Category Archives: Suzy’s News

David Miliband

by suzannahrobinson

I’ve just got back from the double David Miliband event, and just wanted to write a report.

I thought the crowd during the first part (In Conversation with David Miliband – in the great hall) was fairly tough, there were questions about Palestine, Iraq, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Syria and Guantanemo Bay. One of the best questions was “What would you say to David Eastwood about the Browne Review?” and David replied in a very diplomatic manner, ending with the comment that he didn’t think it was “all Professor Eastwood’s fault”. I for one hope that Eastwood noticed the resentment in the room and the general jibes against tuition fees and millionaires.

The second part (The Living Wage Launch with David Miliband) was more relaxed and entertaining. Luke asked a great question about solidarity with potential allies and recognising the real enemy. David replied “kicking Lib Dems is pleasure, kicking Tories is business. Politics is business”. He also highlighted the work of his “Movement for Change”, responding to comments that it seemed similar to the Big Society by stating that society is our turf, we have always been known as socialists not statists, and the Tories are only developing policies to promote society because they are terrified of being known as the “there is no such thing as society” party. I’m sure many of us can see through their Big Society strategy to a purely Thatcherite idealism, and recognise that grass roots activity and community organisation always has been and will remain a Labour policy area.

In conclusion, congratulations to the BULS members who helped to organise the talks, and I hope those who missed out come to the upcoming great events!

Suzy

Sex is not the enemy

by suzannahrobinson

David Cameron is set to announce a new set of proposals for child-proofing the internet. A new opt-in scheme to be unveiled today would have internet providers blocking access to pornographic material to all but those users who request it. Clearly children, some teenagers and even adults can be shocked and upset by explicit imagery.

I don’t think we should run (seek to understand exotic acts and complex power games) before we can walk (understand a basic ideal of sex between adults who respect each other). But wouldn’t it be nice if the government were to replace one (misleading, fantasy-based) source of sex information with another (safe, inclusive) source?

The classically repressed British are living proof that ignoring sex does not make STIs or unwanted pregnancy go away. Only proper education, support networks and open adult discussion can do that.

I think we have some things to learn from our friends down under: http://www.sexparty.org.au/index.php/policies

Suzy

Out of touch

by suzannahrobinson

Just tuned in to Woman’s hour and became outraged at views expressed by Lord Digby Jones, (formerly ‘Sir’, formerly ‘Mr’), on the subjects of education and parenting. Jones has developed a proposal of cutting benefits to all parents whose children cannot read, write, count and work a computer by age 14. He went on to say, reassuringly, that these families “will not starve, they will be given food stamps” but will be deprived of monetary benefits as they would, apparently, only be spent on “luxuries” such as cigarettes and alcohol. Stopping families’ benefits wholesale at the drop of a hat seems to be the populist policy de jour, with no concern for the serious effects such measures would have on child poverty, human rights and the development of a lawless underclass.  Aside from the fact that such a proposal would hit migrants and disabled people worst, it is unrealistic and out of touch. Lord Digby Jones turns out to be the former Minister of State for UK Trade & Investment. Perhaps he should confine his opinions to his area of expertise.

I think this is symptomatic of a larger problem. While many of the casual prejudices held against Britain by my aquaintances here in Berlin are amusing, harmless and easily refudated, the stereotype of a British political system in which the monarchy and peers have far too much say is not only damaging, but seems to be turning out to be true.

As a Briton abroad I feel humiliated over Prince Andrew’s gaffes and mood swings, concerned by Prince Charles’ several inappropriate interventions, disappointed as to the lack of progress on Clegg’s House of Lords reform.

It all puts me in mind of an Oscar Wilde quote, spoken by Lord Fermor to his nephew Dorian Gray – “When I was in the Diplomatic, things were much better. But I hear they let them in now by examination. What can you expect? Examinations, sir, are pure humbug from beginning to end. If a man is a gentleman, he knows quite enough, and if he is not a gentleman, whatever he knows is bad for him.”

Suzy

Rambling all-purpose post-Guttenberg higher education rant

by suzannahrobinson

(it is a machine that copies)

Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg´s gone at last. He´s lied denied and compromised his way through two tricky weeks of scrutiny at the hands of the media, his political opponents and even his own party the CDU. His situation reminds me of Andy Coulson´s in January, but was inherently more critical because he had been tipped as Merkel´s successor. As a campaigner for the SPD I am not an unbiased observer, but my feeling is that zu Guttenberg did not deserve a doctorate and does not deserve to remain an MP with such blatantly compromised judgement.

I hope this will be a lesson to those members of the older generation patronising enough to moan about how much easier it is these days to get good grades, or how the standard of higher education is dropping, or how this generation is lazy. Or to the traitors in our midst who decry the degrees taken by their contemporaries as worthless.

Because this kind of copying simply can´t happen anymore. Electronic submission through specific software is common practice in modern universities, and plagiarism is one of the gravest academic crimes we can be convicted of, worse than a lack of imagination, a lack of passion, or even unpunctuality. Degrees are tough and marks are harsh, and all of us have worked hard to get into and stay at the University of Birmingham.

This is why we have to keep campaigning for fairness and accessibility. Funding for all that want it, places for all that can meet reasonable requirements, and serious long term investment in all institutions of education.

Suzy

Ed´s first reshuffle

by suzannahrobinson

A couple of thoughts…

Firstly, I genuinly believe that Johnson´s reasons are personal because he has a good relationship with Mili-E, and there have been no recent big revelations about changes to budget policy that could have worried him enough to resign.

Secondly fears of Balls-Miliband repeat of the Brown-Blair power struggle are groundless and unnecessary. There´s no secret agreement or deal, and having Cooper on the front bench is likely to make the pairing more stable.

Thirdly Miliband has shown brilliant and decisive leadership. Any surprise at his not offering chancellor to his brother is misplaced, David´s made it clear that he does not wish to be a member of the cabinet this term.

Fourthly I´m psyched for a Cooper-May standoff, I´m pretty sure Yvette is going to come victorious out of any tussle.

Suzy

Equality and education

by suzannahrobinson

First of all I’d like to apologise for not blogging much recently, I’ve been travelling a lot and trying to get all my essays and presentations done for Humboldt, which is taking twice as long because they’re all in German!

During the holidays I’ve been talking to people in Sweden and Germany about schooling. I find it a really easy political topic to engage young people on because it’s a common and recent experience and a lot of us are concerned by the state of flux the system is tumbling into.

New Labour introduced a lot of initiatives and revolutionised the school system in many ways. These changes were not always popular with parents and teachers but the central aim of each one was greater equality. The general coalition push for the re-introduction of grammar schools and the sponsoring of free schools does not have the same aim and will not produce positive results.

Germany has had a 4-tier system in place for several decades, in which 10-year-old children are separated into achievement-based groups and sent to either a Gymnasium, Realschule, Hauptschule or Forderschule. Those who try to sell such systems as meritocracies overlook the real input and output of pupils, and the uncomfortable statistics that show that selection hits the most vulnerable hardest.

The PISA Study (Programme for International Student Assessment) was first carried out by the OECD in 2000 and showed Germany to have a highly unequal and unfair system, with bright non-native speakers of German being relegated to the Forderschule, which is essentially a school for the mentally disabled rather than those of another nationality. As British studies have shown, bright students from poor families lose out in the current system to averagely gifted children from rich families, because the parents themselves are often more highly educated, better informed, and more driven.

