I've used the title Ms for as long as I can remember. Why wouldn't I?
  
Well, when I was 18 my boss at my terrible telesales job told me I couldn't use the title 'Ms' because it was only for divorced women.

At my right-on university I was informed that the title was only used by lesbians.

And when I got married everyone, even those who didn't have a problem with the fact that I'd kept my own surname, assumed I would now become a 'Mrs'.

I didn't actually beat these people over the head while shouting 'THE WHOLE POINT OF USING THE TITLE 'MS' IS NOT TO DISCLOSE A WOMAN'S MARITAL STATUS! WHY WOULD I CHANGE IT NOW?!', but I wanted to. And it seems I'm not alone.

A new petition on the government's e-petition website calls for Ms to be "the ONLY title for women." Granted, there are only 43 signatures at the time of writing - a far cry from the 100, 000 needed to force a debate in the House of Commons, but it's always nice to know you're not the only one. A similar campaign in France to make Madame the single title for women has more backing. This was started by the brilliantly named Chiennes de garde and Osez le Feminisme and it looks like their idea has crossed the channel.

It might seem like a trivial issue in some respects, but it's a source of annoyance that it's taken as a given that people should be able to tell my marital status from my name - my husband is incredibly important to me, but he has not changed my identity.

Louise

Live in London? Want to hear your candidates for mayor speak about issues that affect women? Then you need to get on board with UK Feminista’s contact Ken challenge. UKFeminista have invited the London Mayoral candidates to their pre-election hustings at FEM11. So far both the Lib Dem and Green Party candidates have agreed to come down, but UK Feminista are holding out for the so far silent Ken and Boris.

Here are some of the statistics UK Feminista are hoping the candidates will address-

• Women in London are paid 22.4% less than men.
  
• Compared to the rest of the country, London has the lowest percentage of successful outcomes for violence against women offences: only 58 percent of cases are successful.
• Female MPs are outnumbered 4:1 in Parliament.
•  Approximately 100,000 women are raped each year, and just 6% of reported rapes end in a conviction.

So if you want to hear what Ken Livingstone has to say on these matters (a separate Boris challenge is to follow) send Ken this Tweet @ken4london Please take part in @UK_Feminista pre-election hustings at #fem11 on 12 Nov and tell us what you’ll do for women in London.

I am slightly disappointed they haven’t gone down the Kardashian route (I really cannot explain why I know about these people, osmosis maybe) and named the challenge Kontact Ken. I think it’s catchy. 

Kate

Instead of starting the Tory conference scraping the barrel of positive things to say, maybe taking a strong stance against people being forced to drive at 70mph when they really, really want to go faster. Cameron began with what he knows really matters. Mumsnet votes.

Cameron fretted to the Sunday Times that people were mistaking him for a “sort of 'all right luv, I'm down the pub tonight’ man”, which as The Guardian’s Jackie Ashley pointed out hilariously misses the point. Of course Cameron is not that kind of man, you have to visit pubs for a start, and they have to be the kind of pubs that have fruit machines. 

It’s hard to believe Cameron really believes this is the impression he’s unintentionally given. We are talking about someone with a background in PR here. You do not have to be a feminist to know that men who visit the pub every night without wifey’s permission are not the threat. It is the men in power who have yet to reel in the overwhelming condescension they feel towards grown women. The men who refer to all women as ‘girls’ and believe we are all fools for shoes, diets and chick flicks. Feigning baffled concern when secretary knits her brow at being called ‘sweetheart’ yet again (girls! Knit scarves not brows, you can’t afford the wrinkles). David Cameron knows its better we all have a little snigger a little at the image of him shuffling into a piss-stained pub with his dog on a string than as the posh establishment figure he is. 

Kate