. Absolutely vile.

[carlton43]

Jan 22, 2023 11:25:38 GMT mrtoad said:

I've not blocked anyone on this forum before, but seeing a member whose profile picture celebrates a brutal war criminal has crossed that threshold. Absolutely vile.

Vulnerable Forum Member confesses to being being menaced by a photograph!

[The Bishop]

Any poster is entitled to block anybody else, and others questioning their motives in doing so is bad form.

[greatkingrat]

Jan 22, 2023 11:50:25 GMT The Bishop said:

Any poster is entitled to block anybody else, and others questioning their motives in doing so is bad form.

Of course they are, but do they need to ostentatiously announce that they are blocking someone as some sort of virtue signalling exercise?

[The Bishop]

In this particular case, there may be at least an argument for it.

[carlton43]

Jan 22, 2023 11:50:25 GMT The Bishop said:

Any poster is entitled to block anybody else, and others questioning their motives in doing so is bad form.

Oh!  I say, Your Grace!  Bad Form, wot!  Frightful fax pas!  You are quite correct.

I don't have anyone on block and I don't report anyone for anything they do.

But I have had people on block and I used to report people for a time when I felt very vulnerable to being banned.

[johnyorks]

Clearly Rosie Duffield is a potential defector, though perhaps more likely to 'Independent' than anything else.

I will say, the persistent claim by some on the left that 'the culture wars' are effectively an invention of the right, driven by the right, is quite disingenuous.

The right is being (appropriately enough) reactionary on this. It is literally reacting to ideas and policies pushed by elements of the left which are specifically designed to challenge and change 'the norm,' whether that be in a historical context, a societal one, a biological one, or whatever. The so-called culture wars are driven by those wanting the change. To me that seems self-evident.

You need two sides to have a war, and certainly there are elements of the right that aim to exploit these issues for political gain, but by gum if these issues are not being exploited on the left for political gain... then my name is Lloyd Russell-Sturgeon.

[East Anglian Lefty]

I'm not sure what the electoral gain is - most of the electorate aren't interested in the issue and to the very limited extent they have opinions, they're split and often not especially coherent. Those segments of the electorate that are particularly in favour of trans rights (broadly, young, socially liberal voters) were already not predisposed to support the right and since the issue has arisen they have acquired increasingly strong economic interests in not doing so.

When you add in that the issue was much less controversial when GRA reform started being discussed (May was in favour, let's recall) and that there are plenty of voices of the left that are not in favour of increasing trans rights, it becomes clear that this isn't something it would make sense to push for partisan gain. It is a divisive, vituperative debate because it is something people feel strongly about as an issue of either principle or affection for those affected (or perceived to be). That applies on both sides, but to the extent there is an attempt at running a culture war it's more likely to be on the side that has a plausible path to partisan gains on the issue and that is better able to drive the argument in the media.

[Davıd Boothroyd]

Notable ex-Parliamentarian.

[Old Fashioned Leftie]

Feb 25, 2023 18:18:25 GMT Davıd Boothroyd said:

Notable ex-Parliamentarian.

and given how she fought in the 2019 election for the Liberal Democrats against the official Labour Party candidate in Finchley and Golders Green may she long remain an ex-parliamentarian.

[maxque]

Feb 25, 2023 18:35:20 GMT Old Fashioned Leftie said:

Feb 25, 2023 18:18:25 GMT Davıd Boothroyd said:

Notable ex-Parliamentarian.

and given how she fought in the 2019 election for the Liberal Democrats against the official Labour Party candidate in Finchley and Golders Green may she long remain an ex-parliamentarian.

She won't, the NEC will find her a nice plum seat.

[stb12]

Surprised this hasn’t happened with more of the defectors yet

[CatholicLeft]

Feb 25, 2023 19:06:38 GMT maxque said:

Feb 25, 2023 18:35:20 GMT Old Fashioned Leftie said:

and given how she fought in the 2019 election for the Liberal Democrats against the official Labour Party candidate in Finchley and Golders Green may she long remain an ex-parliamentarian.

She won't, the NEC will find her a nice plum seat.

She couldn't have had a more plumb seat than Liverpool Wavertree.

[Davıd Boothroyd]

And another ex-Parliamentarian (he retired from the Lords in 2021):

Lord Sainsbury donated £8m to the Liberal Democrats in 2019.

[tonyhill]

Oh well, better that she lost and re-ratted than won and re-ratted.

[tonyhill]

Re Sainsbury - not happy about individuals giving my party huge sums of money. With Brown it ended in tears, with Sainsbury it distorts party structures, even if only temporarily until the money is spent.

[batman]

Ratted isn't very nice. She joined the Liberal Democrats mostly out of desperation at the state her former party had got into rather than a wholehearted support for every single Liberal Democrat policy. She has returned to what she regards as her natural political home. I for one welcome her even though inevitably we will not agree on absolutely everything. The abuse she received was truly shocking, with only Margaret Hodge having to endure quite that level of it - even Ruth Smeeth & Louise Ellman got off relatively lightly compared with her. If she gets selected in a fair contest for a winnable seat, great, but to me the most important thing is that she is once again a member of my party, as I thought was pretty likely happen once the 3rd anniversary of her candidacy in Finchley & Golders Green had passed.

[cogload]

That Keir Starmer bloke...he is actually very good at (emphasis added) politics.

Not surprised she is back in the Labour fold. Best of luck too her and I wouldn't be surprised if she is back in the HoC if she so desires at a point in the future.

[Khunanup]

Feb 25, 2023 19:42:11 GMT batman said:

Ratted isn't very nice. She joined the Liberal Democrats mostly out of desperation at the state her former party had got into rather than a wholehearted support for every single Liberal Democrat policy. She has returned to what she regards as her natural political home. I for one welcome her even though inevitably we will not agree on absolutely everything. The abuse she received was truly shocking, with only Margaret Hodge having to endure quite that level of it - even Ruth Smeeth & Louise Ellman got off relatively lightly compared with her. If she gets selected in a fair contest for a winnable seat, great, but to me the most important thing is that she is once again a member of my party, as I thought was pretty likely happen once the 3rd anniversary of her candidacy in Finchley & Golders Green had passed.

I have no comment on this.

[Sibboleth]

This is good news. It isn't a surprise, but that does not make it any less heartening.