Lads’ mags and Labour: Claire Curtis-Thomas campaign
Lord Mandelson – back when he was just plain Peter, and resolutely still in the closet – used to write a column for FHM. Given that this publication is known chiefly for its annual rundown of ‘the world’s 100 sexiest women’, I always found that idea amusingly incongruous.
But not all Labour MPs view lads’ mags as a straightforward media opportunity; Claire Curtis-Thomas is campaigning to get them reclassified as pornography. I fear that she is entering a world of pain, and all for no good purpose.
We have been here before, more or less. Back in 1987, Clare Short – then a backbencher on the Labour left – introduced her Indecent Displays (Newspapers) Bill into the Commons. The target of her ire was the topless pin ups that used to feature prominently in The Sun and – if I remember correctly – the Daily Mirror, too.
Interview: Claire Hazelgrove, the young Labour PPC
Just after her 19th birthday last year, Claire was selected as Labour candidate for Skipton and Ripon (a safe Conservative seat). While already engaged in issues she feels strongly about, she recently returned from the United States after volunteering for the Barack Obama campaign.
In the first of our series of interviews with young, progressive candidates, we ask how it all came about.
What motivated you to get into politics, and when?
I first became interested in politics at around the age of 15 – I remember watching a documentary showing the awful poverty that so many people in the developing world suffer from and realising that not only is so much of it avoidable, but that a large part of it is caused by western countries like ours, and that we have a duty to help these people in any way that we can.
continue reading… »
A Case for Internet Regulation
If, like me, you have a knee-jerk reaction whenever anyone suggests regulating the Internet, this A List Apart article on captioning/subtitling of online videos is a challenging read. Joe Clark argues that the voluntary approach to developing a good, standardized captioning system has failed, and that only governments can enforce some sort of progress:
In short, disabled people’s right to be free of discrimination trumps the belief, however fallacious, that the internet cannot or should not be regulated.
Earlier this year, the Liberal Conspiracy take on Andy Burnham’s recommendations on Internet regulation, was that it was merely a sop to the powerful music lobby and their outdated business models. Contrast this with the case of subtitling, where it is the lack of regulation which has allowed the studios and broadcasters to ignore their obligations to provide accessible content, in favour of greater profit margins.
continue reading… »
What about homophobia?
I suppose you should call this a work in regress. Back in 2003, the execrable, homophobic loon Bounty Killer weaseled out of some UK concerts after Peter Tatchell & OutRage! called for him to be arrested for inciting violence against gay people.
Five years later, the Metropolitan Police have decided that Mr Killer ain’t all that bad, and providing he doesn’t perform songs where he says things like ‘burn the queer’ (it’ll be a very short set, I guess), then they’re okay with him spreading what I’m sure is his primary message of peace, love & understanding.
Both Tatchell & Brett are completely correct to point out that if a musician tried to enter Britain with a songbook of ballads about white supremacy, he or she would struggle to find a visa, let alone a venue.
Maybe the soft, passive, ‘well, the last time he played a concert no gays were killed’ way of dealing with things has its merits, and if anyone has a clue what they are, I’d be happy to be enlightened. But I don’t see how we’re going to succeed in erasing homophobia when the police’s actions seem to imply that it’s less of a social evil than racism.
The authorities are always wrong
Anyone with any interest in Disability Rights should know by now that the UK government is currently refusing to ratify the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). This is the first international, legally binding human rights instrument to protect the rights of people with disabilities.
According to BBC News, the government hopes to ratify the Convention by December 2008, but plans to modify its obligations in some areas, particularly the right of people with disabilities to access a mainstream education. With developing countries such as India, Bangladesh and South Africa on the growing list that have already ratified the CRPD, with no modifications, this is not good enough for Disability Rights campaigners in the UK- a country which claims to be developed.
continue reading… »
Never mind about Parliament, Hazel: what about actually giving real power to real people?
Forget Hazel Blears’ ill-considered assault on ‘nihilistic’ blogging, in her speech to the Hansard Society this week: let’s consider instead her attack on politicians who live on ‘Planet Politics’:
… there is a trend towards politics being seen as a career move rather than call to public service. Increasingly we have seen a ‘transmission belt’ from university activist, MPs’ researcher, think-tank staffer, Special Adviser, to Member of Parliament, and ultimately to the front bench. Now, there’s nothing wrong with any of those jobs, but it is deeply unhealthy for our political class to be drawn from narrowing social base and range of experience.
Few people will disagree with her analysis. Indeed, ‘The Rise of the Career Politician’ (Peter Riddell, 1993) and ‘The Triumph of the Political Class’ (Peter Oborne, 1997) has been the subject of two (very different) books. Much of the hand-wringing, as ever when hands are wrung, is overwrought: a narrow political class is not a modern political phenomenon. It’s simply that the narrow class which dominates politics has changed over time. continue reading… »
Is Feminism Political?
