miss_s_b: (Politics: Democracy)miss_s_b ([personal profile] miss_s_b) wrote,
@ 2012-09-04 07:39 pm UTC
  • Previous Entry
  • Add to Memories
  • Tell someone about this!
  • Next Entry
Current mood: appalled
Entry tags:libdemmery
So, not only have we lost Lynne from the equalities brief, but the brief itself has been moved to culture media and sport. Yup, women and equalities are not quite important enough to be mentioned in the title of a department that's already about what many people consider to be frivolities - not me, but I bet you a tenner the people who decided to move the brief there.

And that's not even the worst of it. We've lost Ken Clarke from justice, which, OK, I know he isn't perfect, but he's a Tory I respect. In his place, who have we got? Grayling, a homophobe and a right-wing loon, just in time to bugger up all those ATOS appeals.

And yeah, incompetent arsebrain Lansley has gone from health, but who have we got instead? Hunt. Hunt who believes in homeopathy and banning abortion, and who tried to get the NHS tribute removed from the Olympic opening ceremony, and is so far up Rupert Murdoch's arse he can only see when Old Rupe speaks...

It feels like right now, believing that as a Liberal one can have some influence over the political direction this country is taking is a bit like being the white dalek in this picture:



It's initially heartwarming, and kinda cute, but ultimately desperately sad and pointless. Because daleks can't BE ballerinas, not without getting out of their travel machines at least, and that would make them hardly daleks at all. And Liberals can't have influence, at least not without selling out everything important, and that makes them hardly Liberals at all...

Possibly I'll feel better about this tomorrow. I hope so, because I've got to do calling for the party, and right now I feel like agreeing with all the people who yell at me down the phone that we're not making a lick of difference and we're propping up an evil Tory government. That's what it feels like to me right now.


(20 comments) - (Post a new comment)
(Flat) (Top-level comments only)

staceyuk: Funny Sherlock icon (sherlock brain)


[personal profile] staceyuk
2012-09-04 07:01 pm UTC (link)
I'm feeling the same as you are. :( The feeling of not being wanted or valued in this country just gets worse... :*(

(Reply to this)  (Thread


miss_s_b: (Mood: Sympathy)


[personal profile] miss_s_b
2012-09-04 07:03 pm UTC (link)
* snuggle *

And it's not like it'd be much better anywhere else.

(Reply to this)  (Thread from start)  (Parent


rmc28: Rachel with manic grin holding up wrist with new watch on (watch)


[personal profile] rmc28
2012-09-04 07:11 pm UTC (link)
Hunt should have been sacked, not fucking promoted. And I'm not looking at any more reshuffle news until I have a better grip on my temper. Also I'm listening to JH on web snooping and have only so much brain.

(Reply to this)  (Thread


sir_guinglain: (parrot)


[personal profile] sir_guinglain
2012-09-04 07:42 pm UTC (link)
The conviction in the Conservative party and much of the Westminster village that Hunt is a good communicator has some justification, but largely because he seems to be able to actively seek out opportunities to look and sound insincere before the cameras.

Grant Shapps, retailer of methods with which to assemble websites from other people's content, loses housing only to be promoted to chairman of the party. They must want to lose, surely...

(Reply to this)  (Thread from start)  (Parent)  (Thread


miss_s_b: (feminist heroes: oracle)


[personal profile] miss_s_b
2012-09-04 08:23 pm UTC (link)
Yeah, Shapps is another one I'm pissed off about, but when the idiots who know nothing about technology work out what it is he's actually been doing, and the calls for his head start rising, I shall be very smug indeed.

Suspect he's been given the job of winning the election because if he can get away with basically selling piracy tools...

(Reply to this)  (Thread from start)  (Parent



(Anonymous)
2012-09-04 07:22 pm UTC (link)
I'm confused as to who is now doing what. Some things I've read are that Maria Miller is doing the equalities stuff that Theresa May did previously rather than Lynne's and nothing on Lynnes website/twitter

(Reply to this)  (Thread


miss_s_b: (feminist heroes: oracle)


[personal profile] miss_s_b
2012-09-04 08:18 pm UTC (link)
Lynne has been moved to international development.

(Reply to this)  (Thread from start)  (Parent)  (Thread



(Anonymous)
2012-09-04 08:47 pm UTC (link)
So I now see. I think Nick has seriously lost the plot and/or is being extraordinarily badly advised about how/the importance of keeping party activists on board

The equal marriage stuff Lynne has been working on is a major hot button for a lot of party activists

Hywel (who it was above)

(Reply to this)  (Thread from start)  (Parent



[personal profile] sassy_scot
2012-09-04 07:37 pm UTC (link)
I am livid beyond belief about Lynne. WTF were they thinking to let the equalities brief go? Do they have rocks in their fucking heads?

I don't normally swear quite so badly, but I really am bleurgh.....

Need booze.

(Reply to this


MsWildthyme


(Anonymous)
2012-09-04 07:57 pm UTC (link)
The sick and disabled community could have told you all of this months ago. But, I keep forgetting that the sick and disabled do not count in party politics unless its to punish and humiliate.

