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Good question. In a week when we already know that Met officials are known as “Bastard Dave” by his colleagues was not investigated on 9 separate occasions when allegations were made, why did his colleagues and leaders do nothing and say nothing? What if those people can see what is being said and done in front of them, the nature of the people they are connected to, listen to and, often, can? By silence – like the rest. If the saying (attributed to Burke) – “The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.“- not at the heart of any training on the topic, it should be.
It’s not just the police who have to ask about it. Need to ask from Labor – after the behavior of Lloyd Russell-Mole in Parliament and he and others on the demonstration outside. And from the SNP. (And, frankly, the Tories are all about Boris. But I make no apologies for focusing on women these days.)
Let’s get the police. New revelations have triggered the wealth of female police officers, partners and children of police officers about the terrible wrongdoing. What is surprising is not just the bad behavior, but how these women are treated: ignored, disbelieved, criticized, blamed, shunned, threatened, called names, retaliated against, etc. You can have the most perfect whistleblowing policies and procedures in the world. No one will use it if it’s true”the message is ignored; the messenger was shot“. They also won’t use it if the leader gives the impression that they don’t care about the issue – unless, at best, grudgingly and for PR reasons. For Mark Rowley, the current Met commissioner appointed in July 2022, it took him 5 months to realize he had a misogyny problem in his force. He bewails can not fire poor police officers, something that has been known for years. A request for the powers to do so should have been requested first on day 1. They can even try to ensure that all applicants are actually interviewed, it is generally better not to hire rogues than to try to kick them out after the damage has been done. He was there for 5 years. A little more urgency would be welcome.
It is not only police women and police partners who offer to suffer this misogyny. Victims of sexual assault – according to this new survey – are held responsible for the violence they experience. “We massively prejudge the victim’s credibility. We investigate the victim more than the offense. Some 40 years after Roger Graef’s seminal documentary – “A complaint of rape” – showing male policemen treating female rape victims with harsh dismissiveness, how many of the police’s attitudes have actually changed?
So for Labor and the SNP. During the debate on Order S.35 which prevented the GRR Bill from getting Royal Assent, male Labor and SNP MPs distinguished themselves by slamming female MPs, both Labor and Tory, who spoke out about their concerns about the effects of the Bill. Russell-Moyle started crossing, crossed his fingers at Miriam Cates (who represented the intimidation he felt when a stranger entered a woman’s space), then crossed the floor to sit close to her and look at her. they. One of his friends, Paul Bristow, was so concerned that he sat next to him. Then Russell-Moyle, Olivia Blake, Nadia Whittome and Zarah Sultana attended the rally to support “trans brother“. the”trans brother” standing next to her is Sarah-Jane Baker, a woman-turned-woman who spent decades in prison for torture, kidnapping and attempted murder. When explained, the MPs said – in what is now called Zahawi-style lying – that they did not listen to him, closely following the video that showed him doing the right thing. Mums (those on Mumsnet) were also told that their views were not welcome.
In Scotland at a public meeting attended by 3 SNP MPs, 1 SNP MSP, 2 Green MSPs and 1 LD MSP a placard was held in full view showing the guillotine and the sentence “Run TERFS“. No one noticed or objected at the time. Police Scotland are currently investigating. Reports showed this placard earlier in a bar where people had prepared banners for this pro-trans rally. No one considers such a banner…. what word Ah yes……unfit. This is not an isolated incident. Threats of violence, ordinary and sexual – on banners, shouted or sprayed on the ground – are all too common when women gather to talk about this topic.
It may be that women’s fears about these changes are – and will prove to be – unfounded. That will be a happy result. However, as naive as this sounds, one way to demonstrate this (not just assert it) is to not display exactly the behavior that women are talking about. It is not to stand in solidarity with violent trans people and then lie about it. SNP MSPs should not be applauding a group of GRR supporters in the public gallery of Holyrood who previously sent out messages on social media glorifying the violence that will be used against women who oppose them. The use of violence and harsh language by a subset of (usually) male supporters against women, with little or no criticism from legislators supporting this change should bother its supporters more than it seems. It is worrying that it seems to appeal to some supporters because of the opportunity for violence against women, rather than in spite of it. There is an important difference between emotional support and violent language and behavior. Legislators should – more than anyone else – understand this, not assume or show it.
How about the Labor leader? He had been silent. Rosie Duffield has written here about her experience. They now feel they cannot say that Labor is not a sexist party.
Why is Starmer silent?
- Coward? This – more than anything else – is what allows bad actors to get away with it.
- Don’t want to face the activists? Some people want confrontation. Even fewer can do it effectively. This is an important leadership quality. Nothing, and about what, speaks volumes about what – or not – is important to the leader.
- Could it be that they do not believe that this behavior is wrong? Do they not understand why women can be concerned and look with skepticism at the gap between pleasant words and frightening actions and language?
- Don’t like Rosie Duffield and other worried female Labor MPs?
- Do they think that only unpopular Tories are raising this so they shouldn’t be taken seriously?
- Or the cynical calculation that they don’t need votes and this issue won’t determine any election, let alone a general one?
- Or does he, as unlikely as this is, perhaps approve of such behavior?
For whatever reason there is a Corbynite whiff or not when a Jewish female MP is attacked. Nor is it the first time Starmer has remained silent when female MPs have been attacked on this issue.
Also in Parliament this week, Yvette Cooper condemned the Home Secretary over the Met and promised to change it. But if Starmer can’t – or won’t – tackle misogyny in his own party, why does he believe he can or will tackle misogyny elsewhere.
Cycle free
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