Webchat with John McDonnell MP, Shadow Chancellor, Tuesday 18 September at 11am

[JustineMumsnet]

We’re very pleased to announce a webchat with the Shadow Chancellor, John McDonnell, this Tuesday 18 September at 11am.

John has been Labour MP for Hayes and Harlington since 1997. Born in Liverpool, he studied at night school while working before going to university. He went on to work as a union official and in local government at the GLC and at Camden Council. He campaigned for Jeremy Corbyn to win the Labour leadership in 2015 and has been Shadow Chancellor since then.

He describes his vision for the UK economy as ‘socialism with an iPad’, centred around research, investment and ‘alternative forms of ownership and control’ such as nationalisation, co-operatives, and locally-owned enterprises. He has proved a controversial figure in some quarters, with particular attention paid to his 2003 remarks about the IRA, for which he apologised. He has described Labour’s anti-semitism row as a low point, and has been quoted as saying ‘we have got to sort this out’.

Please do join the chat on Tuesday at 11am, or if you can’t make it, leave a question here in advance.

We’re expecting this to be a busy webchat, so only existing Mumsnet users are able to post on this thread. Apologies to anyone new who can’t post - please stick around, we’ve got lots of other things coming up

As always, please remember our webchat guidelines - one question per user, follow-ups only if there’s time and most questions have been answered and please keep it civil. Also if one topic is overwhelmingly dominating a discussion with a guest, mods might request that people don't continue to post what's effectively the same question or point. Rest assured we will ALWAYS let the guest know that it's an area of concern to multiple users and will encourage them to engage with those questions.

Many thanks.

He was doing his "I'm really bland, honest" schtick. Rather than "I share a platform with antisemites and think people should use violence to further my agenda" schtick.
Either way, he makes me shudder.

FFS. John's responses have really made me angry. No wonder Labour are losing voters. He's been told by several posters why they cannot currently vote Labour and his responses indicate that he just doesn't give a fuck about any of these reasons.

'Respecting the referendum result' - WTAF? As others have pointed out, lies were told and laws were broken. Add to that the FACT that it was an advisory referendum and words fail me.

Not impressed at all, was a masterclass in avoiding the nub of the question. Noted how he avoided actually saying he believes Trans women are women but every answer to questions around self-id and women's rights were framed from that starting point.

Also, calling for 'respect' in the debate whilst ignoring which side is responsible for the truly awful rhetoric and threats and that women are the only ones having to studiously police their language in the debate even here on Mumsnet.

Thank you John, you’ve just confirmed what I already knew. I won’t be voting labour again any time soon.

I hate the talk of consensus. Just one of those meaningless words politicians spout.

I want my daughter to be able to get changed to go swimming without a naked penis in proximity.

Some people want to self id so that their naked penis is in proximity to my daughter.

Where's the solution that keeps both parties happy?

Incredible. Manages to answer a question about a freaking biscuit (although I'm thinking it was an ironic post) but dodges the others of huge importance, and those which were answered and were critical, the fence was firmly sat on. Jammy Dodger indeed.

Bland. Evasive. Definitely noone to vote for.

I’m sure his Mum was absolutely fabulous, but how many people when asked about male role models reply with their Dad.
It is a cop out and it leaves me wondering he be actually knows of any really inspiring female role models. Has he tried to find out about any. And if not, does he not see that as an issue.

Well that was a waste of time.

I am hoping that the next leader of the party will be a woman.

Aren’t we all John? but for the love of all that is good not Angela or Stella but what sort of woman John? An actual women or one of the self identified ones that abuse female voters all over social media?

I think he was advised to big up his mum because he's coming on MN and that's what we need to know. Patronising AND evasive. Not a good look.

I bet he's really pleased with himself, thinking that he's got away with avoiding/fudging the concerns about self-ID, women's rights etc.
As with most right-on lefty men, he has underestimated us - we are not taken in with with your fake benign demeanour.

Underwhelmed and unsurprised.

I’m still fed up about that Mum reply.
Of ALL the women throughout ALL of history he can only mention his Mum. Who probably facilitated his upbringing/education so he could go on to achieve the role he has. So her most noted publicly recognised achievement is probably being his Mum.
Did he do that because he thinks we would all love it or something. Being Mumsnet and all. FFS.

I visualise him sitting with his feet on the desk, custard cream in hand with a female employee reading out the the questions, while he ponders his answer and then dictates for her to type asap.

we lived off broken biscuits ffs. Please can we get Amber Rudd or Nicky Morgan next MNHQ?!!!!

My mum was great. So I really understand women.
Consensus!
Listening!
Respect the result of the referendum!

Does that about summarise?

Speak for yourself @pearlkent
I don't give a stuff what he said or didn't say about self ID.

Male, stale and pale....bit like the biscuits I expect.

Talk about fudge. Ffs

Well thanks for coming on John. I do hope you read the whole thread and reflect.

Yes the Mum reply was appalling, but he clearly thought we'd be impressed by it - no John, we wanted you to recognise women of note who'd achieved something in the public sphere. The fact he didn't name any was telling. Women don't matter (unless they were born male).

ilovesooty - I WAS speaking for myself, is that OK with you?

The man who inspires me most from ALL of history is my (lovely) Dad, who looked after us and went to work and did some DIY and played golf.
Said no-one EVER.