Liberal Youth Elections 2013

So, I’ve cast my votes in the Liberal Youth elections. Here’s who I went for, and why.

Everyone’s wrong on Leveson, but nobody’s got the balls to admit it

Leveson makes me angry. Not because I work for NI (not as a journalist, because I’m bad with words and also it’s hard and I like not having to immerse myself in bad news), but because I’m one of those horrible people – a logical liberal.

Everyone is wrong. Everyone.

We need to talk about Rennard

Not the specific/non-specific allegations relating to him, but the issue as a whole.

And by we, I mean everyone – not just the wimmin’.

Firstly, there is something that everyone needs to be absolutely clear on – any allegations made must be taken seriously, and must be the priority for everyone.

To those who think it’s a Tory plot – shut up.

To those who want an investigation into Clegg/ministers to resign – shut up.

You may be right, you may be wrong, but I don’t care. Because what you are doing, intentionally or not, is letting the women involved down again by ignoring what may have happened to them to find a narrative you can deal with.

By glossing over the main reason for all of this, you are allowing an unacceptable culture to continue.

And it has to stop. Now.

I don’t think I know of any woman who hasn’t been groped, or leered at, or had disgusting things said to them by men who think it’s acceptable.

Why should the responsibility for addressing these issues by placed on those who are the most affected? Why do we expect victims – some of whom may well be severely traumatised – to be the ones to brave the speculation and dismissive nature of a sceptical public to bear the brunt of the spotlight and vitriol of the disbelievers?

If you want to truly change things, start by looking at the broader issues – how women are continuously let down, in all walks of life, by those who behave like this, by those who see it and do nothing.

If you want to help, put yourselves in the shoes of a victim – how would you feel if all those around you saw you, or someone close to you, being mistreated and walked on by?

If you want to help, don’t let other people be dicks.

Onesiegate debunked

Because people are idiots, let us make this short and sweet:

The Onesie question wasn’t a plant. Let’s be serious here – if you were going to plant a question, why would you plant that one? The badly photoshopped pictures of Clegg everywhere are not exactly going to help his image.

Truth is, it’s a longstanding joke amongst Liberal Youth members after Clegg was given the Hulk onesie just before Christmas at a student fundraising dinner.

The Telegraph, thinking there was background to this – which there isn’t, it’s exactly as Mr Ronseal himself, Clegg, said on the radio – they pursued someone for an interview.

When said person declined, they decided to make the article all about him and turn it into some kind of conspiracy.

Which, obviously, it’s not. But of course we have to believe the Telegraph, because they wrote the words down and everything…

And, on a broader point –  are we to say no Lib Dem, or Labourite, or Tory, can call into a show for fear of it being seen as a plant? Are they only allowed if disgruntled, or tearing up their membership cards? Members of any political party should be allowed to hold their
leaders to account too, and we don’t make this much of a fuss over Question Time now, do we? Or PMQs?

The fact this is the biggest story of the entire phone-in only goes to show that Clegg did well.

On equal marriage, Parliament let us down today

Today, Maria Miller made a statement on the Government’s plans for same-sex marriages. And I should have been happy, because it’s been a long time coming.

But I wasn’t, and I’m still not. I’ve been thinking about why all afternoon and most of the evening (even through two-and-a-half hour the AGM I attended), and I think I know why.

I wanted to see MPs support it, to reaffirm what many have been saying – that it’s right, that it’s about time, that it’ll get through. But that’s not what I saw.

What I saw was a statement from Yvette Cooper decrying the ‘rowing back’ of marriage when, only the day before, the Labour party went back on a promise to have a whipped vote – the very same party that held the courage of their convictions when in government and did exactly that.

What I saw was a Government minister have to respond politely to people accusing her of playing God; of being intolerant; of being bigoted; of going against her Tory beliefs; of ruining life itself.

What I saw was a Tory MP stand up and be heckled for wanting what those around him could freely have, purely because of their sexuality; watched him sit there and have to listen while the people he has to work with every single day said what he wanted wasn’t normal, an abomination.

What I saw were MPs in favour stand up and criticise the lack of equality for the straight majority* and not for the trans community; for the pro-religious freedom aspect to somehow be even moreso, when the church they attend has legal rights beyond reasonable doubt.

What I saw? Was a more than half-empty chamber, with no high profile front/shadow front benchers in sight to combat the majority letting them get away with this.

So yes, I am angry. To see such overpowering indifference from those who purport to be in favour; who let the ‘opposition’ speak long and hard and loud; who let them go unchallenged but for the minister’s constrained answer.

This? Matters. And if you believe it matters, start showing it.

(*For the record, I am pro civil partnerships for all, but once the question was asked once, why ask it again? That’s something for the first and second readings)