It's Been a Bit of a Week // Post Brexit Essay

As I write I am sat in utter disbelief as my respect for politician after politician washes down the drain, and the UK’s once ‘old faithful’ establishment spirals out of control, with no-one at the helm. I keep hearing people say, “crazier things have happened”, but have they, have they really?

Boris Johnson has just announced that, after campaigning to leave the EU in an act of opportunism which probably went against his true beliefs about the EU, he’s decided he doesn’t fancy the job of Prime Minister after all; in true Bullingdon spirit, he has wrecked the place without a single thought for the consequences. At least the Bullingdon club left a cheque.

Boris isn’t alone. We sit and watch as one after one, leave campaigners fail to fulfil the promises which won them millions of votes, by abandoning responsibility for untruths nobody scrutinised. Even David Cameron resigned, in shame I think, when we needed his moderate mind most.

And while it sinks into the nation that an age old Tory squabble is to blame for this mess, you’d think the Labour party would sweep in to save the day, offering solace to those who wanted to remain in the EU, unable to believe their luck at an easy political win. I’m afraid not, because 2016 is turning out to be all too Shakespearean for my liking.

Jeremy bloody Corbyn has lost a vote of no confidence in the House of Commons with only 40 of his MP’s supporting him after over half of his cabinet resigned in protest of his lack of leadership; there are even rumours he didn’t vote with his party to remain in the EU. 

Yesterday he spoke at a report on Labour’s antisemitism problem, in which he compared Isreal to ISIS, and failed to defend a Jewish MP who was verbally abused right in front of him. What’s more I can all but guarantee this piece will be out of date within 10 minutes.

 And to think that 18 months ago the biggest political news was Ed Miliband eating a bacon sandwich a bit weirdly. What I would give to go back to those simpler times. Is it weird I’m even feeling nostalgic for the Donald Trump shit show? At least Britain was united in condemning his idiocy.

And if this political drama wasn’t bad enough, the fact remains that the UK is leaving the European Union. It’s ultimately the devastation at the heart of this and I can’t help but think journalists and commentators would rather indulge in the gossip than face this sad truth. I am so sad for all the Europeans living in Britain whose future is now scary and uncertain, and for people of my generation and younger who woke up with less opportunities on Friday.

The world has truly turned upside down. So what can we do?

If you’re like me, your instinct at this time may be to shrink away and withdraw from the horror show, but it has never been more important to be political. We now undoubtedly face a bigger challenge- the biggest of my generation- so make your opinions known, argue what you believe, and call out what you know is wrong no matter how heartbreaking it may be.

I am heartbroken and angry. I’ve just joined the Labour party so I can have my say in their leadership election, and I plan to be more involved in UK politics than I have been before, in whatever form that may be. It’s very easy to rant about what is wrong with the world on facebook, it is harder, as many leave campaigners have discovered, to change it for the better. We are the only ones who can shape our generation’s future and it will be decided in moments like this.

Now let’s get back to spreading joy through kitten gifs and getting shit done. Shall we?

The Graduate's Guide to Voting

I’ve always been that person who says, “It doesn’t matter who you vote for, as long as you vote”, but I’ve come to the conclusion that the upcoming in/out referendum on the UK’s membership of the EU is too important for just picking a side on the day. I’m fortunate as a politics grad in that I’ve always known which way I would vote if there was ever an in/out referendum, but many friends I’ve spoken to are still undecided. I can’t imagine how overwhelming it must be to have to make your mind up in a matter of weeks. So with that in mind, here is my guide to deciding which way to vote, so you don’t end up voting in the dark.

1.    The newspapers do not equal the truth

Some people seem to think everything they read in newspapers is gospel. Well, I’m here to tell you it’s not. On both sides of any debate, newspapers have agendas too, so they’ll rarely report figures that go against their message, and have even become quite skilled at running pretty flawed and skewed research of their own. Either read a variety of newspapers or none at all, and take everything you read with a pinch of salt.

2.    Educate yourself

It’s important to seek out more information than what is hand-picked for you by the media or your friends and family. You decide what’s important to you. You can do your own research simply by googling the institutions and issues involved. The more you know, the more informed your decision will be on polling day.

3.    Get some perspective

You’ll probably feel more confident in your decision if you keep up with what’s going on in the world beyond our shores; how the UK affects the world, and how the world affects the UK. I find it really helpful to read articles written outside the UK to gain some much needed context to any debate. Good starting points are the New York Times, Politico, The Washington Post and Buzzfeed, where you’ll find they all have columns going on European Affairs and the referendum specifically. Try searching ‘Brexit’ in any of these publications and you should find plenty of global perspective.

