Jo-Anne Pugh

Once BBC. Now free to express many, varied and unexpected opinions. Archers aficionado. Canophilist. Be objective, be selective, be an asset to the collective.

[Dennis Noel Kavanagh @Jebadoo2]

1/ I went to Parliament to watch the Women and Equalities Committee. The chair of the EHRC Mary-Ann Stephenson (MAS) and CEO John Kirkpatrick were giving evidence, the other adults in the room were Rosie Duffield and Rebecca Paul MP. Other than that it was the slow kid's table.

[Naomi Cunningham @LoudBonnet]

If it were up to me, I'd give these students a choice of deferral for a couple of years while they do some growing up. Or else an essay, set by Michael, and then discussed with him in a public tutorial.

[Hadley Freeman @HadleyFreeman]

This couldn’t be more revealing of the hollowness of identity politics if it was scripted. “No time” to look at how the cowardice of these ludicrous women has destroyed women’s lives - let’s just applaud them for being women in politics! Woop-diddly-doo-dah!

[shelley charlesworth @charlesworth102]

@podsavetheuk Sabah Choudrey worked for Gendered Intelligence for ten years. GI is less well known but equally as responsible for misrepresentation of the Equality Act as Stonewall.

[Cat @catdeans]

This is awful. The last ever Denby Pottery going to the kiln. Why is there not uproar? Where’s the government in this?? We all have Denby in our homes, in family heirlooms, as our history and now it’s closing through lack of support, such a sad sad day. #SaveDenby @denbypottery

[Michael Foran @michaelpforan]

Due to escalating disruptive protests, I have decided to cancel the remainder of these lectures. This is deeply lamentable, but the disruption has undermined the academic nature of this series. Students shouldn't face bullying or harassment when attending academic events.

[Jo-Anne Pugh @jbpugh]

Please can you explain to me and your other constituents why you signed this EDM @Jamie4North ?

[Lucy Hunter Blackburn @LucyHunterB]

I'd like to send them a simple multiple choice test on the Equality Act, the Supreme Court judgment, the role of EHRC and the status of the code. And asking who specifically suggested they sign this motion.

[SEEN in Journalism @JournalismSEEN]

All this from the trial has been left out of the police upsum and sentencing coverage

[SEEN in Journalism @JournalismSEEN]

‘Darren Rigby, who sent hoax death threats to schools is jailed’

All girls’ schools were specifically targeted. Rigby ‘threatened to carry out deadly attacks supposedly in response to the treatment of ‘transwomen’’. None of this features in the coverage across outlets, despite the evidence emerging in email evidence and in court, neither does it feature in the Merseyside Police report.

‘I’m going to kill every girl and woman staff member I come across’

‘I'm going to shoot and stab all your girls’

It’s a crime of extreme misogyny in the cause of ‘fighting trans oppression’ but any mention of ‘trans’ has been erased by the police, PA and all news outlets. In addition the BBC report hides the fact that it was a crime against women and girls.

https://t.co/mEtjqOXI7D

https://t.co/MjqUMeGDGa

[marcus evans @marcuse99903226]

Happy to share @Trueinclusion . One of the problems in this area is that politicians, broadcasters and celebrities are often quick to wade into an argument they do not understand. That includes broadcasters who increasingly position themselves as arbiters of what people should think, rather than speaking to clinicians who actually understand the nature and complexity of the clinical picture and reporting the news.

In such a polarised environment, thoughtful journalism matters. @nickwallis has consistently approached these issues with curiosity, balance and a willingness to engage seriously with the evidence and the people working directly in the field. That is more than could be said for much of the @BBCWales @BBCWomansHour @BBCNews hopefully Matt Brittin has his eyes and ears open.

[SEEN in Journalism @JournalismSEEN]

@owenjonesjourno Why are men so transphobic, in your view? Would you be willing to be interviewed on this issue?

[Jo-Anne Pugh @jbpugh]

Help for those confused by EHRC guidance, as seen last week in Greece. Not difficult.

[TransgenderTrend @Transgendertrd]

The 'tomboy' characters in Enid Blyton books were important role models for girls who didn't conform to 'girly' stereotypes. These characters told them 'you're fine as you are.'

Now girls are given the opposite message. Now they have to turn into boys to be okay.

[Jo-Anne Pugh @jbpugh]

Reckon they are saving BBC money, sacked the scriptwriters and are using AI? It was shocking. Coercive control was explored through Helen. That’s the way to do it. Lecturing people is embarrassing, dull and counterproductive

[Tomos Doran 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 🇬🇧 🇺🇦 🇮🇱 🇵🇸 @portraitinflesh]

I've never heard a less organic conversation in my life. It's like they've literally pasted an entire press release about modern day misogyny right into the script. Quite extraordinary, even by #thearchers standards.

[Jo-Anne Pugh @jbpugh]

@68TRACTORBOY No, pretty much everyone else. In the end, someone much more senior than you told me that to do an explainer like that would put a booby trap under the bbc.

[Susan Dalgety @DalgetySusan]

The only senior Labour person to
reach out to @LucyHunterB and I after we sent them a copy of The Women Who Wouldn’t Wheesht was Wes Streeting. Just saying.

[Jo-Anne Pugh @jbpugh]

@68TRACTORBOY And I can “verify”, Caroline Lowbridge deserves a medal for the grief she got (internally and externally) just for doing her job.

[Jo-Anne Pugh @jbpugh]

Hope all my former colleagues read this. A lesson in how an organisation, once staffed by curious sceptics, caved in the face of a well-orchestrated and aggressive campaign based on beliefs not facts - leading to massive reputational damage

[UnHerd @unherd]

Inside the capture of the BBC, by Rob Burley (@RobBurl)

In his 13 years as a senior BBC editor, Rob Burley saw the Corporation’s defining commitment to impartiality undermined by transgender ideology, a blind commitment to Diversity & Inclusion schemes, and a culture of intolerance.

Informed by his experiences at Newsnight alongside other prestige shows, his major investigation reveals how the BBC took a side in the culture wars.

He draws on extensive interviews with current and former staff — including journalists at the very top.

Speaking out for the first time since leaving the Corporation, Fran Unsworth, the former director of BBC News, reveals in an explosive interview: “I would actually say it drove me out, just dealing with the progressive editorial issues and the bullying around them all. It was incredibly difficult.”

Read more below ⬇️

https://t.co/SAO9HK18Yu

[Jo-Anne Pugh @jbpugh]

Ps @68TRACTORBOY happy to send you a selection of the emails I sent, repeatedly suggesting a fact check on sex and gender, science and the law so we could have some informed debate.

[Jo-Anne Pugh @jbpugh]

New heroine

[Maeve Halligan @MaeveHalligan]

"No, I don't subscribe to this 'kindness' - I'll tell the truth instead."

I spoke at the Cambridge Union last night about LGBs, children's safety and women's rights. Full video here: