Latest news with #activism
Daily Mail
4 hours ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
JENNI MURRAY: Why no one would want to wear this T-shirt now... it's poisoned
Back in the day, it seemed anyone who was anyone wore them: those T-shirts which declared in large letters across the chest: 'This is what a feminist looks like.' The actor Benedict Cumberbatch showed his off, as did politicians Ed Miliband, Nick Clegg and Harriet Harman. I did, too, back in 2014, as I was the president of The Fawcett Society – an organisation that has long campaigned for greater equality between women and men. It was such a simple, yet powerful message, that both men and women of all political shades could be proud of being feminists. Just over a decade on, though, I doubt anyone would wear such a slogan. The word 'feminist' has been poisoned by the phenomenal power of trans activists. Indeed, I believe we've lived through the worst years ever for those feminists who, like me, have held fast to the belief that women's welfare must always be the priority. To my mind, the rot set in around 2012, when Maria Miller became Minister for Women and Equalities under the Tory/Lib Dem coalition. Since then, women have slid down the political agenda in favour of biological males who identify as women. I remember interviewing Miller on Woman's Hour and being shocked when she told me her primary concern was for the trans community who, she said, had told her they suffered terrible discrimination. I challenged her, pointing out that a Minister for Women should have more responsibility for women than for trans women. She ignored me. Those of us who refused to accept trans women were women suffered a great deal back then. And any woman who agreed with me was disparagingly dubbed 'TERF' – a trans exclusionary radical feminist. I received worse than just this label, though. An article on the issue that I wrote in The Sunday Times in 2017 saw me threatened with rape and murder on social media. Trans women, I said, deserved respect and consideration but must not see themselves as women with the right to be welcomed into single-sex spaces or be housed in women's prisons if they committed a crime. Harriet Harman wears a shirt reading 'this is what a feminist looks like' - also sported in the past by Ed Miliband and Nick Clegg Jenni Murray believes women have slid down the political agenda in favour of biological males who identify as women since Maria Miller (pictured_ became Minister for Women and Equalities in 2012 My perfectly reasonable views not only brought me those horrifying threats, but the BBC declared I must not be allowed to discuss the issue on Woman's Hour. And when my alma mater, Hull University, wanted to name a lecture theatre after me, the noisy trans activists tried to stop it. All this kind of intimidation is still happening – despite the ruling from the Supreme Court that the legal definition of a woman within the Equality Act should be based on biological sex. But now it appears that the latest clever, outspoken woman who is suffering for her feminism is Dr Mary-Ann Stephenson, the Prime Minister's choice to lead the Equality and Human Rights Commission when Baroness Falkner ends her term in November. Mary-Ann was director of The Fawcett Society in the mid-2000s when I was appointed president. She went on to become director of the Women's Budget Group – a feminist think-tank that provides evidence for the benefits of a gender-equal economy. And as well as working on equality and human rights issues for three decades, she holds a PhD in equality law. You'd imagine that, as she appears to be perfectly qualified to lead the equality watchdog, the suggestion of her appointment would be met with praise. But enter the trans activist, and Mary-Ann's commitment to feminism is called into question. Should she head the watchdog, they ask, when she has been open about her concerns for women whose careers were damaged by what are known as 'gender-critical' views? As far back as 2015, she co-signed a letter to The Guardian decrying 'the worrying pattern of intimidation and silencing of individuals whose views are deemed transphobic'. Dr Mary-Ann Stephenson (pictured) is Sir Keir Starmer's choice to lead the Equality and Human Rights Commission when Baroness Falkner ends her term in November She also donated to the legal fund of Allison Bailey, a barrister who took her chambers to court when they asked her to remove two 'gender-critical' tweets. Trans activists have clearly been successful at lobbying the Lords and Commons' equalities committees, as they challenged her decision to sign the letter to The Guardian. They had, they said, received hundreds of emails and letters from transgender people with concerns about her appointment. Mary-Ann defended her statements because, she said, she was opposed to 'attempts to close down debate'. She said her £25 donation to Allison Bailey's legal fund 'was very specifically because I was upset at seeing women being harassed or sacked from their jobs for peaceful expression of legally protected beliefs'. Those two committees who've been so influenced by the trans lobby have only an advisory role. It will be Bridget Phillipson, the Education Secretary and Minister for Women and Equalities, who will make the final decision. Surely ministers will not allow the transgender rights groups to stop her getting the job? She must not be silenced. Mary-Ann is a woman who knows what needs to be said in support of women who've had to beg for their safe places. Biology trumps gender. The Supreme Court said so. It must be repeated over and over until it sinks in and we don't have to worry any more about being bullied for our beliefs. Hands off our Bayeux tapestry! The Bayeux tapestry should not be coming here 'on loan' from the French. It's not theirs. It's ours, exquisitely stitched by hard-working English women, telling the story of the Battle of Hastings with lots of humour. William the Conqueror features, obviously, but why has France held on to him as a truly French conquering hero? His ancestors were actually Viking invaders of Normandy. Maybe invasion runs in families... The Bayeux tapestry was exquisitely stitched, likely by hard-working English women, to recount the story of the Battle of Hastings Top of a recent list of all-time favourite toys are Lego and Rubik's Cubes. Not my favourites, though. I've stood on far too many Lego pieces in bare feet and the Cube defeated me completely. Sons one and two both did it in a flash. Children are the real victims Welsh actor Ioan Gruffudd has received texts from his girls – 15 and 11 years old – begging for money as they're about to become homeless. He says he is releasing the disturbing messages to show the children are being involved in his ex-wife Alice Evans' 'false and manufactured claim' that she is in financial crisis as he had been paying child support. Frankly, I think both parents are a disgrace. Marriages end and there's grief, but it's up to the adults – not their poor children – to sort things out. Welsh actor Ioan Gruffudd pictured with wife Bianca Wallace. He has two children with ex-wife Alice Evans Smutty Gregg needs to grow up I remember Gregg Wallace when he and his late pal Charlie Hicks, a keen advocate for the home-grown produce industry, came on Radio 4 to talk fruit and veg. There was lots of barrow-boy bonhomie, but nothing too offensive. Gregg's wrong to say, in the light of his disgrace, that working class guys no longer have a place in broadcasting. Of course they do – but only if they've grown up enough to know women tend not to like smut with their apples and pears.
