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Original poster

MN director appointed as director of the Good Law Project

135 replies

PlayYouLikeAShark · 21/08/2021 14:54

Link to Companies House

I'm wondering what the implications of this are?

This person is/was (?) a "Management/strategy consultant" who "advised the Founder & CEO on strategy and organisation".

Was this director involved in suggesting the FWR board should be split as part of the 'strategy advice'? Was this 'strategy advice' in any way linked to discussions or negotiations to sign on as a director of the Good Law Project? Was MN fully aware of the intention of a director to take on another directorship that I'd struggle to describe as benign or neutral, given the USP here is targeted litigation & campaigning (including attacking the charitable status of an LGB organisation)? What now for women who have opinions that men disagree with?

If there's a case brewing to sue MN, I think this could prove to be an 'interesting' move.

OP posts:
Concestor · 26/08/2021 14:18

I've just seen this thread and am surprised not to see a comment from Mumsnet about this. I'm sure people will be away on holiday but surely someone is working?

ChristinaXYZ · 26/08/2021 13:57

Excellent twitter thread showing a detailed letter to the directors of the Good Law Project

twitter.com/Jebadoo2/status/1430487005436289027

LazyViper · 26/08/2021 13:22

The bottom line is perhaps that we need a backup forum option, in case the segregation of FWR GC posts are a harbinger of further hushing.

Any ideas?

YankeeDad · 26/08/2021 12:44

@Fitt

Yeah, apologies for missing out current and former. You still aren't pointing to any actual drama other than a professional NED doing his normal job.
You are right, except that if an NED of a discussion bulletin board around environmental issues turned out also to be an NED of a company running an oil and gas drilling business, then I would be concerned. I acknowledge that my analogy is not perfect, but it's also not perfectly wrong ...
Fitt · 26/08/2021 12:27

Yeah, apologies for missing out current and former. You still aren't pointing to any actual drama other than a professional NED doing his normal job.

banisher · 26/08/2021 11:42

Just posting to see any updates as this has made me curious too now.

YankeeDad · 26/08/2021 11:33

@Fitt

What exactly have you seen though, a strategy consultant with 39 non executive directorships including Mumsnet, also is on a board of another organisation you don't like?
Actually, Justin has 5 current non executive directorships, including Mumsnet. The other 34 are former directorships from which he has resigned, and in some cases from companies that have been dissolved. Furthermore, one the 5, Ways of Eating (Newcastle), is for a company being wound up.

This does not have any specific implications about his intent with respect to Mumsnet, and it's certainly true that Good Law Project is catering to a number of different issues so we cannot draw any firm conclusions about his POV on specific issues.

But, Mumsnet is one of a maximum of 4 active directorships he has with companies that are also active, the only other ones being Good Law Project, OC&C Consulting and My Clinical Outcomes.

Floisme · 26/08/2021 10:55

I very much doubt Justine will answer or, if she did, how anything she said could be totally reassuring.

I can also see how, especially from the outside looking in, this might all look a bit tin foil hatted. But it's been a long, slow journey to where we are and I think all we can do is keep watching and sleuthing.

EmbarrassingAdmissions · 26/08/2021 10:47

@Fitt

What exactly have you seen though, a strategy consultant with 39 non executive directorships including Mumsnet, also is on a board of another organisation you don't like?
I share this view.
ArabellaScott · 26/08/2021 10:37

Has anyone put it in Site STuff?

Fitt · 26/08/2021 09:37

What exactly have you seen though, a strategy consultant with 39 non executive directorships including Mumsnet, also is on a board of another organisation you don't like?

GrumpyMiddleAgedWoman · 26/08/2021 09:20

I'm another one who would be grateful for a response from the top.

It's a looooong time to keep schtum about something that is... concerning.

Whinge · 26/08/2021 09:10

@ChoosandChipsandSealingWax

Well the silence is rather deafening…. If it’s us making 5, rather than 4, surely a simple statement to that effect would deflate our speculation?
Exactly. If it was a case of a simple misunderstanding, then surely a quick statement saying as much would have been possible at some point in the last 5 days?