4.    Talk it out

Don’t be afraid to listen to the opinions of those close to you and tell them your views too. You’ll probably gain some insight into how people could personally be affected by the result, and debating with people can strengthen your arguments or just make you see things clearly. But maybe don’t bring it up at a special occasion like a family wedding. Champagne, family and politics is a lethal cocktail which won’t end well!

5.    Think about what you want

Have a think about what you want out of life- your goals, ambitions and dreams- and whether the referendum result would effect those things based on what you’ve learnt, and if so how. The arguments from campaigners can get a bit abstract, but if you think of the facts and figures in terms of your job ambitions, travelling goals, family dreams etc the debate gets closer to home and a little more real.

Be critical, open- minded, and good luck…

See you on the flip side!!!

To Quota or Not To Quota

Off the back of International Women’s Day (which should be every day am I right?), I’ve 

been thinking a lot about gender equality and how it can actually be achieved. Gender equality in the workplace is something that’s been talked about for at least 15 years now, but not much progress has been made in the UK or US.

‘Controversial’ quotas for women in senior roles have been debated for as long as I can remember. Everyone knows we need more female representation in the House of Commons, and it’s common knowledge that despite the Equal Pay Act of 1970, women still earn significantly less than men. All of these facts are scandals in and of themselves. But what is worse is that these and other factors are acting as barriers to true gender equality. As a feminist, calls for a 50:50 House of Commons, the use of All Women Shortlists (AWS), and quotas for women in senior business roles are a logical and achievable step towards achieving equality. You might be surprised to know that the country with the highest proportion of women in Parliament is Rwada, yes Rwanda. If they can do it, we have no excuse.

So why is the UK holding back? Let’s get in the know about the pros and cons of some forms of affirmative action.

There are already mild forms of affirmative action in the west which encourage more women into positions of power, and out of our comfort zones to places men usually have no problems going to. In the US, Emily’s List is a cross party initiative which trains and puts forward female candidates in elections where traditionally men have won. They have had lots of success stories, with Massachusetts senator Elizabeth Warren benefitting from their aid. In Canada, Invite Her to Run is an initiative of Trudeau’s Liberal Party which allows you to nominate women in your community who is a great leader but who would never think to put herself forward for political office.

Both of these initiatives speak to the problem us ladies have of believing in ourselves. According to the Liberal Party’s initiative, research shows a woman is 50% less likely than a man to consider herself a potential candidate for elected office. Men have no problem in saying, “I’m awesome, people should vote for me”. We have to hear it from somebody else. I think the UK would benefit from a scheme like this. Women need to be told that our skills our transferrable to politics and that it isn’t just about showboating and saying, “I’m awesome!” (Although that helps!). 

But what about more solid forms of affirmative action? Let’s have a look at the evidence

·         Many have claimed that all women shortlists (AWS) reduce the quality of candidates by excluding men, but actually the evidence shows otherwise. Rather than facilitating the entry of unqualified women, much like the American and Canadian initiatives AWS reduce the barriers for well-prepared women. Not only have they proved to produce diligent and active MP’s, they have shown to have positive or neutral effects on party vote shares.

·         Believe it or not, Swedish data even shows some evidence that AWS improve the quality of male candidates too. Recent British examples have seen an improvement in ethnic diversity resulting from AWS.

Nugent and Krook (2015), “All- Women Shortlists: Myths and Realities”, Parliamentary Affairs 1-21

Anyone spotted a downside yet? No, me neither.

·         In the case of quotas, there are mixed findings. Evidence collected from randomised gender quotas in Indian political Institutions showed to increase female leadership, as well as reduce gender discrimination. However gender quotas on corporate boards showed evidence that corporations found ways to circumvent the quotas which ultimately undermined the impact of quotas.

·         More recently, LSE called for gender quotas to be mandatory in professions such as politics, law and communications to bring more women to positions of power. The same study claimed the current state of gender relations “creates dilemmas of work-life balance which are detrimental to women’s quality of life, and to women’s life chances, across social spheres”, and they argue that only radical measures like quotas will spur change.

·         Just last year Catalyst found years of global evidence suggests corporate gender quotas are in fact working where they are used. Countries which introduced quotas came top of the 20 countries with the highest % of female representation in the boardroom. Norway was the first country to introduce mandatory quotas, and it came top of the list, with 35.5% female representation in OMX listed companies.

·         However, here in the quotaless UK, we haven’t even managed to reach our target of 25% female boardroom representation. Instead we lie in 6^th place, with 22.8%. This is more than Germany though, who’s ratio last year was 18.5%, and who this year are introducing a quota for 30%.