In Sweden independent schools set up by groups of parents resorted to television advertising to drum up interest. This was very successful in a many areas, but produced the unfortunate result that state schools had to spend taxpayers’ money on running expensive advertising campaigns in order to be able to compete.

We don’t need to worry about the high achievers, but the children who fall through the cracks. Becoming resigned to a low social strata so early in life is damaging and leads to serious consequences later in life.

Suzy

The Special Relationship

by suzannahrobinson

The BP oil spill was a massive PR disaster for Britain, not least in the hearts and minds of ordinary America.ns. The latest Wikileaks report that Mervyn King described the ConDems as economically “out of their depth” makes us look more like the embarrassing friend or silly little brother than a special partner.

But all is not lost. Tory europhobia likely chimes in quite nicely with a USA that routinely censures EU trade protectionism, and as we know from transatlantic politics the Tories can present themselves as having quite a lot in common with both parties, as they are right-wing but as a rule a lot more moderate and civilised than many Republicans, and by and large approve of Obama’s health reforms.

And what with La Roux storming the charts, Russel Brand marrying showbiz royalty and Vernon Kay, Cat Deeley; Len Goodman, Piers Morgan and maybe even Cheryl Cole presenting primetime shows we might be gradually getting to the stage where, as the guardian puts it, our accent is no longer just for aristocrats and villians.

So where do we stand now? Will the special relationship take us as far as Iran? How will it affect our relationship with Europe? And come 2012 will Palin and Cameron egg each other on to even bigger cuts?

Suzy

Wikileaks

by suzannahrobinson

“When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.” ~ T. Jefferson.

Julian Assange and his colleagues have acted in a brave and selfless way, persisting in outing secretive documents despite smear campaigns and pressure from the highest levels of government.

Even if Wikileaks’ actions achieve nothing in terms of delaying action against North Korea and Iran, a point has been made. The internet is a weapon for transparency and democracy, and governments have never been more accountable.

Another possible consequence is simply increasing the security of intelligence, which can only be a good thing in a world threatened by terrorists.

Suzy

The vast majority

by suzannahrobinson

School children at a protest march against the swingeing cuts and rising fees join hands to prevent any more damage being done to a police van that had already almost been tipped over onto other protesters. These girls represent one side of the student protest, and one we can all be proud of.

A more difficult, but very real element is the violence, from those whose anger has been brewing long before any cuts to spending or raising of fees were confirmed. Some young people seem to have joined in partly for the sake of having a go at the police, the everyday face of the state.

Imagine you’d developed a suspicion of authority because your family had been falling through the cracks for decades. Then suddenly EMA arrives, you’re entitled to it, and you decide to go on to 6th form. You feel like maybe things are changing, maybe the government cares about you after all.

Now that it’s being scrapped the damage won’t just be seen in our schools and universities but in our social cohesion, our sense of possibility and social mobility. Dialogue about yobs hijacking middle class protests and disgraceful schoolgirls wreaking havoc is threatening student unity before we’re even getting started.

Our young people need to acknowledge the anger but keep it peaceful, and stay united. We want equal treatment, we should extend it to each other.

Suzy

Rumblings in the NUS

by suzannahrobinson

Click photo for the source

The University of Kent has tonight voted down a suggestion to abolish the Men’s Officer on the Union’s strong team.

The official NUS women’s movement has a problem with this.

The point of liberation positions is that those who are normally under-represented get a chance to be heard. In the case of women’s officer it’s also about promoting sexual equality, disproving stereotypes and encouraging a post-structuralist view of gender. It’s an issue of mutual respect.

Men’s Unions formed within the NUS have typically been reactionary irreverent organisations, including one that included “playing pool and drinking beer” among its written aims.

With LGBTQ organisations doing a brilliant job at representing the gay, bisexual and transgender men out there, it seems unnecessary to require a separate men’s officer. All we can hope is that the elected man will work with the women’s officer to promote gender equality.

Suzy

Tocophobia

by suzannahrobinson

It’s the fear of childbirth, and it’s on the rise.

Some women are refusing to have any more children, begging for caesareans, or demanding heavy dosing of powerful pain-relieving drugs. Others are preaching about their natural births, boasting about the 18-hour marathon that was their third experience, or scoffing at those who are deemed too “posh”, too “lazy” or now, to “scared” to push. The official view of Dr Tracey Johnstone, a consultant in foetal maternal medicine at Birmingham Women’s hospital, is for women to simply “realise that childbirth is painful” and suck it up.

Why do we do this to ourselves? We should rejoice in the medicinal progress that allows us to have safe, healthy, and yes relatively painless births, not try to out-compete each other for ever more natural and gruesome experiences.

Becoming a mother is scary enough. The first couple of hours aren’t going to make a difference to how much you love and care for your child for the rest of its life. Pregnant women have too many psychological, nutritional and emotional hoops to jump through already. Let’s stop judging and preaching, and for God’s sake let them eat painkillers.

Suzy

Thoughts for Armistice Day

by suzannahrobinson

As well as remembering the past and honouring the dead Armistice Day is a great opportunity to look at the role of the Army in today’s world.

Our army has come a long way since the Armistice. Cooperation, sustainability and peace keeping are the new buzzwords, and really have been put into practice, as evidenced by the new deal with France and the ongoing efforts in Afghanistan.

Oxfam estimates that of the 20 million troops currently employed globally, only 150,000 are employed in real peace keeping. Annually $120 billion is spent on global aid, while $1600 billion is spent on global defence.

As Britain struggles with the legacy of Iraq and the justification of war, it’s worth reassessing our priorities on the causes of conflict and the effect our actions have on citizens the world over.

Suzy

Do women enjoy sex?

by suzannahrobinson

Stupid question right? They hate it, everyone knows that. Or at least Stephen Fry seems to.

He recently voiced the opinion that straight men feel that women are “disgusted” with them, and the latter only engage in sexual acts in order to secure and maintain relationships.

Is this a regressive step? Historically the ideal woman has been one without sexual desire, one who will remain loyal to her husband and bear only his children. Stephen Fry is paying a massive compliment to an entire gender in the eyes of organised religion and archaic morals.

So that´s alright then. But where does it leave straight men? Or, supposing there is such a thing, lesbians? Their ideal partners are “disgusted” by them, and since there are no “straight cruising areas” they have to put up with relationships in order to secure regular sex.

Cruising areas have chiefly arisen within the gay community because of a lack of provision for more traditional ways of finding a partner, such as nightclubs. Now that there is, in this country at least, a thriving LGBT nightlife, many gay men and women will choose to meet in a bar rather than “a churchyard” or “Hampstead Heath”.

Fry said “I feel sorry for straight men”. I do too, not because they can´t get women to have sex with them, but because the system is wrong.

The rules of society dictate that women are not allowed to enjoy sex or access it freely. They must wait to be wined, dined and otherwise spoiled, unless someone extraordinarily good looking/rich/popular comes along and impresses them enough. The effort and expense involved with all this leads to less sex for straight men and straight women, it becomes more of a big deal when it does happen, the resulting pressure means it happens even less and we comfort ourselves with the idea that women are frigid and men are rats.

Suzy

The unusual conversion of Lauren Booth

by suzannahrobinson

Cherie Blair´s sister, the journalist and activist Lauren Booth, has recently converted to Islam. I´ve been following her progress with interest through her articles and interviews.

Her conversion has been one of overwhelming spiritual experience rather than intellectual conviction, but she is slowly working through the Qurán and learning to pray five times a day. She refers to lifestyle changes as a welcome relief, her children are enthusiastic about her new modest dress, her father´s alcoholism makes her more than happy to give up drinking, and her ongoing divorce makes it fairly easy to avoid dating.

