Anthony Barnett (London, OK): There is an important, almost audacious article by Jackie Ashley in today's Guardian on the collapse of the presence of influential women in British politics today. I agree with her. There was an encouraging moment when women made a wide-ranging dent in British politics after 1979. It has gone. Ashley does not discuss what I think is a big contributor, at the heart of New Labour there was active hostility to women as equal leaders. Strong and able female support and judgement was encouraged - but not leadership. Gays yes, women no. That flash of hatred shown by Jonathan Powell to Helena Kennedy I blogged a while back had a gender aspect to it.
Trying to work out the dynamics behind the growing force of sexual reaction Ashley goes on to say,
I am speaking impressionistically, not scientifically: but has not the rise of the internet coincided with a rise of the men's magazine culture? Blogworld is the future, and it will not be resisted; but at this stage in its development, it seems dominated by rightwing male individualists and libertarians. A jeering tone has migrated from websites into the mainstream media, because journalists are the most suggestible species there is.
This deserves some serious consideration in the UK's blogland. Any links to Ashley's column welcome please. Here at OK we have been looking hard to find women commentators interesting in writing regularly about the fate of British democracy and its identity, constitution, especially England, ie not just on social aspects, important those these are. Wales is ahead of the game here, of course. What's going on?