Does this index then, suggest that quotas are simply necessary if we have any hope of reaching targets for equal gender representation in corporations? I think quotas are something we have to do if we really are serious about equality. And I would question anyone who thinks such measures aren’t necessary to overcome the inexcusable over representation of men in the most influential positions in society. Ladies, we need to get in the room where it happens!

Miss You Already,Obamas

I already miss the Obama’s and we still have like 10 months left to bask in their glory. Here are some of my favourite moments of theirs, and reasons why I will miss them so. 

·         First and foremost, we’re all going to miss Michelle’s arms 

·         Malia and Sasha pissed off at their dad is all of us pissed off at our dad

·        Search #ObamaAndKids on twitter and you will experience very strong emotions. It will be there for you when you’re feeling sad.

·         When Michelle hugged the Queen and everyone was like, ‘you go gurl’

·         When they got a dog and it was a really big deal
    
This power couple

     

    THIS power couple

·         Barack is actually funny at the White House Correspondents dinner

·         The time he wanted to go for a drive but the secret service wouldn’t let him

·        The Obama administration made ‘Big Block of Cheese Day’ a real thing, bringing all of our West Wing dreams to life.

·         Malia interned on HBO’s Girls. Barack, any chance you could put in a good word for me too?

·         This amazing and touching encounter

·         Michelle Obama’s campaign to get all girls into education has me shouting YAS QUEEN.

·         Throwback to Barack and Michelle’s inauguration ball, when they slow danced to ‘At Last’ sung by Beyonce. *Swoon*. Basically all of my wedding goals.

THANKS OBAMA J 

Spring/Summer Literary Wish list

As much as I’d love to recreate the perfect image of curling up in front of the fire with a good book and a hot chocolate, all I want to do in winter is watch movies. My reading time is spring/summer. For me, there’s no better way to spend a summer’s day than outside with a book and a mojito- lemonade, I mean with a lemonade…

1.    The Cursed Child, JK Rowling. This is not a sequel. I repeat this is NOT a Harry Potter sequel. JK Rowling can try, but it doesn’t make me any less excited about this play. (But reading a play is never the same, it’s like reading sheet music amirite?)

2.    Big Magic, Elizabeth Gilbert. I’m an Eat Pray Love gal through and through so I’m dying to know what pieces of wisdom Gilbert has lined up for us in her latest best seller. This has been out for a while but better late than never eh?

3.  All Too Human: A Political Education, George Stephanopoulos. I’m a sucker for a good political book. This was released in the late 90’s and is a glimpse into the early days of the Clinton administration, when it was ambitious, hopeful and optimistic. Written by George, who served as Clinton’s communications director, I’ve heard it’s an amazing insight into what it’s really like to work with politicians behind the scenes at the highest level.

4.    Cook Happy, Cook Healthy by Fearne Cotton is a gem I’ve been waiting for all my life. I am obsessed with Fearne’s Instagram predominantly for her amazing recipes, some of which I hope she’ll share with us in this book! It’s due to be published on 2^nd June.

5.    My Life on the Road, Gloria Steinem. If Emma Watson recommends a book, you read it. This memoir promises to steal my heart. Gloria Steinem has been through it all, literally, including the last 2 waves of feminism. I have a feeling this will be one I don’t put down.

PS, I can’t emphasis enough how this is just a shortlist; I have a constant list of books to read on my iphone notes! So these really are the chosen ones.

What do you prefer reading? Non- fiction, novels, memoir, graphic novels?

What books are on your shortlist right now? I would love to know!

10 Loves #5

1.    Hamilton…I’m late to the party but I’m partying hard. My love for Lin Manuel Miranda’s masterpiece knows no bounds. I’ve begun finding ways to slip the story of Alexander Hamilton and his amazing/tragic American life into every conversation. What I would give to be able to get my hands on some tickets! Guess I’ll have to keep singing along to the soundtrack myself until then.

2.   Flowers…aside from the overnight snow storm of last week, which we won’t talk about (snow in March. March), we’re beginning to see the first signs of spring! What says spring more than filling the house with flowers? But really I need no excuse.

3.    I Low-key need this T Shirt in my life

4.  Dog Walking…I’ve begun walking my dog every morning; the sun on my face feels like the equivalent of a morning coffee…speaking of which…

5.   Coffee…my taste buds have recently woken up to the wonders of coffee and, I’m not gonna lie, I feel like a new woman who could achieve many many great things.

6.    JohnOliver…I’ll let this speak for itself

7.   Iggy Pop and Josh Homme…my favourite musical collaboration for yonks. Their album isn’t out until 18^th March, but if their singles, Break into your heart, Gardenia, and Lust for life are anything to go by, we’re in for a treat.