This might not be as daft a question as it at first may seem. It arises from a reply I got to an email I sent to Wikio, earlier, regarding my categorisation in their blog rankings, and the categorisation of others.
Politics is defined quite well on Wikipedia, for my money. They say that:
[p]olitics is the process observed in all human (and many non-human) group interactions by which groups make decisions, including activism on behalf of specific issues or causes.
I therefore consider my Lib Demmery-focussed blog to be pretty political, but not exclusively so, and I wasn’t massively offended to be put in the category “other”, since I do talk about Doctor Who and Top Gear sometimes. However, when Steph Ashley told me that Dib Lemming is also classed as “other” I had a closer look at some of the categorisations. And, what do you know, pretty much all the blogs I would call political blogs that are written by girls are also in “other”. To be fair to Wikio, there are also lots of blogs which are written by boys which are in “other” which read like politics blogs to me – Amused Cynicism, for one. And they do cover a lot of blogs, and can’t be expected to examine the minutiae of each one… And then I noticed The F-Word’s categorisation.
Now, some of you might be aware of my annoyance when people assert things that aren’t true, like They’re trying to ban Christmas!!
and The Daily Mail is a newspaper
and girls don’t blog, especially not about politics
… Ah yes. Girls don’t blog, do they? Especially not about politics! Politics is boys‘ stuff! Well, of course, depending on how you define politics, this is exactly so. For instance, if you define “politics” as only including electoral politics, then that is going to be a mostly male space. Which seems an unnecessarily narrow definition to me, but what do I know? I’m a girl.
And, of course, if you explicitly exclude feminist blogs from your definition of political blogs, as the gentleman (and he has been very gentlemanly, BTW, even though I have ranted at him rather a lot) who emailed me from Wikio tonight does, even though he believes (but isn’t sure) that the writer of The F-Word has asked him to include it under politics, then that is going to take vast swathes of women outside the remit of politics…
Now, obviously: your site, your rules. This is the way of the internet. But the whole purpose of feminism is to effect political change so that women are treated as equal to men. If that is not political, then (with the greatest of respect to the very gentlemanly gentleman from Wikio, and apologies for my unladylike language) what the blue buggery fuck is?
The benefit of inequality
The UK’s tax system is regressive* and income inequality is high. Whilst the left bemoans these facts, they might be necessary for Darling’s plan to increase borrowing to succeed in supporting economic activity.
Last night, Darling said the rise in borrowing would be only temporary. He promised to “return borrowing and debt to a sustainable level – once these shocks have worked through.”
This raises an obvious question. If government borrowing today merely means lower state spending or higher taxes tomorrow, why should it boost aggregate economic activity at all? Won’t it just cause tax-payers to save in anticipation of higher future taxes, or public sector workers to save in anticipation of redundancy?
I blame the lazy liberal media
Both Polly Toynbee and Cath Elliott have written good pieces for the Guardian on this government’s failure to stand firm on HFE Bill amendments and follow through with a progressive pro-choice stance that should be the cornerstone of any vaguely left-wing government.
Instead, as Ms Toynbee rightly points out, New Labour has become scared of Nadine Dorries MP and the tons of supportive, misleading propaganda that has poured from the Daily Mail and Telegraph. Which begs me to wonder why the hell there wasn’t an equally vicious counter-attack in the left-liberal press. Why haven’t the Guardian or the Independent asked the sort of questions about Nadine Dorries MP and her campaign that we have on this blog?
Partly, I’m beginning to agree with the feminist complaint that the male-dominated left actually ends up saying very little on issues like abortion. They’re out there campaigning against the war in Iraq but when a bit of solidarity is needed with women from Northern Ireland, the comrades are busily inspecting their shoes. Liberals especially, too afraid to touch an issue like abortion for fear of offending anyone, have barely attempted to go on the counter-attack in the media.
The Channel 4 documentary that exposed Nadine Dorries’s close links to the bigoted, fundamentalist Christian organisation: Christian Concern For Our Nation, offered a veritable feast for an angle that could be used to ask questions about how was funding Ms Dorries’s campaign and why she was hiding her true agenda on abortion and smearing journalists like Ben Goldacre. What did we get? Uncomfortable silence, and some bleating now the vote has came up again. I admire the right on this regard: they have ideological positions and they’ll run happily run a quasi-propaganda campaign to support it. The left-liberal press is on the side of public opinion and has a ton of bullshit to shoot down, and they still can’t do a good enough job to push their case. No wonder New Labour is in retreat.
