Jo Swinson

Jo Swinson: The nasty politics of the UK could learn from Finland's coalition of five women

Finland's politics is not based on confrontation and one-upmanship, but on the negotiation and compromise

Like so many people who saw the widely shared image of the new prime minster and leaders of the ruling coalition of Finland on social media on Monday morning I was struck by what I saw. The contrast with last week’s pictures of the NATO summit with a line-up of six women to 25 men was poignant. It just goes to show what a difference an election can make.

When Sanna Marin was confirmed as Finland’s prime minister this week she became the world’s youngest serving prime minister and the world’s youngest ever female prime minister. She leads a coalition of five political parties, all of which are led by women. Four out of five of those women is under the age of 35.

So much about this victory is refreshing. Marin’s response to questions by reporters that she had "never much thought about my age or gender" will be encouraging to many young women in the UK seeking to gain authority and respect in the workplace. It is also striking to hear reports about what she wasn't asked during the election campaign - namely, how was she going to juggle being prime minister and being a mother to a 22-month old? The fact she has a young daughter apparently isn’t noteworthy in Finland. Perhaps it is no surprise that Finland is now on its third female prime minister and women have held all major offices of government.

inews.co.uk/opinion/jo-swinson-finland-coaltion-sanna-marin-1337798

Is it true that Johnson hid in a fridge to get away from an interviewer??!

Yes!

Joplin - I know TV makes folk look bigger but I’m too poor to have a fridge big enough even for my GC to hide in.??

He went into a walk in fridge to collect milk, orange juice and other goodies as he was taking part in a milk round at the crack of dawn. The reporter obviously waylaid him in order to embarrass and ridicule him! Hardly subtle!! Yawn, yawn!

'into a commercial fridge'

He is a clown, like Trump and that guy in the Ukraine and the Italian fascist Grillo.

Sadly in this media obsessed age, when many folk do not seem to understand the difference between entertainment and serious politics, people are voting for clowns.

I'd rather a clown than a Communist!

You don't have to be either and our PM doesn't have to be a clown or a communist.

Is that what we have been reduced to ? It must be time to reform our politics from top to bottom.

I don't think we have a clown,but I certainly think we avoided a Communist! What a relief!

Sadly in this media obsessed age, when many folk do not seem to understand the difference between entertainment and serious politics, people are voting for clowns.

Neither true nor entertaining, but immensely patronising. Grow up.

If you want to see the grace and generosity of a genuine politician narrowly defeated by the forces of populism and nationalism, here is Jo Swinson's last speech in East Dumbartonshire.

www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2019/12/12/jo-swinson-lib-dem-results-live/

I'm afraid that Nicola Sturgeon, who I've had a lot of respect for recently, has gone down in my estimation after seeing her response to Jo Swinson's defeat . It was most unpleasant.

You must be so disappointed varian. Obviously I’m pleased with the result but I genuinely am sorry for how you must be feeling right now.

I might even miss your ‘STOP BREXIT’ posts! Okay no - that’s a step too far.
?

Sadly, UG I don't think we can stop brexit now. An utter tragedy.

Anyone who uses the words utter tragedy in relation to Brexit has obviously never experienced it.

MS you know nothing about the lives of any other GNetter and it appears you know little about the predictded consequences of brexit for our country

varian I know and I do commiserate. There are no winners as such. Some people are happy yet some are sad today. Gloating isn’t going to heal those hurts.

I can only hope that in time the scenarios you and others are fearing do not actually happen and that as a nation we can indeed all benefit from this very democratic decision.

It’s not a democratic decision here or in N Ireland - although I know that’s a whole other issue. I do appreciate your kind words and recognition that millions of us are feeling very unhappy about the result though, and I hope sincerely that Boris can do a better job of uniting the UK and healing divisions that he’s done up up until now.

Varian As a fellow Lib Dem, I am finding your posts on this thread both sad and humiliating.

We did not do as well as hoped. The 'cancel brexit' policy was a mistake, we were also caught in the middle between to extremes of choice. This happens in elections.

Please show the courtesy and magnanimity that usually characterises the Lib Dems, and is why I have been a member for so long, despite, quite often being at odds with the party on some issues (like their renege Brexit policy this time.)

Elections are by definition divisive, but normal practice is for us all to relax and get back to ordinary everyday life once they are over, not denigrate anyone who doesn't agree with our personal views and didn't vote they way we wanted them to. That is not democracy.

What an ignorant thing to say MerylStreep. MOnica, we managed to vote in a LD MP to our constituency and get rid of an unpopular pro-Brexit MP. It’s not much in the grand and awful scheme of things but it’s a little ray of hope.

I was surprised last time and surprised yet again that the Lib Dems were not more successful as so many people wanted to halt Brexit.

Or - they say online that they wanted to halt Brexit but in fact voted differently.

I would reserve the word utter tragedy for those events which we witness on our screens, some of which scarcely merit a few seconds time on the news at the moment.

As for Brexit, that non-Chinese curse comes to mind:
"May you live in interesting times".

In a small way, the story of Jo Swinson follows the pattern of Greek tragedy in which the main character annoys the gods by a show of hubris and is consequently brought down - usually killed but I'll spare Ms Swinson that fate.

I think we could probably just say something along the lines of ‘the public chose not to vote for Swinson’ as opposed to comparing her to Greek tragedies which end in brutal murder.