Tuesday, 28 June 2016
Monday, 27 June 2016
Is the PLP out of step with it roots?
The feeding frenzy post the UK referendum is in full swing, and today this was evident in the activities in the Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP). Now I'm not a Labour supporter by any means and certainly not of the left wing of that party for their attitude is a bit too left wing for my liking. I'm a natural Tory voter you see, but I also shy away from the extreme right of Conservatism for that too has overtones that do not sit well with me. I suppose I should be a Liberal Democrat for the centre ground is where I find myself most comfortable politically speaking, but then again I find there is a lack of spine in the leadership.
However I digress, for one thing I hold dear is the thing this country is proud of, and that is its democracy, something that right now the PLP conveniently is seeming to ignore. Mr Corbyn may not represent my political views, but he is the leader of his party by a democratic vote, and by a really significant margin too. We have witnessed a large proportion of the Labour Shadow Cabinet resign in protest at Mr Corbyn's leadership blaming him for a lack of leadership to motivate the core Labour voter to follow the party line. I did have the impression that Mr Corbyn was less than passionate about the stance for REMAIN the party espoused, and this indicates to me that he was having to represent a case he didn't believe in. Who knows, in the secret ballot he may even have put his cross against LEAVE. Maybe he too, like me, is passionate about democracy and knows just how undemocratic the EU really is, but was constrained from saying so.
One thing I do believe though is that he does have the support of the ordinary Labour Party member, for he represents the roots of the party far more than most of the PLP. It is the PLP that is out of tune with the membership, not their leader. Perhaps before they all decided to fall on their swords in a grand gesture of disloyalty, they should have taken time to consult with their constituents. I really do hope the PLP forces another Labour leadership election for Mr Corbyn will be vindicated. Democracy will carry the day as it should.
However I digress, for one thing I hold dear is the thing this country is proud of, and that is its democracy, something that right now the PLP conveniently is seeming to ignore. Mr Corbyn may not represent my political views, but he is the leader of his party by a democratic vote, and by a really significant margin too. We have witnessed a large proportion of the Labour Shadow Cabinet resign in protest at Mr Corbyn's leadership blaming him for a lack of leadership to motivate the core Labour voter to follow the party line. I did have the impression that Mr Corbyn was less than passionate about the stance for REMAIN the party espoused, and this indicates to me that he was having to represent a case he didn't believe in. Who knows, in the secret ballot he may even have put his cross against LEAVE. Maybe he too, like me, is passionate about democracy and knows just how undemocratic the EU really is, but was constrained from saying so.
One thing I do believe though is that he does have the support of the ordinary Labour Party member, for he represents the roots of the party far more than most of the PLP. It is the PLP that is out of tune with the membership, not their leader. Perhaps before they all decided to fall on their swords in a grand gesture of disloyalty, they should have taken time to consult with their constituents. I really do hope the PLP forces another Labour leadership election for Mr Corbyn will be vindicated. Democracy will carry the day as it should.
Sunday, 26 June 2016
This (Dis)United Kingdon
Thursday 23td June 2016 saw the United Kingdom go to the polling booth to decide if the voting public wished to remain in the European Union or leave. The first time they have been consulted on the matter since 1975. The result was close as was to be expected and whilst there was a clear majority, for me it is not conclusive and as a result has caused more division that perhaps was intended.
The lead up to the vote was dreadful. Both sides of the debate told lies, exaggerated the facts, pounded the voters with fear and doubt. Many couldn't see past the rhetoric of the campaigners to focus on what the problem was. In the end it was the fear of immigration that swayed so many voters to put their X next to leave. Ok so I voted leave, but for me the reason was not because of immigration of any of the number of baseless untruths that were told. No my reason for voting leave was simply that I wish to live in a democracy, and the way the EU is formed currently it is anything but.