Why can’t we unionise lap dancers?
Personally, I’ve no use for strip joints, lap dancing emporiums, ‘gentleman’s clubs’ or any other euphemism you want to use for young ladies dancing around without much clothing. If I’m going for a drink I want a steady supply of cider, enjoyable conversation and a jukebox that’s as obscure as my music taste. What I don’t want to endure is the awkward, toe-curling, avert-your-eyes embarrassment of having women I’ve never met wriggle around for me (and yes, I realise it’s probably far more awkward for the women themselves than it would be for me).
But it’s obvious that a significant section of the male population doen’t share my squeamishness, and the industry has thrived in recent years. As others have explained better than I could, the government’s 2003 Licensing Act created a pretty huge loophole which left lap dancing barely regulated (excuse the pun), and the number of clubs has consequently doubled.
Northern Ireland women on Northern Ireland and abortion
Before Sunny went to the USA, he and I created a Liberal Conspiracy photo gallery for photo articles and essays on some of the people and issues we’re covering at LC.
I’ve used it to post a collection of pictures of and quotes from some of the Northern Ireland women who are campaigning to have abortion rights extended to Northern Ireland when parliament votes on Abortion Act amendments at the report stage of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill. The women speak for themselves, which is surely at least as good as me ranting.
You’ll see that they are concerned that the great Gordon Brown has already done for their chances of a Yes vote by agreeing to an anti abortion deal with the Demoractic Unionists in exchange for the DUP’s support on 42 days’ detention.
They also talk about the role they expect Westminster to play in Northern Ireland, and about their disappointment in Stormont.
The gallery sits on my hangbitch site at the moment, and with a variety of logos, because we didn’t manage to integrate the gallery at LC before Sunny left. We’ll sort that out when he gets back.
I’ve also added audios of all the speakers at last week’s pro choice lobby at parliament.
Link to Northern Ireland photo gallery.
Abortion rights lobby: meeting notice
Hey all,
Quick reminder re: tonight’s meeting:
Oct 7th, 7pm, Committee room 11, House of Commons
Join Abortion Rights for an update on amendments tabled for the report stage of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill, and to discuss the pro choice campaign.
Speakers: Diane Abbott MP, Annie Campbell – Alliance for Choice, Kay Carberry – TUC Assistant General Secretary, Katy Clark MP, Katie Curtis NUS, Evan Harris MP, Jacqui Lait MP; Wendy Savage – Doctors for a Woman’s Choice on Abortion, Dr Audrey Simpson – fpa Northern Ireland, Polly Toynbee – Guardian commentator.
More at Abortion Rights.
Why Labour Voters Ought to Think Again
Yeah, I figured that headline would get the attention of some of you. Cory Doctorow has posted what it’s like to be on the sharp end of Labour’s current policies. Because I know that some of you won’t be arsed to click the link, I’m going to copy and paste.
Earlier this year, I married my British fiancée and switched my visa status from “Highly Skilled Migrant” to “Spouse.” This wasn’t optional: Jacqui Smith, the British Home Secretary, had unilaterally (and on 24 hours’ notice) changed the rules for Highly Skilled Migrants to require a university degree, sending hundreds of long-term, productive residents of the UK away (my immigration lawyers had a client who employed over 100 Britons, had fathered two British children, and was nonetheless forced to leave the country, leaving the 100 jobless). Smith took this decision over howls of protests from the House of Lords and Parliament, who repeatedly sued her to change the rule back, winning victory after victory, but Smith kept on appealing (at tax-payer expense) until the High Court finally ordered her to relent (too late for me, alas). continue reading… »
Our complaint against Nadine Dorries MP upheld
A few months ago I submitted a complaint, with the help of some Liberal Conspirators to the Parliamentary Standards Commission against Nadine Dorries MP. In short, it was regarding her blog. Last weekend I had a response.
The most relevant parts of the letter stated:
The rules of the house, however, do require Members to make a clear distinction between websites which are financed from public funds and any other domain. At the time of your complaint, Mrs Dorries’ website did not meet that requirement. Nor was it appropriate that she use the Portcullis emblem on the weblog given its contents. And the funding attribution on Mrs Dorries’ Home Page should have been updated to reflect that the funding came from the Communications Allowance and not from the Incidental Expenses Provision.
To these three technical aspects, our complaint was upheld. But, the Commissioner adds:
continue reading… »
She didn’t deserve children
I’ve had Cerebral Palsy since birth. Luckily, I’m mildly affected by this physical disability. I often thank God that I have amazing parents, who very rarely complain, or let anyone see that they are struggling with the difficulties of having a child with a disability.
