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A Political Star Rises in Britain, Helped by Twitter A Political Star Rises in Britain, Helped by Twitter
(17 days later)
LONDON — Stella Creasy is young, female and very blonde, which would describe any number of aides around Parliament. But there aren’t a whole lot of anecdotes about this British politician being mistaken for a secretary or an intern. LONDON — STELLA CREASY is young, female and very blond, which would describe any number of aides around Parliament. But there aren’t many anecdotes about this politician’s being mistaken for a secretary or an intern.
There is one: In 2011, a year after she was elected to the House of Commons for the opposition Labour Party, Ms. Creasy got into an elevator in Westminster and was stopped by a male legislator from the Conservative Party. Andrew Robathan, a junior defense minister, told her that it was reserved for members of Parliament only. He thought she was a researcher. There is one: In 2011, a year after she was elected to the House of Commons for the opposition Labour Party, Ms. Creasy got into an elevator and was stopped by Andrew Robathan, a legislator from the governing Conservative Party. Mr. Robathan, a junior defense minister, told her that it was reserved for members of Parliament. He thought she was a researcher.
“Can’t you read?” he snapped.“Can’t you read?” he snapped.
Ms. Creasy, 36, took no offense. But in a recent interview she recalled rebuking Mr. Robathan, 62, for telling another woman, a member of the public, to get out of the elevator as well: “I said to him, ‘Don’t you realize, when you’re rude to the public, they think we are all like that?’ And he was like, ‘Oh, well, I’m sick of these people coming in and using our facilities,’ and I was like, ‘We are only here because of them, don’t you get that?”’ Ms. Creasy, now 36, took no offense. But in a recent interview she recalled rebuking Mr. Robathan, now 62, for telling another woman, a member of the public, to get out of the elevator as well. “I said to him, ‘Don’t you realize, when you’re rude to the public, they think we are all like that?’” she said. “And he was like, ‘Oh, well, I’m sick of these people coming in and using our facilities,’ and I was like, ‘We are only here because of them — don’t you get that?’”
Indeed, most stories told about Ms. Creasy these days are about how fearless she is, how in touch with voters – and, most intriguingly, how she might be one of Labour’s best hopes to win back power. She is one of only 147 women in the 650-strong House of Commons. Indeed, most stories told about Ms. Creasy these days are about how fearless she is, how in touch with voters she is and, most intriguingly, how she might be one of Labour’s best hopes to win back power. She is one of 147 women in the 650-member House of Commons.
The first time she walked into Parliament in May 2010, Ms. Creasy put on her headphones and listened to “She Bangs the Drums” by the Stone Roses (“The past was yours/But the future’s mine/ You’re all out of time”). She had created a special playlist for the occasion. The first time she walked into Parliament, in May 2010, Ms. Creasy put on her headphones and listened to “She Bangs the Drums,” by the Stone Roses (“The past was yours/But the future’s mine/You’re all out of time”). She had created a special playlist for the occasion.
Since then Ms. Creasy has banged on several drums herself, building a reputation as an effective campaigner who combines traditional politics, social networking savvy and a community organizing background that dates to her teenage days protesting live animal exports on freezing shipping docks. “The M.P. who won’t back down,” The Guardian newspaper called her in a recent headline. Since then, Ms. Creasy, who has spoken out on mainstream issues like Syria and the national debt, has banged on several drums herself. She has built a reputation as an effective campaigner who combines traditional politics, social networking savvy and a community organizing background that dates to her teenage days protesting live animal exports on freezing shipping docks. “The M.P. who ‘won’t back down,’” The Guardian called her in a recent headline.
First, she took on high-interest, payday lenders in a drawn-out battle that forced the government late last year to give regulators the power to cap the cost of credit in Britain. First, she took on high-interest payday lenders in a drawn-out battle that forced the government late last year to give regulators the explicit power to cap the cost of credit in Britain.
Then last month, in what might end up being remembered as the moment she became a household name in Britain, she went after misogynist Twitter trolls — and Twitter itself. Then this summer, in what might end up being remembered as the moment she became a household name in Britain, she went after misogynist Twitter trolls — and Twitter itself.
When Caroline Criado-Perez, a female journalist who led a successful campaign to keep images of women on British bank notes, started receiving a stream of rape and death threats on Twitter, Ms. Creasy rallied to her defense and soon became a target herself. Screen grabs of masked men with knives started appearing in her in-box, as did crude threats from accounts with names like @killcreasy and @killslutmps. When Caroline Criado-Perez, a journalist who led a successful campaign to keep images of women on British bank notes, started receiving a stream of rape and death threats on Twitter in July, Ms. Creasy rallied to her defense and soon became a target herself. Images of masked men with knives started appearing in her in-box, as did crude threats from accounts with names like @killcreasy and @killslutmps.
