Thursday 20 February 2020

Identity Crisis

Tony Blair cannot have it both ways. There can either be some kind of deal with the Liberal Democrats, or there can be a rowing back from identity politics in general and from the trans ideology in particular, as well as a refusal to reverse Brexit. There cannot be both.

But at least on the trans issue, whom was he addressing? That whole thing has arisen only in the last 10 years, and it has risen to anything like its present prominence only in the last five years, if that. Neither Labour, nor for that matter the Lib Dems, is poised to legislate for gender self-identification. Neither of them is in any position to do so.

That Labour has so much trouble over gender self-identification is because it has any internal dissent from the proposal. The party that is going to legislate for it appears to have none whatever. If anyone on that side votes against it, then it will be a handful of traditional Catholics and Evangelical Protestants, neither of whose positions has ever been part of the Tory mainstream, or ever will be.

But there is another way. Ours is the 2020 Vision of a new political party, a new think tank, a new weekly newspaper, a new fortnightly satirical magazine, a new monthly cultural review, a new quarterly academic journal, and so much else besides. I will be standing for Parliament again here at North West Durham next time, so please give generously. In any event, please email davidaslindsay@hotmail.com. Very many thanks.

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