I'll tell you this much - Maria Miller will never respond in any way, shape or form to anyone unless it is to agree with her.

(Reply to this)  (Thread


miss_s_b: (feminist heroes: oracle)

Re: MsWildthyme


[personal profile] miss_s_b
2012-09-04 08:21 pm UTC (link)
You know, I might not have concentrated on the sick and disabled as much as the LGBT and feminist stuff, but I think it's a bit harsh to imply that I have punished and humiliated anyone. I have, in fact, been linking to and blogging about the horrible stuff that ATOS is doing, and we talk about it enough in our house that it was one of my boyfriends that raised the question about it on any questions the other day.

(Reply to this)  (Thread from start)  (Parent)  (Thread


burkesworks: (feynman)

Re: MsWildthyme


[personal profile] burkesworks
2012-09-04 09:01 pm UTC (link)
Now might be the time to start. Grayling's replacement as second banana at DWP, Mark Hoban (he of the £35 toilet roll holder on exes) has possibly the most homophobic voting record of the lot according to theyworkforyou.

As for the LDs, I *know* you understand why I left the party. Have you seen Nick Barlow's blog today by the way? Good stuff (but then I generally have a great deal of time for Nick B. and what he has to say)

(Reply to this)  (Thread from start)  (Parent)  (Thread


miss_s_b: (feminist heroes: oracle)

Re: MsWildthyme


[personal profile] miss_s_b
2012-09-04 09:10 pm UTC (link)
Not yet, but yes, I am fond of Mr Barlow too.

(Reply to this)  (Thread from start)  (Parent


ext_51145: (National Pep)

Re: MsWildthyme


[identity profile] andrewhickey.info
2012-09-04 09:33 pm UTC (link)
I just want to add some extra support for Jennie here. My wife lost her disability benefits this April because of the changes to the benefits system, and Jennie has been very supportive of her.

I don't think there's a single member of the Lib Dems -- past or present -- who isn't furious at at least one thing the current government is doing. The question has never been "is it doing bad things?" -- it is. Some very bad ones. The question has been "is it also doing some good things, and would any other possible government at the moment be worse?"

Given the makeup of Parliament at the moment, the likely makeup after a General Election, and the various systemic problems we have (an unelected second chamber, a ludicrous voting system, and an uninformed public), the answer to that second question is by no means an obvious one.

(Reply to this)  (Thread from start)  (Parent)  (Thread


softfruit: (blonde)

Re: MsWildthyme


[personal profile] softfruit
2012-09-04 09:57 pm UTC (link)
By "would any other possible government at the moment be worse?" I'm pretty sure the last word you mean there is "better" :D

And no, the depressing thing is that this particular shower of .... is the least ....y shower of .... the country can muster.

(Reply to this)  (Thread from start)  (Parent


More depressing


[personal profile] po8crg
2012-09-05 07:47 am UTC (link)
No Lib Dems in either the FCO or the MOD. Moving them out so they can't resign when the Tories start bombing Iran.

(Reply to this


ext_390810: (pic#350898)


[identity profile] http://www.nickbarlow.com/blog/
2012-09-05 09:39 am UTC (link)
Would be interesting to know how you feel today, as I'm still bloody angry, perhaps even more so since yesterday now I've seen the Lib Dem end of the reshuffle. Acquiescing to some of the Tory moves is bad enough, but giving up equalities? Bringing Laws back to be Gove's little helper in dismantling the education system? No Lib Dems at the FCO or MOD (and I agree with Richard Gadsden that that's something that makes me feel very uneasy with the sabre-rattling towards Iran that's going on)?

I've seen some of the discussion you and others are having with Tim Farron, and it's not helping much either. I'm getting very fed up with the leadership telling us we have to clap louder to prove we believe in fairies 'work harder' to make something happen on the things they can't be bothered to fight for.

(Reply to this)  (Thread


miss_s_b: (feminist heroes: oracle)


[personal profile] miss_s_b
2012-09-05 12:36 pm UTC (link)
Yeah, I appreciate Tim is actually talking to us (unlike anybody else) but his actual words haven't been much comfort to me.

(Reply to this)  (Thread from start)  (Parent


We really cant complain about decisions which arnt in our control


(Anonymous)
2012-09-06 09:43 am UTC (link)
Like it or not, appointments of Tory ministers is a matter for the tory party. We have just as much say in it as we have in appointments to the shadow cabinet.

(Reply to this)  (Thread


miss_s_b: (feminist heroes: oracle)

Re: We really cant complain about decisions which arnt in our control


[personal profile] miss_s_b
2012-09-06 10:20 am UTC (link)
But they have influence over our appointmenmts.

And even if that was totally true, why does that meanb we can't complain about it? Put up and shut up is no way to get anything done ever.

(Reply to this)  (Thread from start)  (Parent



(20 comments) - (Post a new comment)
(Flat) (Top-level comments only)