Oooh! I'm so glad Labour have come up with a way to get us lady-types involved in politics. It's so difficult to understand all the big words they use like "continuing austerity" and "keeping tuition fees" but having something shiny and pink to help us decide how to vote. Why wouldn't we vote for something pink and shiny?? My fluffy little brain couldn't handle the thought of anything else.
And if you need any more convincing ladies, look no further- they even have a kitchen table!! Now we don't have to leave our assigned place to engage in politics!
In other words: are you having a laugh Labour? Fuck off.
Now, onto the serious part.
We've all had a good laugh at Labour's idea to try and engage women in politics (just think, somebody got paid actual money to come up with that idea) but as with ideas like Blair's Babes all it's done is open the party up to ridicule and in the age of social media it's much easier to get involved with that ridicule. Don't get me wrong, historically there's been a bias towards rich white men in politics but when you look at women MPs like Rachel Reeves saying people should only be able to claim jobseekers allowance for up to two years, in a time of few jobs and economic crisis, are they really reflecting our best interests? And those in parliament and council chambers claiming that they're feminists, throwing up their hands and saying "it's such a shame we have to do this" while making cuts to women's refuges and surestart centres - do they reflect our best interests?
I was going through some things at my parent's the other day (not looking for my old GameBoy at all) I stumbled across my old Labour Party membership card. Before you judge me it was just after the general election before Labour elected their new leader, I took one look at the ballot paper and couldn't believe I'd paid a whole quid for it!! I was a member for three months before cancelling my subs and joining the Socialist Party a few months later. Sure, we're a small party but I'd rather ally myself with a small organisation than participate in something I didn't agree with that had a chance at power - basically the opposite of the Lib Dems. At that point I'd been involved in a youth project for a new youth centre in the middle of Newcastle, a place where all the city's youth services would be based in one place and give young people a safe place to get together. After two years of hard work we were called into an emergency meeting with the new Labour council where he told us that the funding we had was being returned to Big Lottery. Reason being? They didn't tell us in the meeting but they were in the beginnings of cutting all of the youth services, even before parliament had set their budget. We felt powerless, voiceless and let down.
After that I'll never vote Labour, ever. That meeting demonstrated to me that they don't care about the voices and needs of young people. The first time I voted was in the police commissioner's election. I spoiled my ballot paper.
We're standing in the general election as part of TUSC, the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition, the political child of Bob Crow, the RMT, FBU and other unions and left-wing parties, with Paul standing as the MP candidate for Newcastle East. 2015 is set to see the biggest left of Labour challenge for years, with TUSC standing over 100 parliamentary candidates. There have been plenty of arguments over TUSC splitting the left vote, taking votes away from Labour and the Green Party.
But while it may still say 'socialist' on the back of Labour's membership cards (my old one anyway) they're anything but. And with the reputation of Brighton's Green controlled council making as many cuts as Labour, Lib Dem or Tory councils there's very little 'left' within it.
While it can be hard being a woman in left-wing politics I'm glad I've gotten involved to help make a change. And the women with the Socialist Party aren't just active on women's issues but in everything the party does and are encouraged to do so. The big difference I've found being involved in TUSC and the SP is that the members are in touch with the issues they campaign on, they're the ones affected by these cuts and see the impact of them day-to-day. Hell, I'm proud to be part of something that is engaging women without patronising them and working in their interests, no matter how small the party it's better to stand by our principles than sell out those you're supposed to represent.