Her political interest remain centred in the Freedom for Palestine campaign and in changing the way the West looks at Islamic societies. So it´s a shame that she´s brought feminism into the ring to defend herself against media attacks, because I don´t think she understands much about it.

Leaving aside her jibes about the cultural ignorance of white middle class women and women who consider themselves “liberated” [sic] but spend a long time on their appearance, she declares that most of our ideas about women´s roles in the Middle East and Islam are entirely wrong, and biased media coverage has led to this false image of opression.

While the Bible and Torah, when followed to the letter, result in reduced women´s rights, the Qurán goes further, in condoning disciplinary action towards and a form of ownership over wives. Naturally as an educated wealthy single woman living in a mainly secular society she is unlikely to suffer from any ill effects of these guidelines, but her conversion cannot be regarded as progress for the western woman.

Her impression of equality in the societies she visited fail to convince. She describes with delight her experience of bossy or cheeky behaviour from women as evidence of liberation, in the same way that someone mugged in Edgbaston might talk about moving to Ladywood. Her anecdotal evidence about women students and men who do housework count for nothing as soon as the going gets tough.

In everyday life we don´t notice our freedoms. In most countries rights don´t become obvious until we find ourselves without money, protection or physical strength. As soon as we´re out of our comfort zone it becomes blindingly obvious that without the sexual, legal, human rights that women enjoy in Britain and the social norm of being able to do things alone without suspicion, we are not truly safe, or truly respected.

Suzy

Midterm Elections

by suzannahrobinson

Some questions for BULS, since I can’t ask y’all in the flesh…

Was the Rally to Restore Sanity a waste of time when people should have been spending their time campaigning on actual issues such as the conflict in Afghanistan?

Can the Tea Party movement be separated from misogyny and islamophobia?

Is the Tea Party movement grass roots in any credible way?

What will happen to the economy if the Democrats lose control of the House?

Is the Guardian perpetrating a witchhunt against O´Donnell?

To what extent has “I`m just like you” come to mean “I`m ignorant, naive and gullible” and “common sense” come to mean “the literal word of the Bible” in middle America?

Which pose a greater threat to the US – Christian extremists or Muslim extremists?

And finally…

How much will Obama have to compromise following the shift in power?

Suzy

“Clegg Covers” and his real desert island disc

by suzannahrobinson

Ok, I realise that I am lowering the tone of the fair-minded, considered and erudite blog before I even begin, and possibly embarrassing everybody by my bad rhyming and song choice, but we’re students people! Plus #CleggCovers is a big meme and suggestions have been rolling in from all sorts of young Labour bigwigs. So yeah, bear with :)

Mr. Brightside by the Killers rewritten

VERSE

Coming up in the polls and I was doing just fine

Put my honour on hold, it’s coalition time

Got myself in a fix, guess gold and blue shouldn’t mix

It’s the new politics, it’s the new politics

It’s the spending review, and we’re cutting like hell

Is that bulls**t you hear? Is that bullsh**t you smell?

Letting all of you down, know you used to agree

This is Cameron town, and I’m his mini-me

BRIDGE

Then, promises get broken

Watch me squirm

Melting away like yellow snow

Our manifesto

CHORUS

Growing doubts

Kids and women losing out

Disregard all kinds of proof

Student fees are through the roof

But that’s how it has to be

Osborne’s at the treasury

All your hopes and dreams have died

You’ve just been Cleggified.

Suzy

Green and pleasant land

by suzannahrobinson

In my capacity as BULS’ tweeter in cheif I have started following Nick Griffin, and my suspicions about him have been confirmed straight from the horse’s mouth. The BNP is “bewildered” by its responsibilities in Europe. Nick himself delights in causing trouble, but is singularly slippery on facts. He expects others to listen, but does not reply to others who comment or engage in any kind of conversation with anyone on twitter. Perhaps inevitable when 90% of the population hate his guts.

He also usefully reminded me that yesterday was Trafalgar Day, and started me thinking about patriotism in its many guises. Being in Germany I find it a very interesting topic, because I sometimes feel as though I am experiencing more than homesickness for my friends and family – an actual longing for England itself.

Where does this feeling come from? Why do I  leap to defend the weather or cuisine when I know it is better in other countries? Why do I seek to protect the concept of Britishness against jokes and slander? I’m poud of our liberties, I’m grateful for our relative economic security and safety from attack. I love the infrastructure and the accents, the music and the telly, the literature and the arts. But Germany’s not bad either. I could have been born here, and lived a very similar life. I wouldn’t be disappointed with Australia or Greece. As the late Linda Smith observed, most people who are proud of being British are taking credit for something they took  no part in forming. No one alive now was alive to invent Britain. Most patriots were born and live here, so to call themselves British is not an achievement.

Nick Griffin’s attacks on foreigners in Britain and Brussels seek to include people like me, who want to feel proud and superior, who can define themselves as British if nothing else, who get excited by history and intrigued by ancestry. But it’s too easy. Patriotism is a luxury we don’t need. Defending the things that Britain does well individually is brilliant. But this concept of there being something more, an essence that runs through all of us and through the place itself is crazy. We see it taken to extremes world-wide, with broad hysteria on immigration, globalisation and EU integration. With MSPs preaching independence at all costs, with the Tea Party movement’s covert xenophobia, with the PKK committing violence in the name of the as-yet-unrecognised Kurdistan, with neo-Nazis in Berlin.

The British media heaps scorn with alacrity on any politician appearing to be less than delighted about their homeland. In the case of Gisela Stuart I more than once had to talk round voters who were unwilling to “let the Germans in” by electing her. Clegg was vilified for his foreign wife and europhile credentials. We have an unhealthy obsession with this second-hand pride.

The human race is entitled to liberty, good health and financial stability. It is not entitled to patriotism.

Suzy

Divided we fall

by suzannahrobinson

I admire Laurie Penny. I really do. But her latest blog on the New Statesman is counterproductive. Labour are NOT taking this lying down. Labour is the natural home for those who have been left out in the cold by the cuts, but more generally everyone who hasn’t been taken in by the talk of necessity must unite to oppose the spending review.

As the official opposition ours must be the loudest and most credible voice, the most potent ideas in creating alternatives, the bravest actions defending those who need to be defended. We must work together with the Lib Dem rebels when they emerge, with the unions, with the sensible media, the organisations facing decimation and the local councils. Because the Tories’ real mantra is not “we’re all in this together” but “Divide and Rule”.

It’s a clever strategy because stricken groups have started thinking “it’s us or them”. So the owners of art galleries might argue their case at the expense of theatres or museums. The NHS can campaign as being more essential that higher education. Those struggling to get onto the housing ladder can blame all those “benefit cheats” they’ve been hearing about.

Meanwhile we’ve been “benefitting” from a little Lib-Dem devolution in which local councils can decide exactly which services to cut from their budgets. This may lead to competition, but is more likely to lead to poor management and bankruptcy.

From division by group in society to division by area of the country the coalition has got us covered. But the protests are just beginning…

Suzy

Merkel’s mistake

by suzannahrobinson

In an end to the cosy “Multi-Kulti” rhetoric of recent years Angela Merkel has made the sudden announcement that it doesn’t work. That multiculturalism in Germany has failed, both in terms of community cohesion and economic reality. Her comments come on the back of statements made by her partner in the coalition, the leader of the CSU which specifically represents South Germany, who focussed on cultural purity and the higher birth rates among of immigrants. The comments seem to have been well received, with many Germans (up to 30%) agreeing that the country is “overrun” with immigrants.