The grand plan of the EU was to move to ever closer union with the dream being a United States of Europe. I don't think that this is achievable for the nations that make up Europe are too diverse culturally to be able to do so. The European nations are the mother of America, but cannot adopt the system of governance their child has managed to do. Well perhaps they could if they chose to have a system of governance that followed the model the USA has chosen. However the EU is not like the USA for one important reason, it is run by unelected, appointed officials.
The EU has a president, Mr Juncker but he is unelected unlike the president of the USA. In fact apart from the European Parliament whose members are elected every five years, the rest of the EU is presided over by unelected officials. These unelected officials hold sway over the democratically elected chamber. As someone who passionately believes in democracy being the right way to govern, the system adopted by the EU is unacceptable for me. To add to this problem for me are the directives and regulations issued by these councils that are not adopted the same manner in each member state. The playing field is not level across the EU.
I believe in the European project, and the place of the UK within it, but as all the countries that are members are all democracies, is it too much to ask that the umbrella body that seeks to draw us together is made up in the same way? No, in my opinion, it is not an unreasonable request. The problem is that there is no will to change the current unfair and blatantly undemocratic system that is effectively a dictatorship. Certainly the will to change is not expressed by the Council of Ministers, the European Council or European Commission, and neither is their any will to effect change from the democratically elected governments of the member states. It is this lack of will to have a proper democratic process throughout the EU organisation that caused me to vote the way I did, and for no other reason.
In order to effect change, it is necessary to send a clear message that change is needed, and the UK has done exactly that. Perhaps now, and before it is too late and the UK invokes article 50 that the countries that make up the EU come to their senses and force democracy into the EU. I sincerely hope the threat of other central countries of the EU like France and Holland where the tide of nationalism is rising, and given hope from the result of the UK vote, is sufficient to make it plain that something has to happen for the sake of us all.
The lead up to the vote was dreadful. Both sides of the debate told lies, exaggerated the facts, pounded the voters with fear and doubt. Many couldn't see past the rhetoric of the campaigners to focus on what the problem was. In the end it was the fear of immigration that swayed so many voters to put their X next to leave. Ok so I voted leave, but for me the reason was not because of immigration of any of the number of baseless untruths that were told. No my reason for voting leave was simply that I wish to live in a democracy, and the way the EU is formed currently it is anything but.
The grand plan of the EU was to move to ever closer union with the dream being a United States of Europe. I don't think that this is achievable for the nations that make up Europe are too diverse culturally to be able to do so. The European nations are the mother of America, but cannot adopt the system of governance their child has managed to do. Well perhaps they could if they chose to have a system of governance that followed the model the USA has chosen. However the EU is not like the USA for one important reason, it is run by unelected, appointed officials.
The EU has a president, Mr Juncker but he is unelected unlike the president of the USA. In fact apart from the European Parliament whose members are elected every five years, the rest of the EU is presided over by unelected officials. These unelected officials hold sway over the democratically elected chamber. As someone who passionately believes in democracy being the right way to govern, the system adopted by the EU is unacceptable for me. To add to this problem for me are the directives and regulations issued by these councils that are not adopted the same manner in each member state. The playing field is not level across the EU.
I believe in the European project, and the place of the UK within it, but as all the countries that are members are all democracies, is it too much to ask that the umbrella body that seeks to draw us together is made up in the same way? No, in my opinion, it is not an unreasonable request. The problem is that there is no will to change the current unfair and blatantly undemocratic system that is effectively a dictatorship. Certainly the will to change is not expressed by the Council of Ministers, the European Council or European Commission, and neither is their any will to effect change from the democratically elected governments of the member states. It is this lack of will to have a proper democratic process throughout the EU organisation that caused me to vote the way I did, and for no other reason.
In order to effect change, it is necessary to send a clear message that change is needed, and the UK has done exactly that. Perhaps now, and before it is too late and the UK invokes article 50 that the countries that make up the EU come to their senses and force democracy into the EU. I sincerely hope the threat of other central countries of the EU like France and Holland where the tide of nationalism is rising, and given hope from the result of the UK vote, is sufficient to make it plain that something has to happen for the sake of us all.
