6 NEWS Politics
THEWEEK 22 February 2020Controversy of the weekLabour’s identity crisisThe Labourleadershipcontesthas descended intoa“farcical
civilwar”overthe rightsof transgenderpeople, said Celia
Walden inThe Daily Telegraph. Lastweek,Rebecca
Long-BaileyandLisa Nandy–the two womenstill inthe
running against Keir Starmer to replace JeremyCorbyn–
signedacontroversial 12-point pledgecard designed to
defendtrans rights,callingonthe party to expel members
whoexpress “transphobic” views.Drawn up in supportof
the Labour Campaign for Trans Rights, the pledges call on
signatoriesto“organiseand fight against...transphobichate
groups”. Amongthe organisationssingled out for criticismis
Woman’sPlace UK (WPUK),agroup of feminists andtrade
unionistswhohaveconcerns abouttranswomen accessing
women-only spaces,such as changing rooms,toilets, domestic
violence refugesand prisons.In response, supporters of WPUK
adoptedthehashtag #ExpelMe–daring Labour eitherto defend them or kickthemout.The pledgeshave proved “hugely popular”, said Vic Parsonsin TheIndependent. Thousands of
Labourmembersare standing up fortrans people like me. Aswell asrecognising that weare
disproportionately likely to be homeless, unemployed and victims of hate crime, the pledges include a
commitmentto “listentotranspeopleabouttransphobia”. Andpeople really should listen to us. We
regard thelikes of WPUK as transphobic “for good reason”. The group’sbelief thattranswomen
willpreyonothers inwomen-only spaces “derivesfromafundamental fearoftranspeople”. Onthe
contrary, weneed to takeastand against this pledge card,whichisan“astonishingly authoritarian
document”,saidJanice TurnerinThe Times.Itnot onlydemandsthat signatories “accept there is
no material conflict betweentrans rightsand women’srights”, whichis clearly debatable;italso says
anyonewhodisagrees isabigot,and must beexpelled.It meansa“witch hunt” againstthousandsof
mainlyfemalepartymembers–oranyonewho supportsWPUK.At first glance, it may seem “mind-boggling” thataquestionof gender identity“concerning around
1% oftheUKpopulation”has proven so incendiary,said ZoeStrimpelinThe SundayTelegraph –
“but takeanother look andit’snot surprisingatall”. In 2020, issuesof sex andgendercut to the
“psycho-sexualbone”.Whenitcomes to transgenderpolitics, the stakes “really are existential”:are
youwhatyou sayyou are?Theanswershave“profound implicationsfor how society isordered” in
future. Fornow,however,the issue of “identitypolitics”is“uniquelychallenging for theLeft”, said
Gaby Hinsliff in The Guardian. The Conservatives areaparty of individualists; Labour isapartyof
“collective struggle”. That solidarity is currently breaking down aswomen whohave “waved
placards alltheir lives” findthemselvespicketedat WPUK meetingsbypeople they’d “oncehave
marchedalongside”. If thenextleader’stask is bringing Labour together,“this doesn’t bode well”.Marchers at last year’s Trans PrideSpirit of the ageGood weekfor:
Philanthropy,with thenews thatJeff Bezosisdonating$10bnof
his personal wealth tohelp “save Earth”. The Amazonchief
executivesaid hewouldfund“anyeffortthat offersareal
possibilitytohelp preserve andprotect thenatural world”.
RoryStewart,whose eccentric campaigntosleepinLondoners’
homes hasgone downastorm.More than2,000 people have
signeduptohave themayoral candidate asan overnightguest.
Working,asoffic ialfigures revealed that the numberofpeople
in workinthe UK reachedarecordhighinthe fina lquarterof- The employmentrate roseto76.5%,and aver agepay
passeditspre-financialcrisispeak afteradecade of stagnation.
Bad week for:
Royal marriages,with thenews that the Queen’snephew,the
Ea rl of Snowdon,isdivorcinghis wife, Serena.Aweek earlier,her
grandsonPeterPhillipsannouncedhewas divorcing.
Dominic Cummings,afterone of the“weirdos andmisfits” he
hired to revolutionise government wasfiredforhis views onrace
and eugenics. AndrewSabisky,a“super-forecaster”, hadclaimed
that blackpeople have lower average IQsthanwhite people,and
hadsuggested compulsory contraceptionfor the“underclass”.
Trinity College, Cambridge,when activists from Extinction
Rebelliondug up alawntoprote st at its investment infossil fuel s.
One personchainedthemselves to an apple treegrafted from the
one said to have inspiredSir Isaac Newton.
Hygiene,withasurvey revealing that onein30people in Britain
and Americahave defecated in theirownshower.Newimmigrationpolicy
Low-skilled migrants will be
barred from the UK under
plans forapoints-based
immigration system revealed
by the Government this
week. From January, when
free movement with the EU
ends, only skilled workers
will enter the country, in an
effort to reduce British firms’
reliance on “cheap labour”
from Europe. Points will be
awarded for speaking
English, havingajob offer or
qualifications, or working in
an industry with shortages.
Business leaders warned of
potentially “disastrous”
shortages in the hospitality,
care and agriculture sectors.
Ascheme for seasonal
workers in agriculture has,
however, been increased.Brexitnegotiatorsclash
The chief Brexit negotiators
for the UK and EU butted
heads this week over their
hopes for the outcome of
talks set to begin next month.
Britain’s David Frost set out
his proposal forafree trade
deal similar to Canada’s,
under which the UK would
be able to break free from
EU rules. Michel Barnier,
however, retorted that a
Canada-style deal was
impossible. The “particular
proximity” of the UK and
EU, he said, meant Brussels
would demanda“level
playingfield”–acommon
set of rules on workers’
rights, subsidies and so on.Pollwatch
Just12%of Britons believe
that police would be able to
find and arrestavandal who
has damaged their property,
and22%think they would
solveaburglary.24%are
confidentamugger or thief
would be arrested, while
33%thinkastalkerwould
be caught, and36%think
someone who had sexually
harassed them would. While
74%think someone would
be arrested for attempted
murder, only46%think they
would be for rape, and56%
for domestic violence.
YouGov/Daily Telegraph14%of people in the UK say
they would avoid contact
with people of Chinese
origin or appearance in
order to protect themselves
from the coronavirus.10%
say they would avoid eating
in Asian restaurants for the
same reason.
Ipsos MORI/Daily MailEliteschoolsareincreas-
ingly appointing “experts”
whose sole job is to help
pupils with applications to
Oxbridge and other top
universities,areport by the
Centre for Social Justice has
found. St Paul’s School in
London,atop boys’ private
school, has 11 such full-time
members of staff.ASouth Korean mother
wholosther seven-year-old
daughter toablooddisorder
four years ago has been
“reunited” with her using a
virtual-reality headset and
gloves. InMeeting You,a
documentary viewed by
millions, Jang Ji-sung spoke
to her daughter Na-yeon,
who could speak and move
but not respond directly to
Jang’s words. The child’s
image was synthesised
using photos and videos,
as well as motion capture
footage ofachild actor.