In Berlin I’ve seen multiculturalism working. I’ve seen international art on the streets and in galleries, different cultures participating in sports together, learning and teaching together, eating together. Berlin has always thrived from being a real metropolis. Nothing that this city does well comes from cultural “purity” or homogeneity. It’s built on contrasts and mixing. Easteners, Westeners, Danes, Poles, Turks, Italian, Canadians all contribute.

It’s hard for a German Chancellor to make comments on immigration without being accused of holding far-right sentiments by the international community. Merkel is probably trying to reclaim the rhetoric from the real neo-Nazis in a way that our politicians so obviously failed to do before the election of Nick Griffin and Andrew Brons. Sarkozy and Obama have both been able to go much further because they haven’t got the terrible historical reputation that Germany has. The legacy of history can be seen as a blessing in this context, because it acts as a very potent check and balance against racism in the national consciousness.

Suzy

Of saints and sinners

by suzannahrobinson

Mary MacKillop, Australia's first saint

The pope’s latest round of canonisation has created the world’s first Australian saint. But why?

Sister Mary MacKillop did many wonderful things in her life for the poor, for the aboriginal community, for children. She was a good and pious nun. But she had been excommunicated for her role in exposing a priest as a paedophile.

This canonisation might be more than just the remembrance of a forgotten continent. It might be a gesture towards acknowledging the pope’s own criminal concealment of paedophilia. If so, then it’s a step. But it’s not nearly enough.

Aside from common decency, humanity and remorse, what could be more Christian than to make a full confession and beg for forgiveness? It’s too late to maintain the illusion of infallibility. All that can be given now is a semblance of moral goodness and honestly.

Suzy

 

Health and sex workers.

by suzannahrobinson

Following the recent HIV scare in LA’s “Silicone valley” all prominent US porn companies have suspended business until those at risk can be quarantined and carefully checked. Once again the question of condom use in the industry has been raised by The Adult Industry Medical Health Care Foundation.

Meanwhile South Africa’s first porn film to feature an all black cast was produced this week. In a nod to the growing AIDS-awareness campaign both male actors wear condoms throughout.

Health-concious porn is highly important for three reasons. Firstly because diesease can spread through the worldwide industry very quickly and affect a huge amount of people. Secondly because it’s often the first exposure young people have to the act of sex itself, and therefore has a duty to educate. Thirdly because the good health, self-respect and self-worth of porn actors are crucial to bringing the idea of legitimate sex work into the 21st century and promoting a dialogue around safe and healthy stripping and prostitution.

Feminism needs to acknowledge that putting paper bags over lads’ mags in shops is not going to make sexuality go away. Extensive legislation is necessary to protect those involved, but also necessary are a greater awareness and a broader dialogue of and around the subject. Tarring the entire industry with the brush of “chauvanism” is not doing anybody any favours, because it makes it difficult to tell what is sexist and what is simply sex.

To end with a quote from the wonderful Wendy McElroy: ”What I am saying is that truth is usually more complicated than any one perspective can capture. Prostitution is not a monolith. Each woman experiences the profession in a different manner. And nothing can be gained by having different groups of feminists or prostitutes — all of whom are probably telling the truth of their own experiences — attempting to discredit each other.”

Suzy

Rescate Mineros

by suzannahrobinson

It’s incredible how personal interest stories can so effortlessly transcend borders. As BULS’ twitter officer I have been following “trending topics” very closely this year, and I can safely say that I have never seen such concentrated interest in one topic. As the 33 are being winched to the surface (as I write they are rescuing number 7 – José Ojeda Vidal) the story swamps 9 of the 10 top trending topics worldwide.

BULS would like to offer congratulations to all the brave people involved, particularly Luis Urzúa, the shift leader, who kept himself and his co-workers alive by dispensing sips of milk and teaspoonfuls of tuna every 48 hours for the 18 days before they were discovered, and wish them well over the recovery period. Here are some of the twitter highlights:

@Marijke51 #Chilean mine rescue It’s like the first moon landing all over again.The waiting,the tension.Tears down my cheeks with every rescued miner.
@MsLucius_C Rescued Chilean miner vows to return to work underground… Brave Souls!!
@mikegoldmantwit The first Chilean miner leaves the mine. How does he look so good after that ordeal? He’s really, really good looking!

@Rosental Way Chilean authorities transformed #miner rescue into an emotional TV show will become classic case study

@w12_macaulay Chilean Miner merchandise ideas? Top Trumps definite goer. Psychological state, Number of skin lesions, Number of wives/mistress on top etc

and my personal favourite:

@SamMannion: I do love the irony, it’s Thatcher’s birthday and the whole world is focused on a mine.

Suzy

Brilliant Vince

by suzannahrobinson

Am I missing something here? Vince Cable is a lauded financial genius who has lectured in economics, worked as an economics advisor, written books about economics, and is generally credited for having predicted the credit crisis in Britain. Pretty watertight experience and skills comprised there, you might think.

Equally, he is the lauded champion of students, signing the NUS Vote For Students pledge himself with alacrity and encouraging other MPs to sign it, promising to abolish tuition fees and repeatedly asserting that his party’s budget proposals were comprehensive, well thought out and realistic, he has now literally U-turned and declared that the party will not be voting for the cap after all.

So what went wrong? Could there have been a miscalculation? Or simply dishonesty? He is quoted as having said that he has changed his position because “We are not in an ideal world.”

Clearly.

Suzy

Take off thy sandals, for thou art on holy ground

by suzannahrobinson

The tragedy of 9/11 does not mean that capitalism is now synonymous with freedom. The World Trade Centre was not a symbol of liberty or Christian morals but of great wealth concentrated in the hands of the few. The ground where it once stood is special because of the innocent lives lost there, but these lives were not exclusively those of white American Christians.

Ground Zero must not to be earmarked by a group of hysterically patriotic Islamophobes who believe it belongs inherently to them and their values. The so-called “Ground Zero Mosque” – a cultural centre proposed for two blocks away – is about as far away from al-Qaeda as it is possible to get. The Cordoba Initiative is a moderate, diplomatic Muslim group which aims to improve relations with America and the West, and reconcile us to Islam.

The latest report that 4% of Republicans and 49% of Democrats support the centre includes the incredible statistic that 21% of Republicans would prefer a strip club. This gets right to the heart of the problem, because it shows that it’s not really about morals at all.

Last Sunday the church I attend in Berlin had two visitors from a charitable US Christian Organisation, which helps those who are affected by the new immigration laws in Canada and at the Mexico border. Problems faced by immigrants to Canada are exacerbated if the applicant is Muslim, even if they are also an American citizen. The congregation heard about a project  where immigrants in need of support are accommodated in houses owned by the charity in typical suburban neighbourhoods, and effectively flat-share with Christian volunteers. The spokeswoman testified that she has become a better Christian through living with Muslims, and has learnt a lot about their shared values and how to live a holy and respectful life.

In this land of true liberty and capitalism such a piece of prime real estate should simply belong to the highest bidder. I hope the centre does go ahead, so that all those Muslims who suffer from the effects of everyday prejudice can be remember too.