But she swiftly dismissed her attackers as “morons” and reported them to the police. When one called her a “dumb blonde bitch” on she tweeted back: “That’s dumb Dr. blonde bitch to you, actually.” (She has a Ph.D. from the London School of Economics.) But she swiftly dismissed her attackers as “morons” and reported them to the police. When one called her a “dumb blonde bitch” on Twitter, she wrote back: “That’s dumb Dr. blonde bitch to you, actually.” (She has a Ph.D. from the London School of Economics.)
Then she set her sights on Twitter, challenging the microblogging platform to overhaul its global policy on sexual abuse. The company’s British management team initially responded to Ms. Creasy’s posts by blocking her and locking their accounts. After a public outcry it did an about face and has since vowed to introduce a button to report abuse on every tweet. But Ms. Creasy says that is not enough. Then she set her sights on Twitter, challenging it to overhaul its global policy on sexual abuse. The company’s managers in Britain initially responded to Ms. Creasy’s posts by blocking her and locking their accounts. After a public outcry it did an about-face and has since vowed to introduce a button on every message to report abuse. But Ms. Creasy says that is not enough.
“I think Twitter don’t understand the determination and persistence, not just of me, but of all of us,” she said, demanding the company cooperate with police and set up a broader “panic button” that would allow reporting an account that is under attack rather than just individual posts. “We will be holding them to account.” “I think Twitter doesn’t understand the determination and persistence, not just of me, but of all of us,” she said, demanding that the company cooperate with the police and set up a broader “panic button” that would allow users to report that an account is under attack. “We will be holding them to account.”
Nicknamed “St. Ella” inside her own party, Ms. Creasy even has her share of fans on the other side of the political divide. ConservativeHome, a Web site close to the government, described her as “Labour’s most interesting member of Parliament” and applauded her “good sense” on public spending and government debt. NICKNAMED “St. Ella” inside her own party, Ms. Creasy even has her share of fans on the other side of the political divide. ConservativeHome, a Web site close to the government, described her as “Labour’s most interesting member of Parliament,” and applauded her “good sense” on public spending and government debt.
Currently the opposition’s spokesperson on crime prevention, she may be appointed to a more prominent role in a reshuffle ahead of the Labor Party conference next month. Currently the opposition’s spokeswoman on crime prevention, she may be appointed to a more prominent role in a reshuffle expected before the Labour Party conference this month.
“She is a bit of a star,” said Richard Bacon, a Conservative lawmaker who sat on the Public Accounts Committee in the House of Commons with Ms. Creasy. “She’s been mentioned as a future leader,” he said in a phone interview. “If the Labour Party knows what’s good for it, she is one to watch.” “She is a bit of a star,” said Richard Bacon, a Conservative lawmaker who sat on the Public Accounts Committee in the House of Commons with Ms. Creasy. “She’s been mentioned as a future leader. If the Labour Party knows what’s good for it, she is one to watch.”
Unlike the Conservative Party, which produced Margaret Thatcher, Labour has never elected a female leader. The party does seem to be trying to diversify: Ms. Creasy was elected from an all-women shortlist, one offering voters in certain constituencies a choice of only female candidates in order to increase the proportion of women lawmakers. Despite such affirmative action, Ms. Creasy acknowledged that her party still has “a road to travel” when it comes to gender equality. Unlike the Conservative Party, which produced Margaret Thatcher, Labour has never elected a female leader. The party does seem to be trying to diversify: Ms. Creasy was elected from an all-women short list, one offering voters in certain constituencies a choice of only female candidates, in order to increase the proportion of female lawmakers. Despite such affirmative action, Ms. Creasy acknowledged that her party still had “a road to travel” when it came to gender equality.
Indeed, Labour is in something of a bind. It remains the most popular party, but in Ed Miliband it has the least popular party leader, whose approval rating just plunged to another record low of 17 percent. Indeed, Labour is in something of a bind. It remains the most popular party, but, in Ed Miliband, it has the least popular party leader. His approval rating stands at 24 percent, according to a YouGov poll for The Sunday Times published this week.