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Trader Joe's are being targeted by ‘extreme' animal rights groups in California - with protestors allegedly posing as employees
Shoppers at Trader Joe's in California have been sharing the aisles with animal rights activists, and it doesn't appear that's going change anytime soon. Over the past few months, Direct Action Everywhere - a Berkeley-headquartered group - has been holding demonstrations inside Trader Joe's stores across the state. As the group's name suggests, their tactics include disrupting the daily operations of targeted companies. At Trader Joe's, that has taken the form of marching into the stores with megaphones, screaming profanities at customers, gluing themselves to surfaces, and using signs and videos. According to SFGATE, the group is protesting Trader Joe's poultry products, alleging its supplier — Perdue subsidiary Petaluma Poultry — is keeping birds in inhumane conditions. Trader Joe's has served the group a cease-and-desist letter, according to a July 3 complaint in Alameda County courts. Trader Joe's legal representatives believe the group will ignore the cease and desist and will continue to enter its stores and disrupt customers, the documents state. A group of animal rights activists called Direct Action Everywhere has been holding disruptive protests inside California Trader Joe's locations (Getty Images) The complaint notes that Direct Action Everywhere has been targeting Trader Joe's locations for years, but the group's incursions have only recently become more aggressive and more frequent. It describes the group as using signs, skits, and videos, and alleges that more aggressive tactics are causing potential fights. 'They have threatened and berated Trader Joe's customers and Crew Members, physically engaged with Trader Joe's customers, removed items from customers' shopping baskets, and posed as authorized representatives of Trader Joe's,' the complaint says. During a disruption on July 2 at a Pasadena Trader Joe's, one woman glued herself to the meat aisle. At the same time, another protester glued herself to the front desk at the grocery chain's corporate headquarters in Monrovia. Both women were arrested and charged with court dates set for August, according to SFGATE. Days before the July 2 event, Direct Action Everywhere members protested at a number of Trader Joe's locations across California. The complaint alleges that Trader Joe's employees asked the group to stop filming and to leave, but they refused. On June 28, the group stormed a San Diego Trader Joe's and some members allegedly got into a shouting match with a customer, according to the complaint. The lawsuit says that "at least a dozen customers complaint to Crew members about how shaken they were and how some of them were harassed verbally and felt threatened." The Independent has contacted Trader Joe's, Petaluma Poultry, and Direct Action Everywhere for comment. The group says it plans to continue its protests until Trader Joe's changes its poultry supplier. 'I've seen firsthand the cruelty at Perdue's Petaluma Poultry—chickens sick, injured, crammed into filthy crates, left to suffer in agony,' Carla Cabral, a Direct Action Everywhere member named in the complaint, said in a news release. 'We brought this to Trader Joe's, but instead of listening, they blocked us, refused all dialogue, and hired powerful attorneys to try to shut us up.'
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
They're calling her an influencer. She's calling it campaign strategy.