Suzy

Do the right thing Vince!

by suzannahrobinson
*Tenuous analogy coming up*
Just as King Canute (probably) once stood on the beach at Southampton and tried to turn back the tide, so Vince Cable, if he really possesses the social conscience and belief in fairness for which he gets so much credit, will battle this month against the rising tide that threatens to drown Britain in Murdoch-owned media.
News Corporation has proposed to buy up the remaining 60% of Sky in order to gain full control over the company.  As Business Secretary Cable has the mandate to legislate on grounds of free competition, and is being called on to do so by nearly every other British media company, Slaughter & May, and the European Union.
This could be a chance for the Lib Dems to claw back a bit of credibility by sticking to their guns. The pre-coalition speeches of Clegg and Huhne on millionaire tax avoiders and the phone-tapping scandal suggest that the party’s core would agree with Cable’s views of laissez-faire capitalism killing competition by creating monopoly. On the other hand it’s sure to cause further coalition cracks, considering The Sun’s and the News of the World’s powerful pro-Tory stance, as well as Cameron’s links with Andy Coulson.
It’ll take a brave politician to do it since, as Neil Kinnock discovered to his cost, making an enemy out of News Corporation is not going to win you any elections.
Suzy

Why it still matters

by suzannahrobinson

The month is April 2010. The location is Joe’s Bar in the Guild. A lively debate is taking place over four pints of beer.

“So you’re trying to tell me that the Conservatives are anti-poor, anti-gay, anti-women, anti-public services.”

“Basically, yeah.”

“Well then you’re full of **** because I heard Cameron’s speech on the NHS and he says he’s gonna protect it! They haven’t mentioned anything about punishing the poor either, you’re just making that up, cos we’re all in this together. And they have gay front-benchers, and JUST in case you’ve forgotten Thatcher was a woman.”

How many times have we experienced this rebuttal? This battle for hearts and minds, with us hungover in scruffy jeans on one side and Cameron’s big air-brushed face on the other?

And how many people came back to us over the following months and said “Mate, I’m sorry, if I’d known they were gonna cut my cousin’s benefits I wouldn’t have voted for them.”

But by then it’s too late. We need a shorthand, to unpick all the rhetoric, all the speeches, all the elaborate policies with questionable motives. Left and Right.

To say that a party is right wing is to know its history. Its history of opposing measures for the greater equality of gender, race and sexuality. Its financial backers in big business, its think tanks and advisers comprising the bigoted, the religiously extreme, the regressive. Its instincts to offload responsibility, make a profit, and favour choice over health and happiness. How it will respond in a crisis, where its priorities will lie, what it wants to achieve and the kind of country it’ll leave behind as its legacy.

Right wing and left wing speak for themselves.

And once you understand the divide you can read between the lines of speeches, because you know the place they are coming from in the first place. Ed Miliband declaring that he’s not in the pockets of Unite isn’t going to scare the Unions because they also know that they share a common, left wing, goal with Ed to defend workers against cuts. Whereas Cameron promising not to include the NHS in his cuts was a plea to those old enough to remember the last Tory government for another chance.

Right wing and left wing are more important than election promises. Years after everyone has forgotten that speech that leader made at conference the backbone of the party is still the same, and will react to each new problem in an essentially typical way. Giving credit to the Tories for cutting child benefit for the relatively wealthy is to silently acknowledge that it’s a surprise, that it’s essentially out of character, that it’s even a little bit left wing, because the true right-wing instinct would be to just scrap it altogether.

But that would make them unelectable.

Suzy

Ever heard that one about the lesbian on the front bench?

by suzannahrobinson



Well now you have. Angela Eagle, one of only two out lesbians in the House of Commons (the other one being Margot James, vice-chairman of the Conservative Party),  has been appointed to the role of shadow secretary to the treasury. Being a woman, being gay, being out… these are all difficult things in the House. The Independent’s pink list this year contained about a dozen LGBT politicians. And they are gradually increasing in number and prominence, with MPs on both sides of the house getting civil partnerships.

But being openly gay is still not easy. Last month’s survey of the number of LGB people in the UK showed 1.5% of people classifying themselves as LGB, but the massive success of gay dating websites such as Gaydar suggest 6.7% is closer to the real figure. So many people are terrified to admit it to themselves or their families and friends, and this is partly down to a lack of prominent, successful role models, and partly to the fear of a hostile reaction, or simply of being misunderstood and drawing unwanted attention.

This is exactly why it is essential that public figures bite the bullet and come out – no more sham marriages or “landlord” situations, no more reluctant admissions following media scoops, no more “don’t ask don’t tell”. Successful, prominent and respected people declaring themselves to be LGBT really can broaden the public’s perception of what it means to be gay.

The most effective way of changing public opinion is to introduce everyone to a gay person. And if it’s 6.7% of us, that’s already happened to everyone already. They just don’t know it yet. This generation is growing up with equal rights, with gay cabinet ministers and peers, with gay millionaires. We’re the ones who are gonna change things. And if we don’t, we’re the ones who are gonna have to live with it.

Suzy

Modern bullying, homophobia and self-esteem among the young

by suzannahrobinson

Tyler Clementi – the victim of murder? Involuntary manslaughter? His own low self esteem, thin skin and inability to take a joke? Gravity?

Livestreamed by his room mate from a hidden camera, Tyler was exposed on the internet having sex with another man. His subsequent suicide, declared in his final facebook status, is a tragedy for him, for his family and for our generation. The media is labelling this as just another instance of cyber bullying, but the perpetrator could get several years in prison.

So what’s the problem here? The easy access to publicity that makes total humiliation simple? The latent homophobia that made it an even better scoop for his room mate? Or original low self esteem and a feeling of isolation that affects so many freshers and other young people? Our generation needs to prove that we’re better than this.

Suzy

Osborne’s vision for the future

by suzannahrobinson

Contrary to the pre-election promises of both the Tories and the LibDems that child benefits were not to be called into question, they are now to be cut to all those individuals earning over the 40% tax rate. Obviously these middle to high earners won’t miss the hundreds or thousands of pounds they should have been entitled to as much as lower earners. This child benefits cut is therefore “not as bad as it could have been”, as opposed to those that will follow it, which I fear will be bad, worse and ugly.

While this policy compares favourably with Victorian conservatism, when the lower classes were discouraged from having children in order to leave greater space and resources for the “better quality” middle class offspring, it doesn’t show much of a departure fro recent Tory policy. It still manages to hit women hardest, especially by discriminating against single mothers. The massive loophole meanwhile, maintained for purposes of “simplicity”, allows for high earning couples to benefit, as long as each partner earns less than 44 thousand alone.

It also leaves the coalition sending the public yet another mixed message – marriage is good, raising children is bad. I’d be excited to find out the rest of Gideon’s plans for our families, if I wasn’t too busy quaking in my boots.

Suzy

Pre-Thatcher media rules

by suzannahrobinson

Following the election of the new leader the Fabian Society has invited us to offer him some “miligrams” – special pieces of advice. Polly Toynbee and David Walker have taken up the challenge in their open letter to Ed in today’s Guardian. Among many other wise, considered and well-researched ideas they suggested “restricting multiple ownership [of the press] and disallow non-British taxpayers [from owning papers and TV channels]“.

And why not? As with many other aspects of the British economy the press has only been a “free market” since Thatcher’s reforms. Higher state involvement in other countries leads to higher quality journalism as there is less need for a “race to the bottom” – the bottom being low-brow sensationalism. Better funding, better research, more original material are all desperately to be desired in a highly-educated but largely tabloid-consuming country.

