The Staggers

The New Statesman’s rolling politics blog

Rise of Sarah Palin’s “mama grizzlies”

Exclusive: why Tory MPs Nadine Dorries and Louise Bagshawe love Palin power

By Sophie Elmhirst Published 30 September 2010 14:56

In my article in this week's magazine on the growing phenomenon of conservative women's movements in the US (which will be published in full on the site on Monday), two Tory MPs reveal their admiration for Sarah Palin and her troupe of "mama grizzlies" in the Tea Party:

Nadine Dorries MP says, "I think Sarah Palin is amazing. I totally admire her."

Louise Bagshawe MP describes Palin as a "remarkable figure": "I watched her acceptance speech at the Republican party conference and it seemed to me that it was a glorious moment, a birth of a new political star."

Bagshawe also identifies closely with Palin's socially conservative agenda. Here's a short extract from the piece:

Like some of her American sisters, Bagshawe is also anti-abortion. "I've never had a problem with being pro-life and a feminist," she says. "I don't consider them to be at all incompatible." She reveals that she is a member of a prominent US pro-life lobby group, Feminists For Life.

Dorries, meanwhile, would like to see a similar kind of uprising of stay-at-home, conservative mothers in the UK: "Do you know the people who have no voice in this country? Who are never written about, who journalists never talk about? The mums. Mums who decide that they will give up their careers and stay at home and look after their children."

From the piece:

Dorries says she has been inspired by recent events in the US - the primary victories of O'Donnell and others. With a new government in place, she senses a "wind of change" in the political atmosphere in Britain. In the last parliament, she says, it was "very difficult to talk about the family unit, and to talk about mothers and children . . . as the foundation of society, because it was seen as a very unsexy, untrendy thing to do and the opposite of what a woman should be doing". Given the sympathetic political climate, she sees an opportunity to mobilise a perceived constituency of ignored, stay-at-home mothers. "I think it's time somebody started to represent those mums," she says.

Read the full piece in this week's magazine, out today.

More from Sophie Elmhirst

View the discussion thread.

22 comments

Thu, 2010-09-30 23:58 — Gary (not verified)

This makes sense. Just as Americans adore the Iron Lady, Margret Thatcher, Brits should admire Sarah Palin. She is an incredible leader of great accomplishment.

Sarah Palin was one of the most successful Governors in the nation. She took on her own party, sending some to prison, and instituted sweeping reform.

She also cleaned up the budget, and is responsible for legislation that has created the largest construction project in North American history.

Also, unlike our current massive failure of a "president" Sarah Palin, like most Americans, sees Great Britain as a friend and an ally.

The world will be quite impressed with President Sarah Palin

Sat, 2010-10-02 14:24 — Stuart Eels (not verified)

What some strange posts!

Tell me Jimmie Johnson, that you were drunk when posted the post at 10.23, if not its no wonder that redneck Tea Party backwoods boys like Buckskin think we are all brain dead nitwits.

Fri, 2010-10-01 02:58 — Student (not verified)

Simply put, Palin is impressive.

A political genius, tough, has common sense, wants to serve, understands America...all of which are missing in our president.

As a woman and a student, I admire her. She's what we need to put our country back on the right track.

Fri, 2010-10-01 03:13 — Susan Allan (not verified)

Louise Bagshawe is envious of the limo rides the msps and palin are getting. That and the vote palin will get from obama if she gives him some cash for nukes! YEAH BABY! Bagshawe, when you are unlucky enough to become pregnant with a baby you don't want, or a baby which will never have the quality of life EVERYONE has the right to as a PRO LIFE CHOICE, then lecture the world! You may be in a world where funnily enough you've met boris johnston and have the money to stay at home, many people don't. I always hoped I'd make more money than my boonson burner intellectual of love, because being the perfect father to nurture my children while I worked, that's why I would have married him. Obviously you're not quite feminist enough to have made that connection yet, and is more than likely why my books are going to balance after your banking friends have once again managed to lose my vote in the next election.

NOTHING more satisfying than bringing home dinner. Probably the only point sarah palin and I agree with. Moose.

Thu, 2010-09-30 15:12 — Liam2008

Wackos. The lot of them.

... Really interesting from the latest YouGov political tracker poll in The Sun – hidden away in the stats (and unmentioned by the paper) was the fact that a vast majority of TORY voters want higher taxes on the rich, a higher minimum wage, better workers rights and more taxes on the banks:

http://etonmess.blogspot.com/2010/09/tory-voters-want-to-tax-rich-higher...

Thu, 2010-09-30 15:26 — ottispenning1024

is this for real? The daily fail likes to advertise itself as the magazine of stay at home mums.

Thu, 2010-09-30 15:29 — Lou (not verified)

In the last parliament it was very difficult to talk about the family unit and mothers and children....? Presumably that's Labour's fault too.

I find it hypocritical to the extreme for Dorries to be talking about the family unit and Mums who stay at home, giving up careers when her party are targeting disproportionately that very same group in their cuts. She isn't listening to their voices, her party cares very little about how the cuts affect these family units. She speaks with fork tongue.