TUCSON, ARIZ. — On a Saturday afternoon, Deja Foxx is staging a TikTok Live in her living room. A phone tripod is set up in front of her kitchen table. The frame is centered on a slouchy sofa against an adobe wall, where a chile ristra hangs on one side. 'All right, everybody, take your seats,' she tells the mix of young volunteers, family members and campaign staff who are gathered to help her. 'You have some really great mail to open, and I'm so excited because usually it's just me and my mom that do this.' She goes live and takes a seat next to her mom on the couch. One volunteer reads a letter from a 19-year-old named Henry from California: 'Even though I can't vote for you, I adore your campaign,' he wrote. 'We need more young leaders and new, fresh ideas from us, Gen Z. As someone who grew up on MediCal, and free public school lunch, who currently is uninsured, I enjoy your background and fighting for us.' Another volunteer read a note from 20-year-old Julie, who wrote that while she's been frustrated and overwhelmed by the state of politics, following Foxx's campaign gave her hope. 'I've been writing to my officials, but wanted to write something positive for a change. Keep doing what you're doing.' Other letter writers included a 22-year-old activist who started organizing after the Parkland shooting, a college student in Phoenix who offered to work for Foxx's political office in the future, a 23-year-old from Chicago who started following her social media years ago, a North Carolina dad of a daughter moving to Arizona, and a Kentucky woman worried about Medicaid coverage. Volunteers spent 30 minutes reading that day's mail. During the weekly segment, the audience is usually in the thousands. Most of the notes included a donation, with the amounts ranging from $20 to $2,000. By the end of the read out Foxx had raised $4,000, mostly from people located outside Arizona. Just two days before, she announced she hit $500,000 in campaign donations, raised through 18,000 individual donors. Just two months ago, Foxx wrote on Substack about the difficulties of running her campaign for Congress as a Gen Z candidate. She made a plea directly to her online followers: 'Our biggest challenge and the only one that really matters: You haven't invested in us yet.' At the time, a slow trickle of donations was keeping afloat her campaign to fill the seat left by U.S. Rep Raúl Grijalva, who represented the southern Arizona district for over 20 years. Shortly after the lawmaker's death in March, his daughter Adelita Grijalva — who has served for decades in local politics on Tucson's school board and more recently on the Pima County Board of Supervisors — tossed her hat in the ring for the Democratic primary. Then came the endorsements: Arizona U.S. Sens. Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego, and progressive politicians like Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. The winner of that primary, which takes place July 15 and includes former state Rep. Daniel Hernandez, will almost certainly go on to win the September special election in this solidly Democratic district. Foxx announced that she would take on Grijalva in early April. Most of her short political life — at 25, she would be the youngest woman elected to Congress — has focused on reproductive rights. She served on the board of Planned Parenthood in Arizona at age 17, worked in Tucson health clinics as a sex educator in high school, and more recently worked on the Prop 139 Ballot Initiative campaign in 2024, which enshrined the right to abortion in the state's constitution. But while Foxx doesn't have the backing of 'the establishment,' as she refers to it, or the name recognition of Grijalva, she's created her own buzz by using her social media platforms to speak directly to her generation. Over the past month, her stories have been viewed almost 30 million times on TikTok, Facebook and Instagram. She also has thousands of followers on Substack. That support and the donations that followed afforded her television advertisements, something that was out of reach when she started. Her social media savvy has allowed her to bypass the need for big donors, build her own following, and capitalize on national support that's percolated from the ground up. Along the way she's making the argument that her social media skills aren't just part of a campaign strategy, but necessary to communicate the politics of the party as the electorate grows younger and more disillusioned. 'We saw people in the party, in the traditional media, wringing their hands, 'How did we lose young people in this last election? Why did they move toward apathy and the other side? … And it's because we're failing to compete in social media and new media spaces,' Foxx said. 'If we want to win in 2028, I promise you that it is going to require electing leaders in this party who can be effective messengers.' Foxx learned the power of a viral moment when she was a 16-year-old activist for Planned Parenthood. At a town hall in 2017, she asked former Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake (R) why he would deny her the American dream by voting against funding that made birth control accessible to people who grew up in poverty. Foxx, who was insured through Medicaid at the time, got her birth control from Planned Parenthood. A clip of the exchange went viral. 'I woke up the next day and millions had seen the video,' she said. It's a moment that changed how she thought about activism. The fact that millions of people watched her on their phones and computers put her on equal footing in public discourse with the United States senator, she said. 'As a 16-year-old girl working at a gas station … that is remarkable.' In the nine years since, the political world has grown to recognize the necessity of social media in campaigns, and politicians have turned to Foxx for her expertise. At the same time she was becoming a prominent reproductive rights activist, she used Instagram to build community among her peers through her organization Gen Z Girl Gang. She worked as an influencer and digital strategist for the Kamala Harris campaign in 2019 and later as a social media director at a political action committee. In 2024, she was invited to speak at the Democratic National Convention in support of Harris as an activist and content creator. But it's in her own run for Congress where she has been able to test these communication strategies herself. On her TikTok and Instagram accounts, soundbites from her debates have racked up millions of views. More personal reels, like when she surprised her mom with her first batch of campaign literature, have gone viral. She's embraced being interviewed by independent journalists with followings on places like Substack and YouTube. 