Wednesday, 18 May 2016
BREXIT - Why I wish to vote leave
The European Union, what a splendid concept. Back in 1975 it was the first thing I had ever voted on, well to be fair I was asked if I was in favour of joining the common market. To that young mind back then, the idea of the common market made perfect sense - it still does. However, the common market has evolved way beyond what was then on the table.
The goal it seems is for ever closer union, yet in that there is a problem because not everyone wants ever closer union. I know diversity is desired, but the EU has 28 different countries in the "club" and that means 28 different major cultures to deal with. Each country also has different cultures within it too. Of course everyone thinks their way of doing things is the right way, but the 28 are not exactly pulling in the same direction. Each is pulling in a slightly different direction which both slows progress toward the goal, and annoys those who are pulling their weight.
We, the citizens of the UK, are being asked if we wish to LEAVE or REMAIN in the EU. Naturally the media is dominated by discussions from both sides and we are being bombarded with reasons to vote in or out. However, all the time we are being asked to make a decision based on what I see as the minutiae whilst all along both sides are ignoring the big picture. Is it any wonder that the general public as so split on the issue.
What is this bigger picture? It seems to me this is our unwillingness to engage with the EU without fighting it tooth and nail. Why be in a club if you constantly fight its rules every step of the way? I personally can't see the point. OK so we are trying to mould the EU to our ideal, but that isn't going to happen because the other 27 are busy doing the same.
The common market I voted for has largely come to pass, but it isn't there by any stretch of the imagination. You would think by now there would be a single agreed standard for my industry which is water fittings that was accepted across the EU, but this is not the case. It is necessary still, after all these years, for me to have my products tested in the UK, Denmark, Germany so they can be fitted. Without these test certificates, it closes the market to us - some common market eh? This has long been a personal gripe and an excellent example of why the EU is failing to work.
I'm a member of a few clubs. I belong to them because I identify with their raison d'être. I get much from them because I actively participate. I don't say that I want all the benefits, but can I also have some of my subscription back please? I wouldn't be a member of the club very long if I tried that. No if you want to be in a club, be in the club and work toward its goal. Fighting it every step of the way is not a recipe for progress.
So on June 23rd I will be voting to leave because I do not feel our governments, past present and future have the desire to really make it work in the interest of all 26, just for 1/26th of the membership. I don't believe that the 25 other nations are any more prepared than the UK to give up their way of doing things either. For those who vote to remain they should be prepared to get stuck in properly. Adopt the Euro for a start, and be ready for the pressure that will come from the other 26 to tow the line. They will beat us with the result again and again thus removing any leg the Government thinks it has to stand upon.
The EU desperately needs reform. It needs to be the institution that allows the 26 members to retain their individuality, nay celebrate that fact, and concentrate on the common areas that together will make it strong. It needs a complete rewrite, not just fiddling around at the edges. It can never be a European version of America, although like almost everything in this world it is the striving for power that drives and shapes the world as we know it. It is greedy power hungry men that is the root of the issue.
The goal it seems is for ever closer union, yet in that there is a problem because not everyone wants ever closer union. I know diversity is desired, but the EU has 28 different countries in the "club" and that means 28 different major cultures to deal with. Each country also has different cultures within it too. Of course everyone thinks their way of doing things is the right way, but the 28 are not exactly pulling in the same direction. Each is pulling in a slightly different direction which both slows progress toward the goal, and annoys those who are pulling their weight.
We, the citizens of the UK, are being asked if we wish to LEAVE or REMAIN in the EU. Naturally the media is dominated by discussions from both sides and we are being bombarded with reasons to vote in or out. However, all the time we are being asked to make a decision based on what I see as the minutiae whilst all along both sides are ignoring the big picture. Is it any wonder that the general public as so split on the issue.