Not responsing to the thread is only going to increase speculation and lead to posters thinking the worst.

EmpressWitchDoesntBurn · 26/08/2021 09:07

@ChoosandChipsandSealingWax

Well the silence is rather deafening…. If it’s us making 5, rather than 4, surely a simple statement to that effect would deflate our speculation?
That's the thing. If there really is nothing to see here it would be very easy to just say so, but the silence is unnerving.
1Endeavour2 · 26/08/2021 08:54

Massive coincidence????, pull the other one.

ChoosandChipsandSealingWax · 26/08/2021 08:30

Well the silence is rather deafening…. If it’s us making 5, rather than 4, surely a simple statement to that effect would deflate our speculation?

LolaLouLou · 26/08/2021 08:11

I think there is a bit of putting 2 and 2 together and getting 5 here.

Non exec directors are strategic and arms length, they don't have access to data. He has been director of Mumsnet for some years,it is not a new thing.

I think the GLP is probably a vanity project for him, which is not uncommon for people who have made their money in the city.

One day, Justine probably will sell mu3nsnet. She has made her money and you can't expect her to be tied to the website for ever. But, I don't see anything on this thread that suggests an imminent sale.

Whinge · 26/08/2021 06:49

But the silence.... unexpected, concerning.

I agree. Saying nothing when it's been 5 days is unsettling. 😕

Fallingirl · 26/08/2021 02:12

@Fitt

He's a non executive director. I can't see the issue really. Somehow I doubt he's reading feminist chat and reporting posts he doesn't like.

What's more interesting is that the accounts seem to be saying that Justine took a 5 million dividend last year. Nice one!
I could be wrong, accounts are a bit cryptic. Good on her if it's true.

The accounts are also saying MN the business isn’t doing as well as it used to. It seems plausible that it may be sold off, and they are trying to hide the feminists in a dark corner hoping nobody notices we are here.
Fitt · 25/08/2021 23:52

He's a non executive director. I can't see the issue really. Somehow I doubt he's reading feminist chat and reporting posts he doesn't like.

What's more interesting is that the accounts seem to be saying that Justine took a 5 million dividend last year. Nice one!
I could be wrong, accounts are a bit cryptic. Good on her if it's true.

exwhyzed · 25/08/2021 23:01

@Whinge

I'm really surprised there still hasn't been a response to this. I appreciate the thread was started at the weekend, when staffing isn't the best. However, it's Wednesday evening now, and still not even a quick message to acknowledge MNHQ have seen the thread.
Yes I think this is what has surprised me

I was expecting something along the lines of 'Justin is an expert in xyz marketing blah, him offering his skills to us no GLP has no meaning and there will be no crossover blah'

Fine, whatevs

But the silence.... unexpected, concerning.

StuntNun · 25/08/2021 20:20

@BernardBlackMissesLangCleg

I’m also interested in his diet business being grass roots plugged here on diet threads
@BernardBlackMissesLangCleg I have been helping out with the Low Carb Bootcamps since long before I started working for Ways of Eating. Some people on the threads wanted one-to-one support so I suggested our program. Only a handful of people took it up. It wasn't anything to do with Justin Walters. Ways of Eating folded three years ago as far as I can remember. Nothing sinister about it at all, simply a personal suggestion.
Whinge · 25/08/2021 19:53

I'm really surprised there still hasn't been a response to this. I appreciate the thread was started at the weekend, when staffing isn't the best. However, it's Wednesday evening now, and still not even a quick message to acknowledge MNHQ have seen the thread.

Ghislainedefeligonde · 25/08/2021 17:22

Agreed. It would nice for our questions to be acknowledged

EmpressWitchDoesntBurn · 25/08/2021 11:43

I hope Justine is going to come and talk to us about this. I don't think it's a question that's just going to go away.

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