'She's using communication styles and platforms that are meeting people where they're at. That style may turn off some older voters, but it's going to excite younger voters who are particularly disaffected or disenfranchised or disheartened by American politics and even the Democratic party,' said Jessica Maddox, an associate professor of digital media at the University of Alabama. 'I've been particularly impressed with her TikTok presence, because it feels very authentic.' That authenticity is the main ingredient in connecting with young voters online, experts say. Maddox and others pointed to the success of Zohran Mamdani's mayoral campaign in New York as an example of how young politicians are tapping into social media to drum up real support at the polls. Both candidates utilized platforms to engage with people, like Gen Z, who are likely to sit out primaries where voters tend to be older. The strategy puts lesser known candidates on a more equal playing field, allowing them to subvert the traditional hierarchies that fuel campaigns. 'There's always been a tight relationship between legacy media and politics, and social media kind of upends that,' Maddox said. '[Foxx] can kind of bypass more traditional outlets and get the message out herself.' Social media has also turned a local race into a national fundraiser, which has helped her stay competitive. Candidates like Grijalva and Hernandez have benefited from deeper donor pockets, and outside support from political action committees. By early May, both candidates had already raised hundreds of thousands of dollars, according to the Arizona Republic. Their latest campaign finance numbers are expected to be released soon. Foxx announced she had hit $600,000 in donations at the end of June. 'It's an interesting social media element that someone these days could have supporters kind of all over the country, even though they're running for a very specific seat,' said Kathryn Coduto, a professor of media science at Boston University. While there is a scarcity of polls in the race, a recent one commissioned by Foxx's campaign shows her name recognition has risen significantly since May, when half of likely voters hadn't heard of her. And, on Wednesday, David Hogg's political action committee announced it would be endorsing her in the race. Hogg, who became famous for his activism after the Parkland mass shooting, now runs a political organization called Leaders We Deserve, aimed at building generational change for Democrats. 'If we replace one of the oldest members of Congress with the youngest — Deja is just 25 years old — we could send an incredibly strong message about which direction the Democratic Party is heading in, and show people how we are dramatically changing to meet this moment,' Hogg said in an Instagram Reel. While Foxx has worked as an influencer in the past, now that she's running for office that label has been used to undercut her years of political work and activism. At her first debate, Foxx also pointed out that some of her opponents have belittled her influencer experience. In recent news articles, people associated with Grijalva's campaign have questioned whether Foxx's national reach is the same as in-district community support. The label 'influencer' carries a lot of baggage, experts say. It's still seen as superficial or trivial despite its power in activism and politics. It's also another way of writing off young people, particularly women, as unserious. 'It's seen as like little girls playing instead of actually utilizing this tool to accomplish something and talk to constituents,' Coduto said. Jade Larson, who wrote her doctoral dissertation on political fandom and social media, said it's also not surprising that there is such a stigma around being a politician-influencer. 'Every time media is used in a new way in politics, it's this scandalous thing,' she said. 'You can track it all the way back to Bill Clinton going on the 'Late Night Show' and playing saxophone, to Obama starting POTUS on Twitter, to Trump making his own social media [network]. It's always something that's scandalous, and people push back against it until it kind of becomes the mainstream and the norm.' Arguably it is the mainstream now. The power of social media that Foxx tapped into nearly a decade ago has only grown more influential in politics and the media — two industries that are closely intertwined. A report from Pew Research Center found that over half of U.S. adults get some of their news from social media, with women and Democrats making up greater regular news consumers on apps like TikTok and Instagram. These users also skew younger, with those between the ages of 18 to 40 making up the bulk of social media news consumers. In a separate poll by Pew Research, 48 percent of TikTok users ages 18 to 29 say keeping up with politics is one of the reasons they are on the platform. 'A whole lot of congresspeople can give a very solid MSNBC interview,' Foxx said. But as someone who interviewed them as a content creator at the State of the Union, 'I'm telling you that when they are put in front of an iPhone, there are so many members that fail to communicate. They don't think the way that our generation thinks. They fail to understand sound bites and algorithms, and youth or even meme culture.' At the same time that these social media strategies are taking off, voting power is also starting to shift to the very people that use them. Soon, Gen Z and Millennials will have just as much political sway as Gen X and the Baby Boomers — if they go out and vote, Coduto said. 'If you can cultivate enough excitement and you can find a way to really break through and get people to the polls by using social media, then I think it's going to be an unstoppable strategy.' Feeling overwhelmed by the news? The 19th is considering new ways to keep you informed. But we need your input. Fill out this quick survey to share your thoughts. The post They're calling her an influencer. She's calling it campaign strategy. appeared first on The 19th. News that represents you, in your inbox every weekday. Subscribe to our free, daily newsletter.
