An interesting discussion, in a readable format. I need to have reasons for hope that what follows the inevitable Tory defeat at the next GE will have been worth waiting for, and reading this will do that for a while - until the next ‘Starmer is a Tory’ piece I read via Twitter/X which will suck me back down the rabbit hole of despair.
I hope you’re right about the gender debate and Labour’s previous position on it, which always seemed an absolute gift to the Tories, though I fear that there will be a lot more noise on this to come, as a couple of the comments on here confirm.
And I’m not too thrilled about the ‘Boomer Protection Racket’ thing, either. The state pension I receive may be ‘triple locked,’ but it’s a lock on one of the measliest pensions in Europe, and with a collapsing NHS and other agencies of the state, I don’t feel in the slightest bit protected.
But anyway, it was a cheering read overall, and quite pleasant to wake up to.
Thanks, Helen, for being brave and standing up for women whilst all around you, the so-called, progressive left were completely happy to surrender women’s rights to safe spaces, sport, language, biology and jobs as well as confused children, to a homophobic and misogynist cult.
You wrote: "Britain isn’t a particularly left-wing country, and he wants to win an election in Britain." But in spite of the Tory shift driven by Murdoch and Farage, Britain isn't a particularly right-wing country either. There is a debate to be had about how much divisiveness is due to Russian social media trolls.
This was GREAT. Great format, great content. And not just because it featured the incredible Helen Lewis and the phrase “gender creationism” but mostly that. More please.
More tiresome Boomer comments. This Boomer worked and paid a lot of dosh into the system for over forty years, which amongst other things paid for the education and healthcare of these anti boomers like Helen. For what? A measley state pension and nothing else. Try living on that boomer haters, if you haven't had the foresight to make some other provision. If I'm the benficiary of a protection racket, where is all the protection? Cos I don't see it...
Thanks, Helen, for an interesting interview. I especially liked your comment that the present government amounted to little more than a 'boomer protection racket'. How true yet how depressing. I hope young people take note, get engaged politically and act accordingly. But you are too kind in your comments on the Blair government. Was it really 'incredibly progressive'? I profoundly disagree. Sure, it did some good things (probably more Brown than Blair) but they also did some unnecessary and silly things like enacting a stupid and counter-productive NHS reorganisation which resulted in the absurdly costly Private Finance Initiative, the emergence of a bullying culture in the NHS resulting from its 'terror by target's regime, and staying in bed with the private health sector when it ought to have distanced itself from it. New Labour could have done much more than it actually did and, as a result of its weak ambition, in part paved the way for Brexit. In retrospect its changes only appear appealing because of what has happened over the past 13 years as a result of austerity.
If Twitter became the pub that was very good for women journalists We could participate. Especially if you are older and have a family- which meant you couldn’t go down the pub. So twitter was a great equaliser in that respect
An interesting discussion, in a readable format. I need to have reasons for hope that what follows the inevitable Tory defeat at the next GE will have been worth waiting for, and reading this will do that for a while - until the next ‘Starmer is a Tory’ piece I read via Twitter/X which will suck me back down the rabbit hole of despair.
I hope you’re right about the gender debate and Labour’s previous position on it, which always seemed an absolute gift to the Tories, though I fear that there will be a lot more noise on this to come, as a couple of the comments on here confirm.
And I’m not too thrilled about the ‘Boomer Protection Racket’ thing, either. The state pension I receive may be ‘triple locked,’ but it’s a lock on one of the measliest pensions in Europe, and with a collapsing NHS and other agencies of the state, I don’t feel in the slightest bit protected.
But anyway, it was a cheering read overall, and quite pleasant to wake up to.
Excellent points! I too thought Helen was too dismissive of boomers. I would do, you’d say. Being 72. More listening and less talking please.
Yes it was OK. But shame John Gray wasn't present. Then it might have generated a more probing - less Cosyleftfest - commentary here.
Thanks, Helen, for being brave and standing up for women whilst all around you, the so-called, progressive left were completely happy to surrender women’s rights to safe spaces, sport, language, biology and jobs as well as confused children, to a homophobic and misogynist cult.
Once again, it is lovely to read thoughtful and thought-provoking journalism like this — thank you
Very good! like the format - much better than a podcast for short pithy discussion. Content also provided useful commentary and insights
Loved this! Great first choice, Helen Lewis. Like this format. Cheers.
Excellent, interview, look forward to more
Wonderful stuff. Thank you Helen Lewis for the phrase 'gender creationism'.
Thank u so much guys for your great work cheers d.
You wrote: "Britain isn’t a particularly left-wing country, and he wants to win an election in Britain." But in spite of the Tory shift driven by Murdoch and Farage, Britain isn't a particularly right-wing country either. There is a debate to be had about how much divisiveness is due to Russian social media trolls.
lovely stuff, v accessible format, more like this please (the press post-Murdoch/defending the BBC?)
This was GREAT. Great format, great content. And not just because it featured the incredible Helen Lewis and the phrase “gender creationism” but mostly that. More please.
So buoyed up - not for the first time - by HL’s crisp focus. On Keir S and on writing v tweeting. And her non-florid independence.
More tiresome Boomer comments. This Boomer worked and paid a lot of dosh into the system for over forty years, which amongst other things paid for the education and healthcare of these anti boomers like Helen. For what? A measley state pension and nothing else. Try living on that boomer haters, if you haven't had the foresight to make some other provision. If I'm the benficiary of a protection racket, where is all the protection? Cos I don't see it...
Thanks, Helen, for an interesting interview. I especially liked your comment that the present government amounted to little more than a 'boomer protection racket'. How true yet how depressing. I hope young people take note, get engaged politically and act accordingly. But you are too kind in your comments on the Blair government. Was it really 'incredibly progressive'? I profoundly disagree. Sure, it did some good things (probably more Brown than Blair) but they also did some unnecessary and silly things like enacting a stupid and counter-productive NHS reorganisation which resulted in the absurdly costly Private Finance Initiative, the emergence of a bullying culture in the NHS resulting from its 'terror by target's regime, and staying in bed with the private health sector when it ought to have distanced itself from it. New Labour could have done much more than it actually did and, as a result of its weak ambition, in part paved the way for Brexit. In retrospect its changes only appear appealing because of what has happened over the past 13 years as a result of austerity.
If Twitter became the pub that was very good for women journalists We could participate. Especially if you are older and have a family- which meant you couldn’t go down the pub. So twitter was a great equaliser in that respect
God, what a pure pleasure it is to see Helen Live and Unleashed and back in the New Statesman.