What is this bigger picture? It seems to me this is our unwillingness to engage with the EU without fighting it tooth and nail. Why be in a club if you constantly fight its rules every step of the way? I personally can't see the point. OK so we are trying to mould the EU to our ideal, but that isn't going to happen because the other 27 are busy doing the same.
The common market I voted for has largely come to pass, but it isn't there by any stretch of the imagination. You would think by now there would be a single agreed standard for my industry which is water fittings that was accepted across the EU, but this is not the case. It is necessary still, after all these years, for me to have my products tested in the UK, Denmark, Germany so they can be fitted. Without these test certificates, it closes the market to us - some common market eh? This has long been a personal gripe and an excellent example of why the EU is failing to work.
I'm a member of a few clubs. I belong to them because I identify with their raison d'être. I get much from them because I actively participate. I don't say that I want all the benefits, but can I also have some of my subscription back please? I wouldn't be a member of the club very long if I tried that. No if you want to be in a club, be in the club and work toward its goal. Fighting it every step of the way is not a recipe for progress.
So on June 23rd I will be voting to leave because I do not feel our governments, past present and future have the desire to really make it work in the interest of all 26, just for 1/26th of the membership. I don't believe that the 25 other nations are any more prepared than the UK to give up their way of doing things either. For those who vote to remain they should be prepared to get stuck in properly. Adopt the Euro for a start, and be ready for the pressure that will come from the other 26 to tow the line. They will beat us with the result again and again thus removing any leg the Government thinks it has to stand upon.
The EU desperately needs reform. It needs to be the institution that allows the 26 members to retain their individuality, nay celebrate that fact, and concentrate on the common areas that together will make it strong. It needs a complete rewrite, not just fiddling around at the edges. It can never be a European version of America, although like almost everything in this world it is the striving for power that drives and shapes the world as we know it. It is greedy power hungry men that is the root of the issue.
Thursday, 28 April 2016
Junior Doctors - the tip of the iceberg?
The NHS is a wonderful thing, and no one knows just how lucky we are to have it than I. For as long as I can remember the pathway for doctors has been through the Junior phase in our Hospitals where they learn the hard way putting into practice all they have learnt, and also learn a whole lot more. It has ever been the way that the huge burden of responsibility has fallen on their shoulders and they have had to work long hours. Whilst this practice has undoubtedly produced fine doctors who then find their forte and specialise into the various branches of medicine, is it really the right way to go?
I can't help it when I'm driving along the motorway and see the overhead signs beseeching drivers to take a break, tiredness kill. This really couldn't be more true for the junior doctors who staff our hospitals where peoples very lives hang on their ability to make good clinical judgements. They work long hard hours that would not be tolerated for bus and lorry drivers. They are forced to rest for the safety of themselves and other road users, so why is it acceptable to expect nay require junior doctors to work such long hours? I'm afraid the Senior doctors argument of "I did it, so should they" doesn't hold water any more. If you want the best from people you need to let them recuperate. Tired people don't learn they just make mistakes.
It is a laudable policy that the Conservative Party had in their manifesto, to have a seven day health service. After all illnesses and diseases have no concept of weekends or evenings anymore than life, excluding us, has. The NHS really should be a service that works round the clock. Some parts of it do of course, the emergency side kicks in regardless, but the majority of the service clocks off at 5pm. With the number of our population needing the services of the NHS outside the standard working day, it seems wrong to me that so much of the equipment and services are idle for two-thirds of the day. The action being taken by the junior doctors currently is as nothing as to the action that will happen when the focus changes to the support services of the NHS. The junior doctors are just the tip of the iceberg.