The Guardian
14 hours ago
- Health
- The Guardian
‘I was raped. And my dreams were shattered' – Gina Miller on abuse, cancer and the toxic race for Cambridge chancellor
My first question for Gina Miller is the same one I put to all interviewees – what did you have for breakfast? Since she's not a chef or a famous foodie, but the activist who fought Boris Johnson over his Brexit plans, and is now standing for chancellor of the University of Cambridge, this is more a journalistic ritual designed to test whether the recording device is working. But her response is startling. 'I rarely have time for breakfast,' says Miller, who turned 60 this year. 'I'm only just able to drink coffee again after my chemotherapy treatment for breast cancer, which is amazing. As my dose has just been reduced, I was able to have the one cup I'm limited to today.' The only outward clue that she is undergoing the treatment is a new Jean Seberg-style crop. She exudes energy and a zest for life. 'I was diagnosed in September last year,' she says, breezily. 'Actually, I should say 'self-diagnosed'. I knew something wasn't right with one of my breasts. The GP kept sending me away but after my fourth visit they agreed to a biopsy. I am so glad I listened to my inner voice that all was not well. It turned out that I had an aggressive form of the disease and had to have a very high dosage of chemotherapy from October to February. In March, I had a double mastectomy. I will be on the lower-dose chemo until December.' Since the recurrence rates are so high, Miller has opted for further surgery to remove her ovaries and fallopian tubes in January. 'I don't want to keep looking over my shoulder to see if it's going to come back,' she says. 'I'm lucky; I've had my three kids so I don't need my female organs. If I get rid of everything, the prognosis is good.' In February, in the midst of what must have been an exhausting and stressful period, Miller was approached by a group of Cambridge professors who asked if she might be interested in standing for chancellor. She initially said no, believing it was open only to Cambridge alumni, then learned that this was not a requirement. Still she demurred, but not because of her illness. 'I told them I wasn't interested in taking on a ceremonial role. I only want to do something that has a real impact because I think our country, and the world in fact, is at a particularly traumatic time in history. Cambridge has the resources, and the great, brilliant minds and standing as an institution, to contribute to the world and to us finding a more resilient and sustainable future.' Researching what scope the chancellor actually has, she discovered that the role includes the power to ensure that university officers are performing as they should be, and to resolve disputes where solutions can't be found otherwise. 'I came to the conclusion that although it has previously been a figurehead role, that could change. The chancellor sits on the university council so could act as chair. I decided I would throw my hat in the ring.' How did she find the energy to do that while undergoing chemotherapy? 'It's true, chemo is gruelling. It's not only the treatment, it's the emotional side of it. Your appearance changes. Losing your hair, your eyebrows, your eyelashes, it changes the way people treat you and judge you as a woman. But although I suffered terribly with nausea, I didn't stay in bed all day. I still tried to work for two to three hours a day and rested a lot, too.' I tell her the new haircut looks elegant and she laughs. 'You never normally see the shape of your head. I think I have a weird double crown. But thank you.' Miller made her name in 2016 in a landmark challenge to the government's right to trigger article 50, formalising the UK's exit from the EU, without a parliamentary vote, and then in 2019, successfully blocking a no-deal Brexit by fighting Johnson's attempt to prorogue parliament for five weeks. Although you may imagine that a freethinking, remainer-leaning academic hub such as Cambridge might welcome Miller with open arms, her appearance on the 10-strong candidate list has ruffled feathers. For one thing, there has never been a female chancellor in the university's 800-year history. To give a sense of the type of individual the role attracts, the previous two incumbents were Prince Philip, who was succeeded in 2011 by Lord Sainsbury of Turville. Apart from Miller, the only other female candidate is the comedian Sandi Toksvig. Also in the running are the former BP head John Browne and the former Labour minister Chris Smith. In his campaign statement, another candidate, the astrophysics professor Wyn Evans, wrote: 'If Cambridge needs a high-profile or celebrity chancellor to be noticed, we might as well give up and rebrand the university as a reality TV show: 'Keeping Up With the Cantabrigians'.' Miller is unimpressed: 'Weirdly, the candidate who made the Kardashians comment is actually someone who is saying that the university needs to address its bullying and harassment issues.' There have also been cries of foul play, with concerns over certain candidates spending money on PR and social media, bad-mouthing opponents and using the university insignia to promote themselves, which is against protocol. In the run-up to the elections, Miller has been speaking to past and present students, professors, researchers and academics at the university. 'The word that keeps coming up is complacency. Cambridge really needs leadership. Its ranking has slipped [from fifth to sixth in the world], and it needs to resolve the issues it's facing. Behind the scenes there is disquiet, be it in terms of discrimination, short-term contracts, intergenerational unfairness and the coming austerity measures.' She says that throughout her life, education has always been 'the anchor that has helped me to survive'. Her biggest inspiration was her father, Doodnauth Singh, who rose from being a petrol pump attendant in Guyana, studying law at night school, to become the country's attorney general. 