Aww, come and see what Miriam González Durántez said about you lot at BlogFest

[KateMumsnet]

We thought you might like to have a look at a video clip from Mumsnet BlogFest, where Miriam González Durántez kicked off the day with a fantastically inspiring opening speech.

Her subjects ranged from motherhood and domestic dramas; to feminism and the debt she feels she owes to her mother's generation; to the bond she felt with the women and girls she met in Tanzania, during a recent campaigning trip.

She's an active Mumsnetter and here, she very movingly thanks you lot for supporting her decision not to be a typical 'Leader's Wife'. The audio's a bit ropey, but do have a look - it's lovely!

[caramelwaffle]

x-post with MmeL

[peasabovesticks]

There are probably people on this forum who post regularly who have jobs and status commensurate with MGD. She only has a platform because of who she's married to and it's the oldest trick in the book for a failing politician to wheel out his fragrant wife.

I agree though to more inspirational women on here but for me, she doesn't fit the bill.

[blondieminx]

Awh lovely speech. Great manners and fabulous hair too

[BewitchedBotheredandBewildered]

I thought she was fabulous.
There are lots of other fabulous women and I'm certain she would agree that we should celebrate them all.

[Stitchthis]

I'm with scream et al

[edam]

Did the critics miss the point that she's a Mumsnetter? Maybe that's why she was invited - as a prominent woman in her own field who is an MNer. I was there at blogfest and Miriam gave a great and heartfelt speech, not least about women's rights in the developing world and projects she is involved in in her own right, as a lawyer. Which is a bigger contribution to making the world a better place than many of us manage. So she's married to Nick Clegg, we all have our faults...

[FellatioNelson]

Oh for God's sake peas stop being such a joy sucker. I bet you are fun at a dinner party.

The video was lovely - she was genuinely thankful for the support of MN, both as MGD and as an anonymous woman and mother like the rest of us. I for one think her 'agenda' is irrelevant.

and I know this is completely the wrong thing to say but she does have really fabulous hair.

[TheDoctrineOfSnatch]

I agree with MmeL. Happy to have webchats with prominent professional women too. Might be the first candidate for an evening chat?

[BIWI]

Oh yes please to evening chats. Too many of them assume that we are all available during the day.

[Trills]

LottaPianos - am I allowed to call her "Miriam NotClegg" when talking to people who wouldn't necessarily recognise her actual name?

[peasabovesticks]

Ir's not for me to say if I'm fun at a dinner party but actually I am very good company

Just don't wanna get sucked into fawning over MGD

[peasabovesticks]

And while i have the bit between my teeth, why the fuck is she grateful to me as a Mumsnetter that I support her decision to work
I don't give a shit what she does. What I care about is how her husband runs the country.

[YoullScreamAboutItOneDay]

peas - I actually sort of agree with you. But I have a different take on it.

Yes, MGD has a public platform because of who her husband is. That is a shame, because she is an interesting woman who should have that platform in her own right.

But I think that the solution is to give more women in business and the professions that platform. Many of them have very interesting things to say and we are too busy listening to minor singers, soap stars and actors to listen. I would start with where we are - that you need to be in politics or entertainment, or married to someone who is to be listened to a lot of the time - and move forward from that by adding to it, not by saying you have to exclude those people as a starting point.

[peasabovesticks]

You'll scream.
Totally agree about having more women on here. I said that earlier.

[YoullScreamAboutItOneDay]

Yes, I realised we agreed on that bit. Sorry if that wasn't clear. I suppose I was saying my take was - let's start with someone like MGD and build on that. She genuinely is inspirational to me (though I am no particular fan of Nick Clegg, so she hasn't shifted my opinion on that ). Then lets take the success of that and showcase women who don't have famous husbands.

[Spockster]

At risk of sounding like I am obsessed.. SamCam business acumen?

[peasabovesticks]

Don't forget SamCam's 'lovely hair' as well Spockster...

[Spockster]

Of course! Well in that case, we def need Cheryl Cole, too.

[SuiGeneris]

Finally got to watch the speech- or at least some of it, it suddenly turned into an ad for Wimpy kid, which was most odd.

But how brilliant is MGD? Have always liked what I read about her on paper, starting from the fact that she remained MGD, rather than turn into Ms Clegg, and that she continued with her professional and personal life rather than turn into a political wife. And now that I have seen her and heard her, and heard she is an active mumsnetter, I like her even more.

And for the frivolous comment now: great hair, I agree.

Would love having her for an evening webchat- maybe on work-life balance?

[JustineMumsnet]

@BIWI

Oh yes please to evening chats. Too many of them assume that we are all available during the day.

We are looking at doing more chats in the eve, honest. And we'll certainly ask MGD - though she was right when she said she did very little of this kind of stuff, so we were very pleased she came along to Blogfest.

[MotherfuckingMorrisMan]

Evening chats would be wonderful.

I admire MGD not because she is a politician's wife, but the fact that she is a very successful woman in her own right, and who has managed a difficult career with 3 kids and a husband with a high profile. It can't be easy. And yes she is probably wealthy, has a cleaner etc but it still doesn'yt take away from the fact she has had to work bloody hard and juggle her priorities.

I also really liked the fact that during the election campaign she fitted her appearances alongside her husband around her job. That's pretty unprecedented.

I don't think most of us admire her because she is a good-looking politician's wife, but the fact that MGD is a hard working mother like very many of us. And it is actually bloody refreshing to have someone in the public eye like this. Normally career women in the public eye are ghastly types like Katie Hopkins and the like, whose raison d'etre is to slag off women who have chosen a life different from them. Isn't it a positive thing to have a well regarded woman who is supportive of all women, whatever their choices?

[TheDoctrineOfSnatch]

Spockster, SamCam was Creative Director for Smythson until May 2010. They are a pretty well known brand.

[Lottapianos]

That was a lovely speech, I got a bit misty-eyed towards the end. I can't imagine Sam Cam speaking like that to a crowd without bursting into tears - she always looks like a scared little girl when she's being paraded next to Dave.

[AmberLeaf]

Im sure she is lovely, but I agree with peasabovesticks.

[Spockster]

Yes... Creative director.... Sounds like a job for someone of limited ability with a large trust fund and a well connected Daddy. And husband. Sorry but nothing about Sam Cam impresses me, least of all her taste in men... And for a multimillionairess with no proper day job, not even her hair!
Sarah Brown and Michelle, on the other hand... different league altogether.