Humans do need their sleep, and a true 24hr NHS where the entire thing works on a three shift rota system once so common in industry is probably not necessary, but I don't see why we can't have a 12 or even 16 hour full NHS. Ah but there are a couple of sticking points. One of course is money. To do what I suggest would nearly double the staff wage bill at a stroke. In these cash strapped times, we can't afford it. Sorry but what is really the case is that we won't afford it. We want a first class health system, for a second class fee. No government wants to be labeled as the one that raised taxes, but sometimes it simply has to be done. It takes courage, real courage, to do this but if it is for the right reason then it is acceptable. Trouble is that the tax raised isn't ringfenced, it just goes into the big pot. Money is a problem, but it can be addressed.
The other, and perhaps most significant, problem is the time we call the weekend. These are sacred, a time when the working person can stop and rest from their toil. To go and enjoy themselves for a couple of days and be ready for the five day stretch the following week. If you were required to work when others were at their leisure, then a premium is paid to compensate you for working during fun time. Sure you get time off when others are working, but you miss out on parties and other social things. It is a drag. This is why I think the weekend is the most significant problem as it is a matter of our culture. Changing our culture of two days of rest is going to be a real sticking point, and the one that will break the Conservatives pledge for a seven day NHS.
I can't help it when I'm driving along the motorway and see the overhead signs beseeching drivers to take a break, tiredness kill. This really couldn't be more true for the junior doctors who staff our hospitals where peoples very lives hang on their ability to make good clinical judgements. They work long hard hours that would not be tolerated for bus and lorry drivers. They are forced to rest for the safety of themselves and other road users, so why is it acceptable to expect nay require junior doctors to work such long hours? I'm afraid the Senior doctors argument of "I did it, so should they" doesn't hold water any more. If you want the best from people you need to let them recuperate. Tired people don't learn they just make mistakes.
It is a laudable policy that the Conservative Party had in their manifesto, to have a seven day health service. After all illnesses and diseases have no concept of weekends or evenings anymore than life, excluding us, has. The NHS really should be a service that works round the clock. Some parts of it do of course, the emergency side kicks in regardless, but the majority of the service clocks off at 5pm. With the number of our population needing the services of the NHS outside the standard working day, it seems wrong to me that so much of the equipment and services are idle for two-thirds of the day. The action being taken by the junior doctors currently is as nothing as to the action that will happen when the focus changes to the support services of the NHS. The junior doctors are just the tip of the iceberg.
Humans do need their sleep, and a true 24hr NHS where the entire thing works on a three shift rota system once so common in industry is probably not necessary, but I don't see why we can't have a 12 or even 16 hour full NHS. Ah but there are a couple of sticking points. One of course is money. To do what I suggest would nearly double the staff wage bill at a stroke. In these cash strapped times, we can't afford it. Sorry but what is really the case is that we won't afford it. We want a first class health system, for a second class fee. No government wants to be labeled as the one that raised taxes, but sometimes it simply has to be done. It takes courage, real courage, to do this but if it is for the right reason then it is acceptable. Trouble is that the tax raised isn't ringfenced, it just goes into the big pot. Money is a problem, but it can be addressed.
The other, and perhaps most significant, problem is the time we call the weekend. These are sacred, a time when the working person can stop and rest from their toil. To go and enjoy themselves for a couple of days and be ready for the five day stretch the following week. If you were required to work when others were at their leisure, then a premium is paid to compensate you for working during fun time. Sure you get time off when others are working, but you miss out on parties and other social things. It is a drag. This is why I think the weekend is the most significant problem as it is a matter of our culture. Changing our culture of two days of rest is going to be a real sticking point, and the one that will break the Conservatives pledge for a seven day NHS.
Tuesday, 29 September 2015
@WEP_UK My Speech 9th September 2015 at #WEdo
On the 9th September this year I was honoured to be asked to present a short 5 minute speech at the Women's Equality Party fund raiser held in the Conway Hall, London. I have received several requests to post the speech for those who were unable to attend to read. So with great pleasure, here it is.