We’re all in thrall to the moguls, particularly Murdoch. Parties, policies and individuals can all be spun by one of the many branches of News Corporation, and it is chilling that there seems no way out.  But we are free to make our own laws. If he wants to go elsewhere, let him coerce ad terrorise the citizens of America or Australia, and welcome if they’ll have him. To buy up US enterprises he had to take American citizenship, but the Conservative government’s reforms allowed him, as a non-domicile tax exile, to seize a large fraction of our media outlets.

The Daily Mail was bought by the first Viscount Rothermere, and in a family history that could have come straight out of a Jonathan Coe novel, has been inherited by his son, grandson and great-grandson respectively. The family is related by marriage to the Thatchers, and surprisingly enough, is openly Tory supporting.  The Barclay twins, owners of the Telegraph, are notorious millionaire tax avoiders, and they have a zero-tolerance policy towards criticism. Like the Murdoch and Rothermere enterprises their business is characterised by hypocrisy and nepotism.

Whereas the Guardian, Private Eye and other left-wing, relatively independent publications are making huge losses every year. The founder of Wikileaks is subject to libelous claims and has little power to refute them.

Kicking up a fuss about nobility and millionaires in the cabinet is all very well, but the fourth estate is monopolised by them in a far less transparent sense. If “Red Ed” is the man I hope he is then heads, one day, will roll.

Suzy

I’m not sorry

by suzannahrobinson

The personal is political, and never more so than on the issue of abortions. What can be more political than a debate which includes facilitates the inclusion of gender, religion, age, class, nationality and health? And, not to put too fine a point on it, what can be more personal than what goes on inside a womb?

I’m so pro-choice that I’m literally incensed about having to describe myself as such, with the alternative implied by the term. And I’m sick of a moral case being made by the “pro life” side which is supposed to have all sexually active women cowering in shame.

In a society that sets great store by scientists that show us exactly how to make perfect babies, and politicians that tell us exactly how to have stable families, surely the biggest pre-requisite for producing healthy children is for the mother to want it in the first place, because no amount of scientific development or government programme can ever supercede parental love.

In the 21st century quality of life is to be favoured over quantity. Rather than having more babies we should be spending more time and attention on the ones that are born, and the ones that we want to have. Choosing the time and father are essential, unquestionable rights for women. The most moral thing to do is to defend abortion rights.

But the coalition is making very worrying noises….

Suzy

The lady doth protest too much

by suzannahrobinson

Wearing a headscarf can and has been construed in many ways. Here in İstanbul, as in Birmingham, women can receive a lot of unwanted attention from lascivious observers for venturing out without one, especially in some areas of the city, and especially at night. In terms of keeping conservative parents happy, covering the hair seems a small concession to make for many teenage girls. For casual muslims, it`s nice to be ready to pop into mosque whenever the mood takes them.

So for scarved women who date, or have close male friends, or don`t fast during ramadan, or wear sexy underwear for their husbands, it`s a blow to be labelled hypocrites as lightly as they often are. The visibility of the scarf makes it impossible to disguise seemingly contradictory behaviour, and the woman in question must resign herself to even more unwanted attention. As with nuns and priests, people find it funny to catch scarved women out.

There is another problem with this attitude, that casual hypocrites like myself  notice – as imperfect humankind can never hope to follow all the rules all of the time, isn`t it better to at least try to adhere some of the rules laid down by whichever holy book you profess to follow? And is it really unethical to put a scarf to start with just because it`s the most obvious symbol?

Suzy 

Royal approval

by suzannahrobinson

The swedish royal family is significantly less extensive, overfunded and ridden with controversy than our own. Hoever the recent opinion polls from the SOM institute show support decreasing to an overall low of 56 % despite the recent bounce in popularity created by the wedding of Crown Princess (and 197th in line to the British throne) Victoria.

The opposition is well-organised and highly politicised, with most left-wing parties and groups featuring desposing the royal family on their agendas, and the Republican Association growing in membership.

The Daily Mail, perhaps in an effort to undermine the republican movement, or perhaps in an effort to feature lots of pictures of women in gowns, focussed chiefly on Stockholm joining in the fun of the wedding, relegating campaigners to outsider status.  

The New York Times took a different approach, ending by speculating on the fate of the king if a Swedish republic is ever declared.

Could this be the start of a European-wide (or world-wide, if we`re including Australasia) movement to oust the royals?

Suzy

London Calling

by suzannahrobinson

Soundbites from BULS members on leadership:

Ken Livingstone wants to push through money-making and environmental reforms that local councils across the country could benefit from.

I don`t live in London, so I don`t care as long as the mayor is Labour. (thanks Ben)

Oona King is a faux labour, über Blairite, war supporting opportunist. And being a Blairite IS a bad thing because he`s a war criminal and didn`t stay true to Labour`s values.

King is the Labour of the future, Ken is the past. Blair never lost an election, and you can`t get anywhere on ideology alone (see: the 1980s). Also let`s wait for the report to conclude on whether or not he`s a criminal.

Blair had a time and place, but now the public want a fresh, more ideological Labour. Go Ed Miliband!

Suzy

It`s all relative

by suzannahrobinson

Yesterday evening an unknown man was buzzed into our building, entered our apartment through the door we often leave open and offered my flatmate money for sex. After a clear refusal in Turkish, English and Spanish, a violent struggle and threats to call the police he eventually went home, and we were left feeling terrified and dirty.  

The consensus about the event among my Turkish friends is as follows: that it is known in the neighbourhood that our apartment is occupied by young foreign women, who are probably not Muslim and definitely without the support of a large family bent on avenging insults to its women. Our brothers, fathers and uncles are far away, and we probably act like the American women in gossip magazines anyway, so will welcome advances. And if we don`t like it we can go back to where we came from.

Other things I find difficult to adjust to in İstanbul are the poor record on women`s liberation, the high birthrates, the tradition of the hostess never sitting down during a meal but continuing to serve throughout, the constant and indiscriminate leering by men of all ages and the incredible statistic that only 10% of Turkish women are in employment.   

It all makes the Ed/Yvette leadership issue look very, very trivial.

Suzy

Before we miss the sparkly bandwagon…

by suzannahrobinson

Stephanie Meyer`s Twilight Saga, heaven knows, gets its fair bit of exposure. Precisely because of this I want to give it some space on our own venerable blog. The amount of impressionable people worldwide hopelessly in love with its characters or  ideas make it worth taking seriously.

The ”twilight is sexist” debate can be argued convincingly from either side. While Bella replaces her absent mother in exclusively performing traditionally female chores for her father, suffers from a lack of professional ambition in terms of a career outside the home, is perpetually in need of rescuing and puts up with an emotionally abusive boyfriend who also supervises her every move 24/7, bruises her during sex and prevents her from seeing her friends; there is plenty of objectification of the male characters to counterbalance it, from lingering descriptions of male beauty in the books to many many minutes dedicated to the sight of muscly topless men in the films. By the fourth book Bella is strong enough to stand up for herself, and becomes a protector instead of a victim, albeit mainly in the role of a wife and mother. Also the author, screenplay writer and director are all women, the audience is predominantly female and there is some attempt at a reversal of the Adam and Eve story in terms of who is tempting whom into sexual maturity.

So much for gender.

What I`m concerned with is the heteronormativity of it all.

