Andy Laws

I make no secret of the fact that I found Anne Widdecombe’s views abhorrent, nor will I deny that I believe Reform UK incites division and hostility. But did she deserve to have every woman’s worst nightmare happen to her? No. She did not. The key takeaway is this: you don’t stop male violence by encouraging more hatred and division. Once you normalise that, society itself begins to unravel. There was already an epidemic of male violence long before politicians started fanning the flames for political gain. The leaders of Reform and Restore create unease and unrest because they profit from it. They point fingers. They deflect. They exploit despair and anger. Time and again, they have manipulated some of the poorest and most disadvantaged people in Britain. In doing so, they have contributed to an environment in which women, gay people, trans people and people of colour face greater hostility and, potentially, greater risk of violence. Does that mean I think Anne Widdecombe was to blame for what happened to her? Again, no. No woman deserves to be brutally murdered by a man. It is one of the oldest, deepest fears carried by women, and tragically, it is not an irrational one. I’ve received unspeakable threats despite not being a politician, simply for talking about politics. The police do nothing. The police are yet another institution women are forced to fear. Women are not safe anywhere, not even in our own home. I’ve lived alone. I know how vulnerable you can feel, simply because you’ve dared to have a voice as a woman. I’ve lain awake in bed wondering whether the noise downstairs was a man, radicalised by social media, fuelled by misogyny, entitlement and rage, finally acting on one of those threats. Anne would have likely done that countless times. The price women pay simply for existing is fear, the price they pay for having a voice or agency is even higher. While I found many of Anne’s views, particularly those regarding other women, abhorrent, that does not mean she asked for this. Men who inflict horrific violence on women rarely need an excuse. The fact that they can is often reason enough. Male violence is not limited to one culture, a political viewpoint, a particular religion or one race. It is endemic. No woman should have to die to prove this point but many more will unless action is taken. Do I think Reform and Restore should be defenestrated? Absolutely. But at the ballot box. Because we’re not fucking animals. And because the working class should have more respect for itself than to let a handful of old Etonian pricks decide who we are. The best revenge is to recognise who your real enemies are, then quietly leave them to their riches, their private jets and their mansions. The more irrelevant they become and the less divided we are, the less power they hold and the less money they make. Two things are true: No woman deserves what Anne Widdecombe endured. The likelihood of women enduring male violence has markedly increased because of the hateful, violent and divisive rhetoric of figures like Farage or Lowe. Reject them. They’re not on your side.