Good evening everyone. I am Simone Wilson. I am the Managing Director and 4th generation owner of the last surviving wholly family owned tap manufacturer in the UK. Yes my little firm makes taps for kitchens and bathrooms. I’ve been in the business since I left school as my parents recognised I had a talent for engineering. One evening I left work as usual and as the radio tuned into PM to hear the day's news, or more accurately the twaddle being spouted in the election campaign, I came in halfway through Catherine’s interview. I was so happy to hear what was being said, and thought YES, about blooming time! Finally I was hearing someone talking common sense. I resolved there and then that this was something I wished to be a part of. A few weeks later I heard the announcement, again on PM, that Sandi was leaving the News Quiz. I knew why even though the reason for her departure was not given. I was overjoyed that she was to be a part of WE too.
The more astute of you will probably have noticed that there is something else about me, something quite irrelevant to the job I do or the fact I am a natural engineer, and that is I am a transwoman.
For years I lived my life as a man, not really appreciating the privilege accorded to me by my birth in that gender. My father - MD before me, the staff, customers, and tradesmen I dealt with on a daily basis accepted I knew what I was talking about. My knowledge was respected. Why was that?, because I was MR WILSON. I never gave the issue of women’s equality a thought as it was something we have always practiced in our business valuing our female employees for their contribution. We paid a rate for the job regardless of the gender of the employee. I thought that was what everyone did. Silly me.
Then I transitioned. And things changed.
I have trained the women in my office to handle most of the technical calls that come in, but on occasion they do need me to take the call over. When they tell the caller, hold on please I’ll pass you to our MD, she’ll know the answer, the response is all too often, “oh another woman don’t you have a man I can speak to?” If the girls simply pass the call to technical, when I answer with my name I get the response, “I was after technical assistance”. Doh! So I enlighten the caller with the fact I have been making taps for 40 years, I have made the tools to cut the brass, I have machined the castings, programmed the machines, assembled every single type of tap we have ever made, that I have been making taps longer than they have been putting them in.
They usually fire a technical question at me, to which I give them an equally technical reply. Oh they say, you DO know what your talking about. Yes I do, I say, so how may I help you sir?
So by following my heart and transitioning I suddenly find myself having to prove that I am competent. That which had been granted by accident of birth had been stripped away. I realise that I too now, like you, have to go the extra mile to prove myself where before I did not. I have run headlong into society’s perception that women are not competent in the traditional male position. Oh, and it isn’t just men who question my knowledge, often women who phone up seeking technical assistance express the same doubts as to my competence.
So why this story? Well the solution to such attitudes is rooted firmly in our core aim number 4 - WE urge an education system that creates EQUAL opportunities for all children and an understanding of why this matters. It is the second part of that statement that is fundamentally important. Only when our children are given the opportunity to learn skills and trades that they are naturally gifted in, regardless of the stereotypical gender role assigned to those skills & trades will society correctly value that skill regardless of gender.
And don’t even start me on equal pay!
When I look at our objectives, I see a common denominator. EDUCATION. Educate people on what they are missing out on by not striving for equality for women. WE are 51% of the population. It is time for women to take their proper place in all areas of our society, to stand shoulder to shoulder with men as equals, and to be respected for the talents and energies WE can unleash.
The more astute of you will probably have noticed that there is something else about me, something quite irrelevant to the job I do or the fact I am a natural engineer, and that is I am a transwoman.
For years I lived my life as a man, not really appreciating the privilege accorded to me by my birth in that gender. My father - MD before me, the staff, customers, and tradesmen I dealt with on a daily basis accepted I knew what I was talking about. My knowledge was respected. Why was that?, because I was MR WILSON. I never gave the issue of women’s equality a thought as it was something we have always practiced in our business valuing our female employees for their contribution. We paid a rate for the job regardless of the gender of the employee. I thought that was what everyone did. Silly me.
Then I transitioned. And things changed.
