Caroline Aliwell

🇬🇧in🇧🇪 Policy & Public Affairs Consultant. Previously @CitizensAdvice, @Shelter, @HouseOfCommons, @Europarl. Twittery thoughts on consumer markets.

[Caroline Aliwell @CalAliwell]

My top 4 tips for how men can be better allies to their female colleagues - especially at events.

[Sophy Ridge @SophyRidgeSky]

For me there’s only one contender for Person of the Year.
Gisele Pelicot.
The woman who has recalibrated how we think about rape by refusing to feel shame.
“It’s time we change the way we look at rape”, she said outside the court today.
And…more than anyone I can think of… she’s done that.
“Shame must change sides”, she said, and perhaps – perhaps – that is a little more true today than it’s ever been.
But there’s something else that I want to talk about. Something that’s much more difficult to confront than the inspiration and dignity of Gisele Pelicot.
51 men.
51 men who are not all men… but who are also quite a lot of men. 51 of them in fact.
And if you read about them… their backgrounds… their jobs… their families or lack of family… they’re all quite different.
A firefighter…a nurse… an unemployed alcoholic.
Some were abused as children. Some had comfortable upbringings with kids of their own.
Six had domestic violence convictions. 45 didn’t.
One was 27. Another was 74.
There’s no pattern here. Nothing we can point to. Other than the fact there is no profile of a rapist. Which is perhaps the most frightening thing of all.

[Caroline Aliwell @CalAliwell]

Just when I thought motherhood had stripped me of all dignity, it turns out that my toddler can unlock and open toilet doors in public when I'm sat on them.

[Ursula von der Leyen @vonderleyen]

European Commission 2024-2029 🇪🇺

[Delphine Colard @DelphineColard]

Tomorrow at around 13.00 @EP_President Roberta Metsola and EC President @vonderleyen will hold a press conference following the Parliament’s vote on the College of Commissioners. You can follow on site or via Parliament’s webstreaming. More #EPhearings: https://t.co/K4fpsWizRu

[Caroline Aliwell @CalAliwell]

How on earth could you say that no one had felt pressured into something like Assisted Dying when that is the campaign message of a national organisation - saying they're dead anyway?

That's why, despite advocating for dying well, I struggle with Assisted Dying in practice.

[Caroline Aliwell @CalAliwell]

I would not wish a painful death on anyone. But I also couldn't bear it if my Mum had felt she ought to opt for assisted dying so as not to 'put us through it' or to 'be a burden on us.'

This is what I feel this Bill cannot safeguard against.

https://t.co/7FCW04fjpH

[Caroline Aliwell @CalAliwell]

To take one example, which I know would fall out of scope of this Bill anyway, the recent @alzheimerssoc 'the long goodbye' campaign tells a story of someone living with dementia 'dying' again and again because they can't do things like cook dinner anymore.

[Caroline Aliwell @CalAliwell]

Very enjoyable reporting from @EddyWax this morning

[Caroline Aliwell @CalAliwell]

@ClemCowton @OllieKew @rollsroycecars I can't tell you how much I needed to read that today. Spectacular. Thank you.

[Caroline Aliwell @CalAliwell]

My final thought on this quick thread is that a lack of local resources or funding shouldn't stop someone from living or dying well. We've waited years for successive governments to fix social care. We don't need to wait for a 10 year plan to give people the comfort they seek now

[Caroline Aliwell @CalAliwell]

UK: The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill has been published - link below.

Whatever your views on the Bill, what I hope - above anything - that we can can get from this moment is an open, honest discussion about living and dying well. 1/5

https://t.co/DR7Ya6JcCS

[Caroline Aliwell @CalAliwell]

Living well is important. But dying well is also important. Not everyone is given a choice in that, I am aware.

But we should not shelf difficult conversations with our friends and families. There is never enough time, and there is never a good time to have them.

[Caroline Aliwell @CalAliwell]

Ahhh, elections really do bring about the best content in everyone. Buckle in, and grab yer popcorn...

[Caroline Aliwell @CalAliwell]

My lovely mum died and I told myself I needed to hold it together until her funeral. Get to that day, then fall apart.

2 days ago, I found myself staring at her coffin. Expecting to absolutely fall apart as scheduled. But I just sat there. Numb.

Grief is a funny old thing.

[Caroline Aliwell @CalAliwell]

@mroutled @neilmcrowther @alzheimerssoc I'm so sorry. It's an awful advert. I can't understand how they haven't removed it.

I hope your father in law is okay and gets seen soon.

[Roberta Metsola @EP_President]

The @Europarl_EN hearings of the new @EU_Commission Commissioners-designate will take place between 4 and 12 November.

With a mandate given by European citizens, MEPs will ask, assess, scrutinise and vote.

This is European democracy 🇪🇺

[Caroline Aliwell @CalAliwell]

The process of registering a death in the UK is the most infuriating, inefficient and needlessly complex task that someone really ought to fix.

[Caroline Aliwell @CalAliwell]

@aliceolilly @instituteforgov Wishing you all the best. Hope you manage to catch some rest before baby's arrival. ❤️