In the world of Twilight borderline inter-species sexuality, necrophilia, paedophilia and sado-masochism are allowable and more or less practised. Nothing is off limits but the same sex. Werewolves undergo a process of “imprinting” when they find their soulmate, and whenever it is discussed the subject is represented as “he” and the object as “she”. Vampires never seem to bite a human of the same gender, and following in the footsteps of Buffy there is a certain devotion developed towards to the one who changed you. There is no exploration of sexual identity, all the characters are introduced in ready-made boy-girl pairings, in fact there is no possibility, in this world of societal outcasts, counter-culture and misunderstood teenagers, of any LGBT experience.

Suzy

This time for Africa?

by suzannahrobinson

It`s been a disappointing world cup, and I don`t just mean for England. The 2004 announcement of South Africa winning the bid to host led to predictions of a massive leap forward for the whole continent, as the World Cup was expected to raise Africa`s profile, increase levels of tourism, bring in revenue in prize money and foreign currency, provide investment and give it a greater sense of pride and identity.

Six years and sixty (?) matches later we have two anthems sung by a Somali-Canadian and a Columbian, a tournament dominated by European teams with Ghana the sole African representative past the group stage, inter-African xenophobia in Johannesburg… Time will tell but I think it`s already safe to say that hosting the World Cup was not South Africa`s holy grail.

Suzy

Two cents…

by suzannahrobinson

Having a bad feminist time of it in Turkey in terms of female employment,  roles in the home and freedom of clothing, but am really thrilled about Gillard! A bit of progressive news in traditional times ^_^

Interestingly it is forbidden for Turkish women to be scarved at uni, as it damages the precious separation of church and state. The really orthodox wear wigs to hide their hair all the same.

Thought I’d understand Islam more after a fortnight living in Istanbul, but the variety of practice here is bewildering! Hope to educated myself over the next few months and I’ll blog if I can think of anything good.

Suzy

The End of the Affair

by suzannahrobinson

After a very long final session of Guild Council, in the immortal words of Fabian, I’ll try to keep this brief…

Each of the officers made a leaving speech looking back on the year and offering advice to the new team. These are some of the highlights.

VPSAD Emma “pacman” Packham has effectively showcased student groups to the Uni administration (the Vice Chancellor’s dad nows wants to join BUDS  dance soc) and worked hard to make herself known and approachable. She said that despite the Guild’s under resourcing, few staff and erstwhile joke status among the students it achieves incredible things. She made the point that professional relationships are crucial; and gratitude and banter are useful to grease the cogs.

VPEA Brigid “remarkable” Jones: widely regarded as a model representative of students due to her commitment and dedication she was yesterday awarded honorary life membership of the Guild. Fabian asserted that this “girl, sorry, woman” has been patronised by the bigwigs up at the Uni during her massive campaign against the closure of the sociology department.

VPHC Ed “the smallest man that I look up to” Sparkes has worked hard to calm the housing terrors among first years by making everyone feel included in halls and pushing back the housing rush til after Christmas. He thinks that fun is the most important element in life, and that we should all change something if we’re not having enough of it, and to that end he’s run for nearly every position possible within the Guild.

VPW Johnny “idiotic but popular” Davis is the first ever re-elected officer, he’s determined, innovative to the point of requesting a condom cannon and a penis-shaped bucking bronco for AIDS awareness, and wants to encourage anyone who doesn’t think they’re “political” enough to get involved anyway, because all you really need is the desire to make things better. He’s proud of U of B’s record of supporting student parents, the “hidden gems” of our community, and is excited about carrying on next year, reminding us all to protect our welfare with a Johnny.

VPS Katie “fordy fail” Ford had a hard time splitting commitments and was initially a guild outsider, but has managed to conquer the laddish element of the Sports teams with tact and skill and embed the Guild in the minds of our sportspeople. The Lion sports pull-out in RedBrick, a successful healthy living campaign, a brilliant Sports Ball, increased involvement in Sports Forums and inclusion of Sports RAs are just some of her many achievements.

VPDR Tom “comrade” Guise has come a long way but never forgotten his BULS roots, wearing a rose on his lanyard at all times. He’s delivered Joe’s Bar, not on time but on budget, and been a supportive friend to the rest of the team. He also had a serious message of support for everyone involved in student politics and a warning for the naysayers who ignore the historic importance of our institutions.

President Fabian “that geeky Austrian guy” Neuner has managed to develop from an inexperienced cynical outsider into a positive, passionate, diplomatic, reliable and genuine leader. Following a jibe from Lynne Jones he’s been spending a lot of time convincing outsiders that students do care about politics, has been active in the Vote4Students campaign and wishes to further reform the Guild Council procedure to improve transparency. Among his many other achievements he recently won a game of Lash of the Titans, wearing Johnny Davis’ underwear on his head in victory.

The motion to express GC support for wheelchair ramps in the law library was passed unanimously, which is apparently a first!

Further…

Everyone decried the lack of recognition given to the non-sabb team and then carried on ignoring them…shout outs and praise were given to the guild staff, housemates and girlfriends, Carnival Rag, RedBrick, the notorious Ed Bauer, Tom Marley and Wes Streeting as well as all of the new officers…there used to be an official bar crawl called “Chamberlain Chunderfest”… that once you’ve been elected you have to do your best both for those who elected you but also for your rivals…the library WILL be open longer next year…Ed Sparkes is the best person to bring you tea when you’ve fallen asleep on your desk…

Lawsgate – some thoughts

by suzannahrobinson

Paraphrased from a facebook conversation between Sean Woodcock and Oliver Jackson:

SW: Whilst I can sympathise with him having issues regarding his Catholic family it does not justify using taxpayers money to hide his sexuality. I don’t think he did it out of greed (he is already a millionaire) and I don’t think it necessarily makes him a bad person. But what he did was wrong and he absolutely deserved to go. Not to mention that he was naive to assume that he would not be found out for it.

OJ: He was one of the best men for the job, and his transgression was not by any stretch of the imagination the most serious offence in the whole sorry episode of the expenses scandal. “Had he been just another MP, his position would surely have been secure. Sympathy for the awkwardness he clearly felt about his sexuality would have overridden anger at the breach of the rules.” However, he had an exceptionally important position in the new government, a government wishing to at least be seen to be breaking away from the “old politics” in a position that would necessitate him having to explain harsh and deeply divisive austerity measures where not a shade of scandal can be had.

The other issue of course is the Telegraph itself, a newspaper not particularly interested in the public good but in sensationalism, controversy and making the greatest possible profits. If they had any significant level of decency they would not have published the story. But of course with the self serving Press Complaints Commission (we should have learned by now that self regulation doesn’t work!) there is no chance of even the beginnings of a discussion into whether or not the story should have been allowed. A story that came dangerously close to forcing a man out of his job because he felt himself unable to reveal his sexuality. The fact that people are still forced to think this way is a highly disturbing indictment on our society, though that is a slightly separate issue. His privacy has been shattered and he’s been pushed out of the highest position of his life for which was eminently qualified for. And for what? Very little good has come out of all of this. And why now? Why didn’t the Telegraph reveal Laws’ expenses with all the rest a year ago? I sense malevolent intent here…
SW: The only party that claimed to be whiter than white during the election were the Liberal Democrats, as David Cameron (in one of his highlights) told Clegg off for in the TV debates. It is not ideal that he came out in this way, but he has been living with this man for over 5 years. I would argue that if David Laws had made the (admittedly difficult) decision to come out earlier, then this issue would not have arisen. It shows poor judgement on his part. I also think a lot of gay people will find it insulting to hear a politician justifying doing something improper by saying he did it because of difficulty regarding coming out. This is not about homosexuality or homophobia and should not be made out to be an issue as such. I feel that he is being unfairly lauded as massive loss to the country despite the fact that up until 18 days ago he was a virtual unknown in a fairly minor (in terms of Parliamentary influence) political party.
When you stand for power, you do not lose a right to privacy, but you at the same time must expect that you will be under public scrutiny. In assuming that he would not be, he was at best naive. His defence, also confuses me – ‘My motive throughout has not been to maximise profit but to protect our privacy”
If he had followed procedure, he would not have been outed in the way he has been by the Telegraph. It is as simple as that. At the end of the day, you can’t avoid the conclusion that without the fraudulent claim, there would have been no story.