I have trained the women in my office to handle most of the technical calls that come in, but on occasion they do need me to take the call over. When they tell the caller, hold on please I’ll pass you to our MD, she’ll know the answer, the response is all too often, “oh another woman don’t you have a man I can speak to?” If the girls simply pass the call to technical, when I answer with my name I get the response, “I was after technical assistance”. Doh! So I enlighten the caller with the fact I have been making taps for 40 years, I have made the tools to cut the brass, I have machined the castings, programmed the machines, assembled every single type of tap we have ever made, that I have been making taps longer than they have been putting them in.
They usually fire a technical question at me, to which I give them an equally technical reply. Oh they say, you DO know what your talking about. Yes I do, I say, so how may I help you sir?
So by following my heart and transitioning I suddenly find myself having to prove that I am competent. That which had been granted by accident of birth had been stripped away. I realise that I too now, like you, have to go the extra mile to prove myself where before I did not. I have run headlong into society’s perception that women are not competent in the traditional male position. Oh, and it isn’t just men who question my knowledge, often women who phone up seeking technical assistance express the same doubts as to my competence.
So why this story? Well the solution to such attitudes is rooted firmly in our core aim number 4 - WE urge an education system that creates EQUAL opportunities for all children and an understanding of why this matters. It is the second part of that statement that is fundamentally important. Only when our children are given the opportunity to learn skills and trades that they are naturally gifted in, regardless of the stereotypical gender role assigned to those skills & trades will society correctly value that skill regardless of gender.
And don’t even start me on equal pay!
When I look at our objectives, I see a common denominator. EDUCATION. Educate people on what they are missing out on by not striving for equality for women. WE are 51% of the population. It is time for women to take their proper place in all areas of our society, to stand shoulder to shoulder with men as equals, and to be respected for the talents and energies WE can unleash.
Sunday, 27 September 2015
Why I am @WEP_UK
During the 2015 Election campaign I heard something quite astonishing. Something that grabbed my attention, something that made me stop my car and listen. What was that? you may well ask, well it was Catherine Mayer being interviewed on the BBC Today programme on Radio 4 just after 5pm. Sadly I missed the start of the interview but as I listened I wanted to know which political party this person represented as I was swung to vote for them there and then. That is how much the words of Catherine Mayer struck a chord with me.
The Women's Equality Party suddenly became a goal to be a part of, and as soon as the party opened its doors for membership I was in there like a shot. It isn't just me either who has been inspired to be part of this party. Of course I can't speak for others, just for myself, and this is why I am #WEP_UK.
The party is definitively pan-political. Regardless of your specific leanings, the core objectives of the Women's Equality Party apply. These are:
1. WE are pushing for equal representation in politics, business, industry and throughout working life.
2. WE are pressing for equal pay and an equal opportunity to thrive.
3. WE are campaigning for equal parenting and caregiving and shared responsibilities at home to give everyone equal opportunities both in family life and in the work place.
4. WE urge an education system that creates opportunities for all children and an understanding of why this matters.
5. WE strive for equal treatment of women by and in the media.
6. WE seek an end to violence against women.
You tell me a politician of whatever persuasion who is against any one of those objectives and I think I would have to dine on my hat. The problem is that they are not core to any of the established parties, and are not considered important enough yet they really should be. This has to, and will, change.
The main problem though is that we as a society, nay the world at large really, are very hung up on the gender binary. We somehow seem to conveniently forget that as a whole we are people. There as as many talented, gifted, and skilled women as their are men. What is needed is to have the best people doing the jobs, not put aside those who could be the best people simply to get the visible gender balance correct.
In my humble opinion, it is not necessary to have the numbers match, as the 50/50 parliament twitter group desires. It may well be that in doing so we throw onto the scrapheap the right person for the job simply because they are the wrong gender. To do this would be just as wrong as ignoring women in the first place has been. If it transpired that the current makeup of parliament had in its members the right people then naturally they would have the views of the Women's Equality Party across the board, there really would be no need for the Party full stop. But they don't, and there's the rub.