When I first read about Joanne Hill, I was shocked. Hill, 32, from Wales, drowned her four-year-old daughter, Naomi, in a bathtub because she couldn’t cope with Naomi’s mild Cerebral Palsy. She came up with the plan to kill Naomi after Naomi’s father, who cared for her deeply, refused to put her up for adoption.
Hill was ‘embarrassed’ by Naomi’s leg splints and hearing difficulties, and irritated by some of the side effects of her medication.
continue reading… »
We need to take on New Tories better
In ‘Is the Future Conservative?’ we argue (pdf) that it is time for the left to take on the New Tories and that this challenge cannot be separated from creating a post-New Labour social democracy. By critically engaging with Cameron’s Conservatives the left can rethink its principles and renew itself.
Whoever wins the next election, the future does not belong to the Conservative Party. Nor will it be a re-run of the neo-liberal economics of the 1980s and 90s. Three decades of restructuring and liberalisation have been brought to an end by recession and the credit crunch. Neo -liberalism has done its work and its creative destruction is now undermining capitalism itself. The financial bubbles make it structurally unsustainable.
continue reading… »
Lefties should accept the failure of the state
Here are four related items:
1. Universities minister John Denham wants universities to do more to recruit talented students from poorer backgrounds. Which only raises the question: why aren’t state schools doing more to bring out the talents of the poor?
2. The TUC wants an old-fashioned fiscal stimulus to forestall recession, even though any announced policy – in the Pre-Budget report – could well come after the recession has already started.
3. Centre Left says:
The left must also engage in a sustained defence of the state. Illustrating how an active and engaged state can provide for a fairer Britain, can intervene to remove inequality.
Which raises the question: if the state can provide for a fairer Britain, why hasn’t it already done so?
4. Bryan Gould wants politicians to have more control over interest rates, even though this was tried for 25 years – between the collapse of Bretton Woods and 1997 – with poor results.
continue reading… »
Extending abortion rights to N. Ireland
The abortion law in England, Scotland and Wales is far from perfect. The unnecessary two-rule, the restrictions that prevent women who choose to do so completing medical abortions at home, the prevention of nurses and midwives providing the service. But those problems are slight compared to the situation for women in Northern Ireland, where women have almost no access to abortion at all.
As a result of past and present cowardice, grubby dealmaking and other political skulduggery, the 1967 Abortion Act that applies in England, Scotland and Wales does not apply in Northern Ireland. The basic rules date back to 1927 – but there are no clear guidelines. So only 70 to 80 abortions are carried out each year in Northern Ireland, under extremely restrictive conditions.
Otherwise, by the official count, more than 1,300 women last year, and 50,000 women over the past 40 years, have had to travel to England, Wales or Scotland, or even further afield, and to pay for their abortion, since if they give a Northern Ireland address they cannot have an NHS abortion.
continue reading… »
The true Tory colours come out
Around the blogosphere and in the press, a number of British right-wing commentators (notably Peter Hitchens and Iain Dale) have already come out in support of McCain’s VP pick Sarah Palin.
It is good to see these Tories lining up in support of her. It makes pretty clear just how skin-deep the Cameron ‘revolution’ has been.
Let’s remind ourselves of some of what Palin stands for:
* Palin opposes abortion even in the case of rape or incest. She believes, that is to say, in (for example) the right of a father who rapes his under-age daughter legally to ensure that his daughter bears his grandchild. Yes: Palin believes that rapists and incestuous predators have the right to see their babies sired, as long as they succeed in forcing conception. (Her 17 year-old unmarried daughter Bristol is pregnant); Palin would insist on the law forcing Bristol to take the baby to term, whoever its father was, whatever the circumstances of the conception.)
* Palin doesn’t believe in evolution, and thinks creationism should be taught in state schools.
continue reading… »
We don’t do class struggle well, do we?
Britain – or England, to be more exact – was famously the home of the first great revolution of modern times, in the shape of the Civil War of 1642-1651.
I’m sure the Decent Left of the day found clear grounds on which to oppose it, especially considering the obvious parallels between Oliver Cromwell and Saddam Hussein, both brutal dictators at the head of one party theocracies. Perhaps they called on the American colonies to mount humanitarian intervention.
continue reading… »
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» Why don’t MPs pay back tuition fees instead of increasing ours?
» Obama is right to slam BP – and why capitalists should too
» Why does Phillip Blond see civil cohesion as a security issue?
» So what if the Labour candidates went to Oxbridge?
» Last night’s Labour hustings: will it get interesting or turn to torture?
» It’s now down to Ken to win London for Labour
» The Labour people need
» Blog Nation: what would you like to see discussed?
» The Labour leadership’s token contender.. and it’s not Diane Abbott
» In defence of these fraternal nominations
» Is this the end for the socialist left?
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