Now if Dorries put her money where her mouth is and defended this group of women against cuts I would take her more seriously.

I remember her appearance in the Tower block of Commons programme on C4, she didn't come across as having much time for the voice of the stay at home Mums in that but they were single, some were on benefit - so are these only married mums she now expresses concern for?

Thu, 2010-09-30 15:53 — Rick (not verified)

I'm not surprised Dorries has an admiration for Palin, they have a similar intellect. It's their victim mentality I can't stand. This "look how downtrodden I am" posturing whilst they advocate shitting on the truly needy is a disgrace.

Thu, 2010-09-30 16:03 — adam (not verified)

there are groups that go unheard but that group is not stay at home mums. how much time do politicians spend talking to mumsnet? mums are a vocal and powerful constituency who probably don't want to be within 10 feet of someone who considers Sarah Palin an important political thinker.

Dorries is a loon.

Thu, 2010-09-30 16:05 — TimFootman

Has anyone asked Dorries and Bagshawe what magazines they read?

Thu, 2010-09-30 16:08 — Beatrice Bray (not verified)

Shop disabled Twitter users to the Department of Work and Pensions. That's the latest stand of Nadine Dorries. Apparently if you are a prolific Tweeter that means you can work. In the words of Nadine Norries you are probably also an "addict".

I suspect I know what she really doesn't like. Twitter is being used by activists with disabilities to organise campaigns on our behalf. We also socialise.

If the government has sense it will work with us to use social networking to help us build up our job skills and to help us foster contacts with employers.

Networking is a great skill but today I do not know that many people with disablities want to talk to Nadine Norries.

Sat, 2010-10-02 00:07 — triedeinsursE

Excellent post Gary.

Sat, 2010-10-02 02:03 — Chris (not verified)

@Buckskins / mental person

I assumed Gary was taking the piss...

Sat, 2010-10-02 02:11 — Daniele1

@Gary and student:
You have confirmed our worst fears.The Brits are just as dumb as the Americans. Depressing!
Oh hang on, one last hope, are taking the piss?

Sun, 2010-10-03 01:46 — Sapwolf (not verified)

For those across the pond, Sarah will probably run for President. And if she wins the GOP Primary, she'll defeat Obama.

You have no idea what the true Sarah Palin is.

She is an accomplished executive. Here is what she did just in 2.5 years as governor of Alaska:

http://www.scribd.com/doc/35447297/Governor-Palin-s-Accomplishments

Sat, 2010-10-02 03:13 — Granitepaw (not verified)

It is good to see that there are Mama Grizzlies in the UK just as there are in the US. Sarah Palin is truly one of the most inspiring individuals to walk this planet and she motivates women and men all over the world to stand up and speak their minds. Never give up and never sit down and shut up.

Thu, 2010-09-30 17:36 — Woland (not verified)

So much for the notion that Americans are more dippy than Brits.

Sat, 2010-10-02 07:21 — KMS (not verified)

If there was such a thing as a "Mama Grizzly" Palin would surely shoot it from a helicopter.

Sat, 2010-10-02 10:48 — jimmie johnson (not verified)

momma griz? ohhhh, such a fierce sounding name. to bad its attached to such a wimpy looser. s.palin, quitter of jobs,(see Alaska Governer.) s. palin, non parent,(17 yo daughter did drugs, drank booze & got preggers). ya, s.palin great roll model.

Sat, 2010-10-02 10:56 — jimmie johnson (not verified)

O'Donnell as a roll model? HUH! she who believes that scientists have geneticly grown mice with HUMAN brains(she's serious!). O'Donnell, who believes that the family that hid the Frank family(you rember Anne frank?) from the nazi's were BAD people, because they lied about hiding the Frank family. they should have turned in the Frank family over to the nazi's. she's a roll model?

Sat, 2010-10-02 11:02 — jimmie johnson (not verified)

gary, you have a very very vivid imagination, as none of what you posted is true. nothing.

Sat, 2010-10-02 11:23 — jimmie johnson (not verified)

Student. you have to be kidding. she is none of those things you listed. she's a quitter & she's a crybaby & a lier.don't you rember when she told catie curac that she reads newspapers & catie asked what newspapers & s. palin could not answer. she told catie she reads books & catie asked what books, s. palin could not answer. and said(geographicly IMPOSSIBE, by the way) that she knew all about Russiabecauses she COULD SEE Russia FROM HER HOUSE PORCH, on mainland Alaska.and when the interview was over s. palin CRIED that catie did attack journalism on her.catie she said was MEAN as she asked realy hard questions . you know those books & newspaper questions.HARD TOUGH questions. and told of seeing Russia from her front porch? not a lie? saying she knew all about Russia, as she had dealings with Russia. when she knew NOTHING about Russia? and she had NEVER had ANY dealings with Russia! then she said, well someone from her state gov't must have had dealing with Russia. so therefore those dealings (someone else had) made her an expert on Russia. again not true as no one from the Alaska State Gov't had any dealing with the Russian Gov't. this is a woman to be looked up to? i think NOT!