Jim Garner

by suzannahrobinson

Recently elected to the new constituency of South Luxton and Wetfield,  Jim Garner is the latest candidate to join the Labour leadership race.

He’s running a hi-tech grass-roots campaign, with a website, twitter and facebook groups already up and running.

Jim brushes aside those who question his maturity and experience, saying that he is “Secretary of State for Understanding Normal People in the Cabinet of Life”.

Without criticising the others who are running he declares himself to be the “choice candidate”, on friendly terms with Ed Balls but disagreeing with David Miliband over favourite snacks.

Thanks to Jim the contest should be getting a whole lot more interesting.

Suzy

Islam, women and FGM

by suzannahrobinson

Ayaan Hirsi Ali has been making the news recently, as a Muslim woman who ran away from home in Somalia in order to escape an arrange marriage. She has since become an atheist and an outspoken critic of Islam.

“Here are a number of principles within your religion [Islam] which are not compatible with liberalism and democracy”

“To extremist Muslims it is not acceptable that Jews now have their own homeland”

She is impatient of moral relativism, and decrys the tolerance of Female Genital Mutilation by the Western world as “just one of those cultural things”. She says that these are the real issues of feminism, and that feminism in Europe and North America is just a luxury.

The levels of oppression women suffer in Britain do seem laughably small in comparison with the situations in countries like Burkina Faso. If cliteral reconstructive surgery was given to all those who have undergone FGM in Burkina Faso alone the total cost would be 23 billion euros.

http://clitoraid.org/

Suzy

Where have all the women gone?

by suzannahrobinson

The new ConDem cabinet is 26% female. I didn’t really expect any better, especially since Gordon Brown’s cabinet after the expenses cull was reduced to the same poor proportions.

But why are no women running for the Labour leadership?

Yvette Cooper recently stated her intention not to stand due to the demands of juggling such a responsible job with the demands of a young family of three children.

Q. Where is the father of these children?

A. Running for leadership

I think the women in the party could learn a thing or two from BULS, and especially from Louise, Dora, Pippa and Brigid. Maybe things will change when we get to Westminster in a couple of years time!

In the meantime, I’ll not be supporting Ed Balls.

Suzy

Just to remind everyone…

by suzannahrobinson

For the newbies and the forgetful:

- The Midlands is historically the main battle-ground of the general election,  many of the constituencies are swing seats.

- You, yes YOU! Are probably living in either the Edgbaston or Selly Oak constituencies right now!

- This election is likely to prove very tough for Gisela Stuart, who is campaigning for her fourth term in a traditionally Tory area

- UofB’s very own Brigid Jones is campaigning hard for election as a local councillor in Selly Oak

- Steve Mccabe is the other big name to be watching people! PPC for Selly Oak :)

- If you can spare time for any of these wondeful candidates then do it! Voter canvassing and leaflet delivering is going on at this very moment!

- Only 23 days to go til the election!

Let’s go fourth!

There is nothing wrong with Guild Council that cannot be cured by what is right with Guild Council

by suzannahrobinson

My comrades….let’s get down to business

The whole incumbent officer team have volunteered to have wet sponges thrown at them for Kids Adventure on Friday 7th May.

After prompting the President acknowledged Debating Society’s achievement of a well balanced and well attended though controversial “Free Palestine” debate. He also announced his intention of establishing better provision for colour printing.

The VP Housing and Community was commended and reported that discussions about the proposals to turn Aitken Wing into Post Grad halls are taking place tomorrow. He also warned GC that a spate of non-violent night time muggings against lone girls is ongoing in Selly Oak, but that police have been liaised with and the culprit will probably soon be caught.

The Disabled Students Officer was also commended and the VP Student Activities and Development was commended twice! Suggestions were made both to censure and commend the VP Democracy and Resources but both were rejected. However he extended his thanks to all who got involved in the Officer Elections and reiterated the improved turnout and how much he himself enjoyed it.

The VP Welfare was commended and answered questions about the reported Hunter Court suicide by stating that a student died over the weekend but the investigation is ongoing. Everyone affected has been offered help.

Motions were passed to: 1. Implement a new streamlined and accessible student group constitution 2. Increase disabled students’ involvement in Guild nights by improving wheelchair access and access for the partially sighted and increasing awareness of disabled issues within the Guild 3. Make the housing process easier for students by improving information to prevent the November “rush”, improve and enlarge the SHAC and promote the positive impact of students on the local community 4. Open Joes for Election watching in May following the success of a similar event in 2008 where the bar was kept open for the US Presidential elections and food and drink were served.

The next Guild Council will happen on Tuesday 4th May. Do go along, unless you can’t spare the time from the Labour Party that close to the election!

Suzy

Twitter

by suzannahrobinson

Just to keep everyone updated…

We now have 58 followees (people we’re stalking/subscribing to), 68 followers (people who’re stalking/subscribing to us) and 114 tweets, which isn’t bad considering we’ve only had the account since November. Long way to go though – Sarah Brown has 2423 tweets and 1,117,983 followers!

Suzy

“eyes up ladies!”

by suzannahrobinson

Disclaimer: this blog relates only to the *look but don’t touch* principle. Men, women, the media or juries seeking to excuse abuse by claiming that the victim was “asking for it” by their choice of clothing reaches beyond the realm of fairness, freedom and human common sense, thus I will not address it here, where my readers are comrades in liberality and moderate views.

Objectification. It’s an interesting word.

Last week I took part in the annual Birmingham University Dance Society show; two fun hours of a variety of dances performed by 95% women pulled together by narrators and a brilliant tech and lighting team. “I rated each dance for sexiness, number 3 got 8 out of 10 for slutty costumes” said one male observer, and “there were definitely some whales in that last one. They really shouldn’t be wearing hotpants” said a female.

6 male dancers took part in a topless ballet dance in the second act. The eyes of everyone in the vicinity were drawn to their chests, and an outraged man was heard to say “Ladies, please! My face is up here!”

Nudity sells to men and women. I saw two men modeling underwear in a shop window in London a couple of weeks ago, and the crowd was enormous.

Sisters, let’s not victimise ourselves. The harshest criticisms and greediest glances come from heterosexual women. Neither the Burka nor “forehead tittaes” are strictly necessary. Let’s get a couple more guys to walk around scantily clad and redress the balance by giving as good as you get.  Oh wait – summer’s on the way!

Suzy

International Women’s Day

by suzannahrobinson

“Equal rights, equal opportunities: Progress for all” – the theme for 201o

I’m proud to be a Labour woman, in the mighty tradition of Caroline Selina Ganley (1879-1966) and the Rt Hon Margaret Bondfield (1873 – 1953).

Child tax credit, Sure Start centres, National Childcare Strategy, the Equality Act, Civil Partnerships, increasing the number of women in parliament, Minimum Wage, support for flexible working, pension reforms and an increase in Maternity and Paternity Leave show us that Labour is still dedicated to equality and liberation.

Go fourth!

Suzy