By Claire Loneragan

2024 will be an election year. We will have local elections in many constituencies, Police and Crime Commissioner elections and almost certainly a general election.

Elaine Miller knows what’s involved and explains all to WRN’s Zoe in this conversation where you can hear about Elaine’s experience of running in a by-election as an independent candidate.

If you have thought about running as a candidate yourself, Zoe and Elaine discuss how to go about it and how to access a pack that Elaine has put together to help women who decide to stand in local or general elections.

Hustings are where political candidates meet us – the electorate – and we get to quiz those candidates about their plans and what they think about the issues that matter to us.

But someone has to organise them, and if there aren’t any hustings in your area, maybe that could be you.

Zoe and Elaine talk about how to run a hustings and how to ask killer questions at any hustings you attend.

There has never been a more important time for women to be politically involved, whether that's running as a candidate, supporting a candidate or holding their local candidates to account.

So let’s hear what Zoe and Elaine have to say.

WRN is pleased to bring you The Famous Artist Birdy Rose. Another woman working in the Arts, who has been cancelled.

Birdy Rose is an artist and talked to us about:

• her experiences growing up and how being born deaf inspired her creativity
• how her artistic career developed
• being cancelled, for her and her musician partner
• her new project with Louise Distras #TerfIsTheNewPunk

Birdy is on X:
https://twitter.com/TheFamousArtBR

Birdy's website, where else to find her and where to buy her art and merchandise:
https://thefamousartistbirdyrose.com/

Terf Is the New Punk:
https://twitter.com/terfpunks

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WRN is pleased to being you Louise Distras. Yet another woman working in the Arts, who has been cancelled.

Louise is a musician and talked to us about:

• growing up and becoming homeless with the vulnerability that brings
• musical and own life experience influences
• how her musical career developed
• all about the human condition
• (self) censorship, cancellation and its psychological effects
• meeting Anne Scargill, women organising and their songs
• art versus propaganda
• women's rights, freedom of speech and Freedom of the Arts

Louise is on X: https://twitter.com/LouiseDistras

Louise's website, where else to find her and where to buy her music: https://www.louisedistras.com/

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Credit Image Photo of Louise Distras - Creator: Stefan Müller | Credit: Stefan Müller

We welcomed Gillian to the WRN podcast and we fitted a lot in!

- How she got into writing and her many successful books and which are her favourites
- The fall out from adding #IStandWithJKRowling to her (then) Twitter bio
- Taking Working Partners to Tribunal
- The state of publishing and The Society of Authors
- Fellow author Rachel Rooney's experience
- Her new job and how that came about
- The Free Speech Union and women's support
- Where to find and buy her books

Links:
Gillian's website:
http://www.gillianphilip.com/

Gillian's X (Twitter):
https://twitter.com/Gillian_Philip

Free Speech Union's X:
https://twitter.com/SpeechUnion

Rachel Rooney's X:
https://twitter.com/RooneyRach

LoobyLouDino's X:
https://twitter.com/LoobyLouDino

and Rachel Rooney on Looby Lou's Substack:
https://loobylou.substack.com/p/wrapping-up-rachel-rooney-for-christmas

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Blog post here: https://www.womensrights.network/post/pronouns-are-hypnosis

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With thanks to Glinner. Original video published on his YouTube channel.

Baker has been found NOT guilty today of the offence of “Intentionally encourage / assist the commission of a summary offence - Serious Crime Act 2007”.

Intent was not proved.

It is understood he will NOT be released after today’s verdict.

He will have to wait for a parole hearing which may be in March next year.