Nobody has had to guess where Ms. Creasy stands. An obsessive tweeter – posting “probably more than I should but not as often as I mean to” — she shares her views with her 37,825-plus followers several times a day. Nobody has had to guess where Ms. Creasy stands. An obsessive Twitter user, posting “probably more than I should but not as often as I mean to,” she shares her views with her 38,229-plus followers several times a day.
She is an unapologetic feminist (“my mother is a feminist, my father is a feminist, my brother is a feminist”) who has supported grassroots campaigns against sexual violence and casual sexism since the days she went to a girls’ high school. She is a feminist (“my mother is a feminist, my father is a feminist, my brother is a feminist”) who has supported grass-roots campaigns against sexual violence and casual sexism since the days she went to a girls’ high school.
“I feel that my generation of feminists dropped the ball a bit,” she said. “We didn’t push as hard as we should have. And now we’re seeing a kind of backlash.”“I feel that my generation of feminists dropped the ball a bit,” she said. “We didn’t push as hard as we should have. And now we’re seeing a kind of backlash.”
A graduate from Cambridge University, she has also been vocal about her beliefs that governments should take an active role regulating markets and stay close to people’s every-day concerns. MS. CREASY, a graduate of Cambridge, has also been vocal about her beliefs that governments should take an active role in regulating markets and should stay close to people’s everyday concerns.
It was after several families in her northeast London constituency of Walthamstow had come to see her about spiraling debt problems that Ms. Creasy went to the main shopping street in the neighborhood to count the number of payday lenders and pawn shops. There were 12, one of her advisers recalls. Some, like Wonga, can charge cash-strapped borrowers upward of 4,000 percent on an annualized basis for short-term loans. After several families in her northeast London constituency, Walthamstow, went to see her about their spiraling debt problems, Ms. Creasy went to the main shopping street in the neighborhood to count the number of payday lenders and pawn shops. There were 12, one of her advisers recalled. Some, like Wonga, which reported a 35 percent jump in annual profits this week, can charge borrowers upward of 4,000 percent on an annualized basis for short-term loans.
Successive pieces of legislation Ms. Creasy introduced to restrict the practice got voted down. But the margins shrank. And when it looked like an amendment might finally win, the government rushed to pass its own amendment, giving a new financial regulator the power to limit borrowing costs as of next year. Ms. Creasy introduced several bills to restrict the practice, and each one was defeated — but by successively smaller margins. When it finally looked as though an amendment might finally be approved, the government rushed to pass its own measure, making it explicit that a new financial regulator could limit borrowing costs.
“The thing with Stella is that she is very persistent but also very sensitive, she really cares about people,” said Ms. Criado-Perez, who had reached out to Ms. Creasy when under attack from trolls. Ms. Creasy checked up on her every day and chased the police to follow up. “She even checked whether I was eating properly,” Ms. Criado-Perez recalled. “I texted her: ‘Hooray I’ve just eaten a burger.’ And she replied: ‘What about pudding?’” Ms. Creasy’s background in grass-roots campaigning has defined her politics, but it has also shaped her personal life.
Ms. Creasy’s background in grassroots campaigning has defined her politics but it has also shaped her personal life. The daughter of an opera singer and a special-needs teacher who were always involved in church and community work, Ms. Creasy also met her long-term partner through campaigning. She is private about their relationship, saying only that he works for the army and lives with her in Walthamstow.
The daughter of an opera singer and a special needs teacher who were always involved in church and community work, Ms. Creasy also met her long-term partner through campaigning. She is private about their relationship and says only that he works for the army and lives with her in Walthamstow. When she was 15, a difficult student and a brand-new member of the Labour Party, she had what she described as a “light bulb moment.” Shouting on a dock near her hometown, Colchester, in southeast England, to protest the live export of sheep, she realized that winning local elections and gaining control over the port would be a more effective way of reaching her goal.
When she was 15, a difficult student and a brandnew member of the Labour Party, she had what she described as a “light bulb moment:” Shouting at sheep on Brightlingsea dock near her hometown of Colchester in southeast England to protest their imminent export, she realized that winning local elections and gaining control over the port would be a more effective way of reaching her goal. One challenge for Ms. Creasy will be to retain the moral clarity that has been the hallmark of her political rise.
What has she learned in three short years in national politics? Last week, she voted against the government’s motion to intervene in Syria, all the while suggesting that in time she might back military action. She acknowledged this week that many people “remain concerned about the human rights of the Syrian people — and I share their view that protecting them should be our primary concern.”
“It’s one of my frustrations that people think you have to be a campaigner or you have to be a politician,” she said. “For me, I am both.”