8.   This banana loaf recipe from Jamie Oliver…this mid-afternoon treat is nothing fancy, but it hits the spot. My nearly 2 year old niece is crazy about it, and I baked one for my mum for her recent birthday- it was gone in a day! They can’t get enough.

9.    Christine has started vlogging…I’ve been following her youtube channel and gorgeous instagram for so long that her vlogs feel like catching up with a friend. She is so cool, you won’t regret watching over your breakfast. Plus she lives in SoCal. I’m *SoJel*.

10. This lengthy interview with President Obama…is worth getting to the end of if you have a spare 20 minutes (or hour if you’re a ridiculously slow reader like moi). It gives an interesting insight into his foreign policy decisions, and reflects on how history will view some of them. 

10 Reasons to be with Hillary #ImWithHer

1.    In spite of recent accusations, she is both radical and progressive. She is the first First lady to be elected to the Senate, and only the 3^rd woman to be appointed Secretary of State. On top of all this, she was perhaps the most politically active First Lady the US has seen, getting stuck into domestic and international issues, which caused some controversy back in the day.

2.    She is the pantsuit Queen. Why would you want to deny the world of a pantsuit wearing President?

3.    She has the most executive experience of all the nominees including the Republican candidates. Her resume includes developing global trade deals, elevating women’s rights to new heights, and uniting a coalition in Qadhafi’s downfall and Libya’s transition. She has practised politics more than anyone else, and this ultimately, is how a President gets things done. It is through practising politics daily, rather than waiting for a dream, too-good-to-be-true candidate that we make progress. #Bitchesgetshitdone

4.    She’s the best of both worlds. Along with being an experienced politician, she's been an activist all her life. She has championed and got her hands dirty in grassroots movements since being a leader in the student’s movement in the 1960’s. She’s rad.

5.    The first female President following the first black President just feels right , doesn’t it?

6.    She cares about your health. She was one of the first senior politicians to champion what we now know as Obamacare back in the 90’s, before Obama was even on the scene. Hillary has expressed that she would take Obamacare one step further to be universal, as she originally intended it.

7.    People criticise her for being cosy with Wall Street, with many big banks making donations to her campaign. But she actually has big plans for reforming the financial system just like Bernie.

8.    Can you imagine the force of nature that would be President Hillary Clinton and Vice President Bernie Sanders? A liberal Democrat super team. *angelic singing*

9.    She is a big believer in diplomacy and using military action as a last resort. During Libya’s uprising, she was a key uniting figure, bringing rebels and politicians together to create an international alliance. Unlike Senator Sanders, she has experience in making tough global decisions on a daily basis, after all, it was her job for 4 years.

10. Hillary Rodham Clinton is a feminist, and protecting women’s reproductive rights by keeping government funding for Planned Parenthood and protecting the right to abortion is one of her major priorities. One of her first political acts as First Lady was to speak at the UN’s 4^th World Conference on Women, declaring, “Women’s rights are human rights”. You can watch her speech here. Surely having a woman as leader of the free world is the ultimate feminist achievement?

#ImWithHer

Everyone can do something: my thoughts on the environment, food, and the future.

I’ve made some changes to my diet and lifestyle recently so I thought I would share. Bare in mind this is just my own experience based on what I’ve learnt, and I’m by no means trying to impose that on others. I just think we should educate ourselves before we make choices.

So many industries which people in the west rely upon are exploitative and destructive to humans, animals, and the planet. It can be overwhelming to research, but there is no denying that the huge demand for products on a mass scale is, in many cases, having disastrous consequences. Now, I’m no hippy. But I recognise that it’s no longer good enough to assume somebody else is solving all of the world’s problems, as soon enough our generation will be expected to come up with answers. (Jack’s piece on the subject hits the nail on the head). The future is a shared responsibility.

It may sound silly when compared to the enormity of the problem, but for me, giving up meat and dairy is the easiest way I can make a small change which could have a greater impact. While I can’t afford to only purchase organic, sustainable clothing right now, even though I know most of what I buy was likely made in a sweatshop, that doesn’t mean I’m not allowed to call myself an ethical consumer in other ways. To be ethical doesn’t mean ‘to be perfect’.

With this in mind, about 6 months ago I gave up meat, and dairy soon followed. I gave them both up for obvious reasons. Not only do I believe the needless killing of innocent animals for human pleasure to be unethical, I am also aware of the detrimental effects both industries are having on the beautiful planet on which we live. The meat industry alone does more damage to the environment than all the cars, planes and trains combined. However, one animal product I struggle to say no to was eggs.