'Education is what brought me to the UK, to a small boarding school in Eastbourne aged 11. Guyana was going through a dictatorship at the time and so I was sent to the UK to be safe. My parents were deeply passionate believers in the power of education.' But beyond all these motivations, she has a more pressing reason to want to contribute to the university's future: 'It just so happens that the type of breast cancer I have is a very rare genetic mutation, PALB2, which affects only 1-2% of breast cancer patients. Some of the scientists who discovered it are based at Cambridge University and I've got to know them, talking about the astonishing work they are doing and the medical advancements going on there. So I do feel as if I have a debt to repay them.' That the university needs strategic leadership is not in doubt. According to its internal watchdog, the university ran up a deficit of £53m for 2023/24 'with no clear understanding of what has happened or why'. It is expected to report a £47m deficit for 2024/25 and cuts of 5% have been instigated across the institution. Cambridge has also been ranked the worst university in the country for the support it offers its disabled students, according to a recent study. 'That is not good, especially when you have so many neurodiverse individuals. We need to tap into that brilliance, but that has to come with care and support,' says Miller, whose eldest daughter, now 37, has severe special needs. One of the biggest issues she is keen to address is wellbeing and safety support for students and staff. 'There is a lot of pressure on individuals to perform in a way that excels at every level. But not much focus on supporting people to get there.' She says that she would advocate for each college having a properly trained psychotherapist and wellbeing support teams. 'This isn't just for students, it's for staff. I've spoken to lots of young female researchers, especially those from ethnic minority backgrounds, about microaggressions and misogyny that is going on. They need an independent person to talk to. All schools and corporate environments offer this. Why doesn't Cambridge University? It's a false economy to run away from this.' Miller has very good reason to get behind this cause. In 1987, two months before she was due to sit her final exams for a law degree at the Polytechnic of East London, Miller was attacked by a group of four Asian men on campus. Even 38 years on, she is still visibly upset recounting the events of that night. 'It happened on campus. It was cricket season and India had just played Pakistan. The Asian student societies were all celebrating. I had been studying in the library and when I left, I was intending to go to Mile End tube station. Four men spotted me. They had wrongly identified me as an Indian woman and accused me of dressing and behaving too western. They had seen me with Adrian, my white boyfriend. They attacked me.' She pauses, distressed. 'I was raped.' This is the first time Miller has described the incident as rape. She did not report the crime, nor did she tell anybody. 'Like many cultures, in my community there is a lot of shame associated with crimes like this.' She stopped attending lectures. 'I was completely broken and dysfunctional for at least seven months, probably a year. In my mind, I was going to go back to study when I felt better. My dream had always been to follow in my father's footsteps, to become the best goddamn criminal barrister there was. Or maybe I'd go into family law. But after the attack, my dreams were shattered. In the end, unsupported, I just couldn't face going back.' Instead, she moved to Bristol to set up a photographic business with Adrian, who became her first husband and with whom she had a daughter when she was 23. Later, she went to study marketing at the University of North London. Ironically, 30 years after she left the Polytechnic of East London (which became the University of East London in 1992), it awarded her with an honorary doctorate of laws in 2017. In her memoir, Rise, Miller describes feeling an acute sense of 'identity limbo' when she started law school. I wonder if this might explain the drive behind her hyperactive CV. She has campaigned on domestic violence, modern-day slavery and online abuse, as well as launching numerous business ventures. In 2024, she stood as a parliamentary candidate for Epsom and Ewell, representing her own political party, True and Fair, but lost her deposit. 'I've had a very eventful life,' she laughs. 'Education has always supported me, but life has educated me, too.' Along the way, she escaped a difficult second marriage, taking her eldest daughter with her and later marrying her third husband, Alan, with whom she has a son who is studying medicine and a daughter who has just sat her A-levels. But since 2016, her life has been lived against a backdrop of horrendous abuse. At the height of the Brexit legal proceedings, her family were under the protection of the anti-terrorism squad. To this day, she is still at the sharp end of public vitriol. Why would she put her head above the parapet again? 'I've considered this role really carefully. I think I have the bandwidth to do it.' She does add, though, that she is done with politics. 'I discovered that it's not for me. I'm disillusioned with our political system.' Before we finish, I ask Miller if she ever switches off, and she mentions her love of cooking, sharing with me a foolproof recipe for crispy aubergine, as well as dancing and music. Unexpectedly, she turns out to be an Iggy Pop fan. Was she a punk? 'No! But I did like Chrissie Hynde. As for Iggy, I just love Lust for Life. If you want to understand my take on life, that is the perfect song.' Information and support for anyone affected by rape or sexual abuse issues is available from the following organisations. In the UK, Rape Crisis offers support on 0808 500 2222 in England and Wales, 0808 801 0302 in Scotland, or 0800 0246 991 in Northern Ireland. In the US, Rainn offers support on 800-656-4673. In Australia, support is available at 1800Respect (1800 737 732). Other international helplines can be found at