The Women's Equality Party embodies the right attitude, of having the right person for the job. Men are very welcome to be a part, this isn't another gender exclusive party as we have seen in the past. It's focussed on Women's Equality simply because that is where the greatest inequality is found, but inequality is just women focussed?, not at all. Men have just as much at stake as women in equality and the single biggest inequality suffered by men is in their role as a parent. Raising children is perhaps the most single satisfying, and fulfilling job I have ever done. Sure children can be frustrating at times, but the pleasure of seeing a well rounded individual take their rightful place in society and start to contribute to it is wonderful. Our society makes this hard for men, and it really shouldn't. Objective number 3 is aimed fairly at getting men the equality they, and their family, rightly deserve.
This one aspect was the key to getting me on board. Here was equality being striven for in all the major areas that effect our lives, not just for one gender. Put these six objectives at the heart of any political party and we are on the road for a much better and fairer society. It is time to stop working in a binary structure, working against each other which diminishes the effort. Pull together, sharing equally in all aspects will bring about such a change that will be to the benefit of all people.
The Women's Equality Party suddenly became a goal to be a part of, and as soon as the party opened its doors for membership I was in there like a shot. It isn't just me either who has been inspired to be part of this party. Of course I can't speak for others, just for myself, and this is why I am #WEP_UK.
The party is definitively pan-political. Regardless of your specific leanings, the core objectives of the Women's Equality Party apply. These are:
1. WE are pushing for equal representation in politics, business, industry and throughout working life.
2. WE are pressing for equal pay and an equal opportunity to thrive.
3. WE are campaigning for equal parenting and caregiving and shared responsibilities at home to give everyone equal opportunities both in family life and in the work place.
4. WE urge an education system that creates opportunities for all children and an understanding of why this matters.
5. WE strive for equal treatment of women by and in the media.
6. WE seek an end to violence against women.
You tell me a politician of whatever persuasion who is against any one of those objectives and I think I would have to dine on my hat. The problem is that they are not core to any of the established parties, and are not considered important enough yet they really should be. This has to, and will, change.
The main problem though is that we as a society, nay the world at large really, are very hung up on the gender binary. We somehow seem to conveniently forget that as a whole we are people. There as as many talented, gifted, and skilled women as their are men. What is needed is to have the best people doing the jobs, not put aside those who could be the best people simply to get the visible gender balance correct.
In my humble opinion, it is not necessary to have the numbers match, as the 50/50 parliament twitter group desires. It may well be that in doing so we throw onto the scrapheap the right person for the job simply because they are the wrong gender. To do this would be just as wrong as ignoring women in the first place has been. If it transpired that the current makeup of parliament had in its members the right people then naturally they would have the views of the Women's Equality Party across the board, there really would be no need for the Party full stop. But they don't, and there's the rub.
The Women's Equality Party embodies the right attitude, of having the right person for the job. Men are very welcome to be a part, this isn't another gender exclusive party as we have seen in the past. It's focussed on Women's Equality simply because that is where the greatest inequality is found, but inequality is just women focussed?, not at all. Men have just as much at stake as women in equality and the single biggest inequality suffered by men is in their role as a parent. Raising children is perhaps the most single satisfying, and fulfilling job I have ever done. Sure children can be frustrating at times, but the pleasure of seeing a well rounded individual take their rightful place in society and start to contribute to it is wonderful. Our society makes this hard for men, and it really shouldn't. Objective number 3 is aimed fairly at getting men the equality they, and their family, rightly deserve.
This one aspect was the key to getting me on board. Here was equality being striven for in all the major areas that effect our lives, not just for one gender. Put these six objectives at the heart of any political party and we are on the road for a much better and fairer society. It is time to stop working in a binary structure, working against each other which diminishes the effort. Pull together, sharing equally in all aspects will bring about such a change that will be to the benefit of all people.
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