I’ve watched documentary after documentary about the horrible conditions hens live and die in, not to mentions the corrupt industry which is exploiting farmers. In spite of all this, and to my annoyance, there’s still nothing much better than a poached egg on avocado toast. So to reconcile my love for eggs and my love for hens, I’ve decided to only buy my eggs from a local farm’s shop, where I can see the happy, healthy hens roaming free, even though they’re a tiny bit more pricy. Happy hens, happy farmer, happy Annabelle.

Remember how powerful you are as a consumer! I believe that with that power, we have a duty to protect the planet and each other and to take responsibility for our actions. Obviously not everyone can turn into a self- sustainable vegan goddess overnight. But everyone making small changes will have a way bigger impact than just a few extreme examples. Everyone can do something.

There are lots of great events you can get involved and small changes you can make such as Meat Free Mondays, buying local or Fairtrade produce, attending your local vegan fair, or even just using public transport instead of a car. Do whatever you can!

The Graduate's guide to...the Labour leadership election

If you’re in the loop with current affairs you may have noticed that the Labour party is in the midst of electing a new leader, after Ed Miliband- to the dismay of the ‘Milifandom’- resigned in May following his party’s electoral defeat at the hands of both the Conservatives and the Scottish National Party (SNP). While much of the media may be succeeding in convincing you that the Labour party is falling apart from within, I thought I’d take a closer look at the candidates and the main political issues so far.

Yvette Cooper…if you grew up under New Labour like me, Yvette Cooper’s name is probably familiar- even if you’re not sure why. Along with her husband, Ed Balls, Cooper has been a prominent figure in the Labour party since her election as one of ‘Blair’s babes’ (uggggh, the feminist in me is screaming) in 1997. She later served in Gordon Brown’s cabinet and has since risen through the ranks to serve as both Shadow Foreign and Shadow Home Secretary. Cooper certainly has the backing of those in the party who share her New Labour background; most recently, the much- loved Alan Johnson declared his support for Cooper, and she also has the backing of The Guardian. While being a party favourite isn’t always enough to win, she has been included in the Woman’s Hour list of 100 most powerful women in the UK, so I think we all know she’s a winner whatever happens.

Andy Burnham…Andy Burnham is a fellow northerner, so I instinctively like him more than the rest. But all regional bias aside, Burhman has been MP for Leigh since 2001, and played a played a big role in the emergence of a second Hillsborough inquiry, after pushing the disaster onto the Parliamentary agenda in 2009, and also served as shadow health secretary. But while he isn’t one of the 100 most powerful women in the country, he does have a killer set of eyebrows; move over Cara Delevingne. You may have heard him repeatedly saying he would unite the party if he became leader, but- much like the word ‘biscotti’ in the Great British Bake- off- he’s said it so many times it’s started to lose its meaning. (But my aunty met him and said he was really nice).

Liz Kendall… Liz Kendall is probably the least well- known by the general public. Despite this, she is seen as an emblem for moderate, centre ground politics, and the antithesis to the more radical Jeremy Corbyn (we’ll get to him in a minute) But frankly, all you need to know about Liz Kendall is that she called out a sexist reporter and told him to “fuck off” after he asked her a question about her weight. It’s no surprise then that David Miliband has praised her ‘plain speaking’ and ‘political courage’. If anyone scares David Cameron, I’m gonna say it’s this bad ass bitch. In the words of Tina Fey, “Bitches get stuff done”.

Jeremy Corbyn…if you haven’t heard his name by now, seriously where have you been? There is no excuse. Unlike the other candidates, Jeremy Corbyn’s political career has been defined by radicalism- to say the least, which has sometimes got him into trouble. I’m talking about his questionable definition of terrorism and his dodgy relationship with the Jewish community. Support for Corbyn is clearly support for Labour’s roots, but many fear these roots are completely unelectable in contemporary Britain, including Gordon Brown, who says Corbyn goes against the party’s duty to have an electable leader to offer hope to the most vulnerable. Recently this view has been challenged by the man’s surprising popularity among young lefties, who feel Corbyn has the direction Labour desperately needs. The list of Labour figures who have warned against Corbyn is getting a bit long; is support for Corbyn a case of misdirected anger?

While I’m not (quite) old enough to remember the Labour leadership contests of the 1980’s, it does seem like since Blair, the main issues of leadership contests have been more and more inward- looking. Instead of debating education, health, and important foreign policy, candidates have outlined what Labour ought to be and who it ought to be for in the 20^th Century. Even though Labour’s turmoil is exhausting to watch, there’s no doubt it’s a vital part of having a purposeful and electable opposition. When will this soul searching end? I can’t even.

Are you eligible to vote?

If so, who are you planning on voting for?

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