The Guardian
17 hours ago
- Health
- The Guardian
‘I was raped. And my dreams were shattered' – Gina Miller on abuse, cancer and the toxic race for Cambridge chancellor
My first question for Gina Miller is the same one I put to all interviewees – what did you have for breakfast? Since she's not a chef or a famous foodie, but the activist who fought Boris Johnson over his Brexit plans, and is now standing for chancellor of the University of Cambridge, this is more a journalistic ritual designed to test whether the recording device is working. But her response is startling. 'I rarely have time for breakfast,' says Miller, who turned 60 this year. 'I'm only just able to drink coffee again after my chemotherapy treatment for breast cancer, which is amazing. As my dose has just been reduced, I was able to have the one cup I'm limited to today.' The only outward clue that she is undergoing the treatment is a new Jean Seberg-style crop. She exudes energy and a zest for life. 'I was diagnosed in September last year,' she says, breezily. 'Actually, I should say 'self-diagnosed'. I knew something wasn't right with one of my breasts. The GP kept sending me away but after my fourth visit they agreed to a biopsy. I am so glad I listened to my inner voice that all was not well. It turned out that I had an aggressive form of the disease and had to have a very high dosage of chemotherapy from October to February. In March, I had a double mastectomy. I will be on the lower-dose chemo until December.' Since the recurrence rates are so high, Miller has opted for further surgery to remove her ovaries and fallopian tubes in January. 'I don't want to keep looking over my shoulder to see if it's going to come back,' she says. 'I'm lucky; I've had my three kids so I don't need my female organs. If I get rid of everything, the prognosis is good.' In February, in the midst of what must have been an exhausting and stressful period, Miller was approached by a group of Cambridge professors who asked if she might be interested in standing for chancellor. She initially said no, believing it was open only to Cambridge alumni, then learned that this was not a requirement. Still she demurred, but not because of her illness. 'I told them I wasn't interested in taking on a ceremonial role. I only want to do something that has a real impact because I think our country, and the world in fact, is at a particularly traumatic time in history. Cambridge has the resources, and the great, brilliant minds and standing as an institution, to contribute to the world and to us finding a more resilient and sustainable future.' Researching what scope the chancellor actually has, she discovered that the role includes the power to ensure that university officers are performing as they should be, and to resolve disputes where solutions can't be found otherwise. 'I came to the conclusion that although it has previously been a figurehead role, that could change. The chancellor sits on the university council so could act as chair. I decided I would throw my hat in the ring.' How did she find the energy to do that while undergoing chemotherapy? 'It's true, chemo is gruelling. It's not only the treatment, it's the emotional side of it. Your appearance changes. Losing your hair, your eyebrows, your eyelashes, it changes the way people treat you and judge you as a woman. But although I suffered terribly with nausea, I didn't stay in bed all day. I still tried to work for two to three hours a day and rested a lot, too.' I tell her the new haircut looks elegant and she laughs. 'You never normally see the shape of your head. I think I have a weird double crown. But thank you.' Miller made her name in 2016 in a landmark challenge to the government's right to trigger article 50, formalising the UK's exit from the EU, without a parliamentary vote, and then in 2019, successfully blocking a no-deal Brexit by fighting Johnson's attempt to prorogue parliament for five weeks. Although you may imagine that a freethinking, remainer-leaning academic hub such as Cambridge might welcome Miller with open arms, her appearance on the 10-strong candidate list has ruffled feathers. For one thing, there has never been a female chancellor in the university's 800-year history. To give a sense of the type of individual the role attracts, the previous two incumbents were Prince Philip, who was succeeded in 2011 by Lord Sainsbury of Turville. Apart from Miller, the only other female candidate is the comedian Sandi Toksvig. Also in the running are the former BP head John Browne and the former Labour minister Chris Smith. In his campaign statement, another candidate, the astrophysics professor Wyn Evans, wrote: 'If Cambridge needs a high-profile or celebrity chancellor to be noticed, we might as well give up and rebrand the university as a reality TV show: 'Keeping Up With the Cantabrigians'.' Miller is unimpressed: 'Weirdly, the candidate who made the Kardashians comment is actually someone who is saying that the university needs to address its bullying and harassment issues.' There have also been cries of foul play, with concerns over certain candidates spending money on PR and social media, bad-mouthing opponents and using the university insignia to promote themselves, which is against protocol. In the run-up to the elections, Miller has been speaking to past and present students, professors, researchers and academics at the university. 'The word that keeps coming up is complacency. Cambridge really needs leadership. Its ranking has slipped [from fifth to sixth in the world], and it needs to resolve the issues it's facing. Behind the scenes there is disquiet, be it in terms of discrimination, short-term contracts, intergenerational unfairness and the coming austerity measures.' She says that throughout her life, education has always been 'the anchor that has helped me to survive'. Her biggest inspiration was her father, Doodnauth Singh, who rose from being a petrol pump attendant in Guyana, studying law at night school, to become the country's attorney general. 