I thought the Handmaids Tale was fiction!!!

No. I was quite worried when political parties of all types decided that placing men in women's spaces was progressive and enshrined that in public policy. No one, except a few feminists, shouted handmaid's tale then.
So no not particularly worried about a fringe group in America. I also would barely trust anyone, in particular the progressives, on women's rights considering the events of the last decade or so.

Reform are bringing those ideas here to the UK.
Some of their policies are biased against women and want women back in the kitchen.
They want to tear up the equalities act and give preference to white males in employment.
I do find it worrying that those extreme ideas from the US are finding their way here.

If we were to have 'family' salaries and wages for family, I would expect husband and wife to be on an equal footing when deciding who goes to work and who stays at home!

M0nica

If we were to have 'family' salaries and wages for family, I would expect husband and wife to be on an equal footing when deciding who goes to work and who stays at home!

Ha! Wages for Housework!

Does anyone remember that call in the 1970s?

Or, (though none of us were really aware at the time) the use of Kinder, Küche, Kirche in 1930s Germany?

I agree with you foxie48 . What is already happening in the US and the future plans of the Trump administration/MAGA/Christian nationalists are beyond horrifying. The UK and European far right have been very clear and vocal about wanting to follow down the same route. As you say, it's even documented in the Epstein files.

I completely understand people's frustration and disappointment after we've been let down by government after government. But the answer is NOT to vote in a party that even more blatantly works for the mega rich. One might think that it is unfair that, say, a refugee gets help while we still have homeless people in the country. Well, Reform will fix this "injustice" in their own way. Under them, no one is going to get any kind of help. Whatever is taken from the immigrants/disabled/benefit claimants etc. will end up in the pockets of the billionaires. The lives of ordinary people will be even worse.

If you are a billionaire, vote for the far right. Everyone else should look elsewhere.

Apple3pie absolutely spot on but how will the message get out to most of the electorate? The media gives Farage an easy ride whenever he is interviewed just like Trump. When Trump said he could shoot someone in plain sight and still get elected, he was darn right. Farage seems able to do the same with his happy chappy man down the pub act. He was being funded by by Iranian-born billionaire Sasan Ghandehari through his family office, HP Trust to go to Davos. Why was he being funded? No one seems to ask the question. He failed to declare financial interests 17 times to the tune of £384K, it's one day news. His close ally and Reform lead in Wales gets 10 and a half years for taking bribes from Russians and again it's one day news! I could go on............
.

Women's rights are under threat in many ways in the USA now.
Due to the draconian rules around termination of pregnancy, women have died of sepsis in some states, because doctors may not operate on an incomplete miscarriage if there is a fetal heart.
The newest suggestion is that women crossing state lines should be checked regarding a potential pregnancy, to prevent a medical procedure being sought in a different region.
This is, of course, utterly impossible to enforce - people cross state borders frequently, to work, to shop, and to attend events, and how " pregnancy status" might be confirmed could prove tricky.
However, it reflects the thinking of some people in power there.

"Hegseth invited Christian nationalist Doug Wilson to preach at Pentagon
The self-described “paleo-Confederate” has argued that wives should submit to their husbands, women should be denied the vote and Christian enslavers were on “firm scriptural ground.”

Good luck with that one!

Perhaps his maths isn't good enough to tell him that approximately half of voters are women.

Overall, women voted at higher rates than men. Turnout was particularly high in Arizona, Colorado, the District of Columbia, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin; in these states, women within the voter population voted at rates of roughly 58-71%. Notably, six of the twelve female governors in the US were in these states.

www.lwv.org/blog/report-women-voters-numbers

foxie48

I have no idea what can be done against the overwhelming far right propaganda. If people don't have the will or energy to look into details and apply critical thinking, then of course they'll be taken in by cheap slogans that offer simple "solutions". I think we need similar simple messages on the left. "Tax wealth not work" for example is not heard enough.

Google SAVE act and get horrified

I know, but lots of women have voted for Trump. Some GNs are firm in their support of Reform.

Allira

^"Hegseth invited Christian nationalist Doug Wilson to preach at Pentagon^
The self-described “paleo-Confederate” has argued that wives should submit to their husbands, women should be denied the vote and Christian enslavers were on “firm scriptural ground.”

Good luck with that one!

Perhaps his maths isn't good enough to tell him that approximately half of voters are women.

Far too many of those women vote against their own best interest, and a large amount vote whatever their husband tells them to. Many more just don’t vote.

Relying on women in America to stand up for other women isn’t not a solid plan. There just aren’t enough of the ones who will.

Really?!
Are they being brainwashed?

Chocolatelovinggran

There are so many heartbreaking stories of pregnant women being denied life-saving healthcare. I think lots of people don't realise the implications of certain policies they support. You don't have to be a fan of abortions to see that sometimes they are necessary as the alternative is worse.

Farage is following his hero Trump in making women second class citizens.

Banning abortion and telling women their place is to have babies before they're thirty and stay at home to look after them thus freeing up the workplace for men.
The equalities act would go as well which favours men.
If women are aware of these policies would they still vote for Reform.

But how to get the message out, through the filter of MSM?

"Reform UK’s plans to repeal the Equality Act are “shocking” and un-British, Keir Starmer has said, warning legislation that has provided decades of protection for women would be ripped up.

In a pre-recorded interview with BBC Breakfast, the prime minister said the legislation was British at its core and represented “basic values”, before arguing Reform wanted to send women back to the “old days” when they were not treated equally." Guardian 19.02.26

I just wonder how many people really understand the difference the Equalities Act has made to millions of us in the UK.

I don't think they do.

Starmer supported policies which locked male rapists up with females, and appointed Mandelsson known at the time for his association with epstien to a position within government. I have absolutely no understanding how he has the nerve.

Allira

Really?!
Are they being brainwashed?

Is this a real question? Some are brainwashed be it by religion/propoganda/a man. Some feel that media is overplaying how bad things are. Some just straight up hate women including themselves.

The end result is turkeys voting for a turkey on every table.

Galaxy

Starmer supported policies which locked male rapists up with females, and appointed Mandelsson known at the time for his association with epstien to a position within government. I have absolutely no understanding how he has the nerve.

Why do you say Starmer supported policies which male rapists were locked up with females? As far a I am aware this is completely untrue. The Karen White case took place in 2017 in England when Starmer was neither DPP nor in government and the Isla Bryson case took place in Scotland in 2023, which was under Scottish jurisdiction. tbh I'm not aware of any other cases. Also at the time that Mandelson was appointed, the Epstein files had not been released. He was advised that Mandelson was known to Epstein but that he'd had no contact since Epstein's conviction. If he's guilty of anything, it's trusting his advisors had done the necessary checking.

These archaic ideas are certainly a retrograde step .
Now wife beating by husbands for infringements has been declared as acceptable and legal in Aghanistan .

I do not support Starmer but I don't see how you could possibly come to the conclusion he is not on the side of women. he comes over as a decent man with family values.
The women in America should be very worried if married to someone controlling. Women have it in their power not to put up with it or get into it. Bring their girls up to know their true worth for a start. Not be dependant on a man for money, earn it,? Do not mix with men or people who hold those views.