'Education is what brought me to the UK, to a small boarding school in Eastbourne aged 11. Guyana was going through a dictatorship at the time and so I was sent to the UK to be safe. My parents were deeply passionate believers in the power of education.' But beyond all these motivations, she has a more pressing reason to want to contribute to the university's future: 'It just so happens that the type of breast cancer I have is a very rare genetic mutation, PALB2, which affects only 1-2% of breast cancer patients. Some of the scientists who discovered it are based at Cambridge University and I've got to know them, talking about the astonishing work they are doing and the medical advancements going on there. So I do feel as if I have a debt to repay them.' That the university needs strategic leadership is not in doubt. According to its internal watchdog, the university ran up a deficit of £53m for 2023/24 'with no clear understanding of what has happened or why'. It is expected to report a £47m deficit for 2024/25 and cuts of 5% have been instigated across the institution. Cambridge has also been ranked the worst university in the country for the support it offers its disabled students, according to a recent study. 'That is not good, especially when you have so many neurodiverse individuals. We need to tap into that brilliance, but that has to come with care and support,' says Miller, whose eldest daughter, now 37, has severe special needs. One of the biggest issues she is keen to address is wellbeing and safety support for students and staff. 'There is a lot of pressure on individuals to perform in a way that excels at every level. But not much focus on supporting people to get there.' She says that she would advocate for each college having a properly trained psychotherapist and wellbeing support teams. 'This isn't just for students, it's for staff. I've spoken to lots of young female researchers, especially those from ethnic minority backgrounds, about microaggressions and misogyny that is going on. They need an independent person to talk to. All schools and corporate environments offer this. Why doesn't Cambridge University? It's a false economy to run away from this.' Miller has very good reason to get behind this cause. In 1987, two months before she was due to sit her final exams for a law degree at the Polytechnic of East London, Miller was attacked by a group of four Asian men on campus. Even 38 years on, she is still visibly upset recounting the events of that night. 'It happened on campus. It was cricket season and India had just played Pakistan. The Asian student societies were all celebrating. I had been studying in the library and when I left, I was intending to go to Mile End tube station. Four men spotted me. They had wrongly identified me as an Indian woman and accused me of dressing and behaving too western. They had seen me with Adrian, my white boyfriend. They attacked me.' She pauses, distressed. 'I was raped.' This is the first time Miller has described the incident as rape. She did not report the crime, nor did she tell anybody. 'Like many cultures, in my community there is a lot of shame associated with crimes like this.' She stopped attending lectures. 'I was completely broken and dysfunctional for at least seven months, probably a year. In my mind, I was going to go back to study when I felt better. My dream had always been to follow in my father's footsteps, to become the best goddamn criminal barrister there was. Or maybe I'd go into family law. But after the attack, my dreams were shattered. In the end, unsupported, I just couldn't face going back.' Instead, she moved to Bristol to set up a photographic business with Adrian, who became her first husband and with whom she had a daughter when she was 23. Later, she went to study marketing at the University of North London. Ironically, 30 years after she left the Polytechnic of East London (which became the University of East London in 1992), it awarded her with an honorary doctorate of laws in 2017. In her memoir, Rise, Miller describes feeling an acute sense of 'identity limbo' when she started law school. I wonder if this might explain the drive behind her hyperactive CV. She has campaigned on domestic violence, modern-day slavery and online abuse, as well as launching numerous business ventures. In 2024, she stood as a parliamentary candidate for Epsom and Ewell, representing her own political party, True and Fair, but lost her deposit. 'I've had a very eventful life,' she laughs. 'Education has always supported me, but life has educated me, too.' Along the way, she escaped a difficult second marriage, taking her eldest daughter with her and later marrying her third husband, Alan, with whom she has a son who is studying medicine and a daughter who has just sat her A-levels. But since 2016, her life has been lived against a backdrop of horrendous abuse. At the height of the Brexit legal proceedings, her family were under the protection of the anti-terrorism squad. To this day, she is still at the sharp end of public vitriol. Why would she put her head above the parapet again? 'I've considered this role really carefully. I think I have the bandwidth to do it.' She does add, though, that she is done with politics. 'I discovered that it's not for me. I'm disillusioned with our political system.' Before we finish, I ask Miller if she ever switches off, and she mentions her love of cooking, sharing with me a foolproof recipe for crispy aubergine, as well as dancing and music. Unexpectedly, she turns out to be an Iggy Pop fan. Was she a punk? 'No! But I did like Chrissie Hynde. As for Iggy, I just love Lust for Life. If you want to understand my take on life, that is the perfect song.' Information and support for anyone affected by rape or sexual abuse issues is available from the following organisations. In the UK, Rape Crisis offers support on 0808 500 2222 in England and Wales, 0808 801 0302 in Scotland, or 0800 0246 991 in Northern Ireland. In the US, Rainn offers support on 800-656-4673. In Australia, support is available at 1800Respect (1800 737 732). Other international helplines can be found at
