How John McDonnell wooed Mumsnet - James Kirkup

[womensvoicesmatter]

I must admit I was pleasantly surprised that he tackled the women's rights / self ID questions, I thought he'd avoid them!

blogs.spectator.co.uk/2018/09/how-john-mcdonnell-wooed-mumsnet/

I too am unwooed. Who was it introduced the GRA in the first place, but failed to introduce gay marriage? Hmmm let me think.

I’ve voted labour in every election since I’ve been old enough. It’ll be a long time and a lot will have to happen before I ever vote for them again.

The tone was, we will carefully weight the needs of about 0.01% of the male population against the needs of the 50% of the population that's female

very good point AAK. when you put it this way he actually looks a bit of a presumptuous prat doesn't he?

I’m not sure why the positive reaction

I'm still bitterly cynical about Labour and will never see them in the same way again. One web chat isn't going to make a huge difference.

But - there are signs coming from many places at the moment, that the tide is turning, and I think it's OK to - very cautiously - be hopeful.

Did JK acknowledge the change in web chat rules and that after the Stella Creasey chat a number of FWR posters were suspended?

(DH is always messing up our password for our subscription so I can't see the article.)

They are in hoc to Momentum. They are stuck with the Trans women are women mantra because all hell would break lose if they backtrack on this.

Labour voter, parents and grandparents before me. Cannot vote for them due to Self ID, although in fairness can’t find anyone else to vote for either.

I mean, to be fair, it's better than any other big name politician has managed so far. Which is pathetic, but hey, it's a start.

Really wish I hadn’t followed that link Free - some of the more vile and delusional nonsense I’ve read in a while.

I mean, to be fair, it's better than any other big name politician has managed so far. Which is pathetic, but hey, it's a start.

I agree. At least people are waking up to the fact that they can't ignore us or handwave us away quite so blatantly, much to the chagrin of TRAs and their #nodebate allies, a couple of whom I saw threaten to leave if Labour concede an inch of ground on TWAW.

Good grief. Did that individual literally just argue that women should suck up having paedophiles approach our children because we asked for it by breastfeeding them?

that guido poster....

a person who refers to breasts as chesticles

it's possible that their opinion is best not sought out I'd suggest....

Did that individual literally just argue that women should suck up having paedophiles approach our children because we asked for it by breastfeeding them?

Apparently both we and the children should have demonstrated a good British stiff upper lip by having the children starve.

Not a method of pedophile deflection I've heard of before, I have to say.

It’s like he just vomited a bunch of misogynistic words and hoped they’d form coherent sentences. They didn’t.

And the answer to anything being “conservatism” is so hilarious, I may have cracked a rib.

Have to admit I read John McDonnell's response as "flannel, flannel, flannel, we'll consult, flannel, flannel." It says something about where the discourse is currently that in the climate of fear and silencing and censorship, this comes across as "brave" and "a breath of fresh air" and "a hopeful sign."

Personally I don't think it's any of these things, and I doubt McDonnell will make good on even that half-arsed promise.

James, I'm going to break with my usual tradition here (because normally I love your stuff), but I think this was a bit on the weak side. McDonnell was asked a huge number of very probing questions, most of which he ducked completely - the economy, how Labour would pay for its policies, Brexit, anti-semitism, past associations with terrorist groups, past advocacy for violent protest - all of which he ducked. And the web chat has resulted in a Jewish poster being banned for pointing out that another poster's comments were anti-semitic.

There's much more of a story out there than just McDonnell's weak and half-arsed mutterings about women's rights (which he hasn't actually said he'll do anything about, just said that he'll consult...).

As I have said before, the word consensus is obfuscation for don't care. It's all a variant of penis trumps truth.

And agree with your comment FermatsTheorem to James. Maybe he sees some light but what I and other women see are deflection and weasley words. McD & Labour's behaviour speaks volumes ie men's rights and those of the magic 0.1% override women's.

I had nominated James for breeding stock material but I'm having second thoughts now after that article ;)

A splenetic and righteous crowd left without what it came for – full-throated Remainia and a roll-back on the commitment to trans rights.

Who is this utter fuckstick? Roll back what rights, you stupid twat?

The thought of John McDonnell actually being the Chancellor , or worse the Prime Minister, scares me far more than self ID.

Well let’s see him walk the walk. I’ve got little faith in what any politician says, and as far as I can see they haven’t changed any policy. I’m
Not a member any more and I won’t be voting for them until they come out and actively back women to the hilt. Even then I have to say it would still leave a bad enough taste in my mouth that I still may not. How can anyone trust them. If they can do this now when they aren’t in power (as in this is mental.) what mad bolocks are they going to get themselves “groomed” into when all that power goes to their head. I don’t think they are for for the job. I don’t think any of them are. Bring on the jammy dodger party I say.

I’m naturally left leaning. I’ve been lucky enough to have an independent to vote for once but otherwise it’s always been Labour or Libdem. Now I can’t vote for either. John Macdonall’s words mean nothing while Lily Madigan is still a Women’s Officer and the party’s tacit endorsement of the way Anne Ruzylo and Linda Bellos have been treated by completely failing to act is an absolute disgrace. Until that changes, I will not vote for them.

You know what- they should apologise too- not just

“oh we WILL talk to you..”

Wow! thanks John that’s big of you!!

You need to apologise as a party.

For stacking the odds even higher against us.

For trying to redefine and subvert us.

For attacking us and for calling us TERFS.

For being complicit in shutting us up.

Anything John wants to whack into his dialogue with women can start with all that, and a promise that it won’t happen again. In the form of party policy.

I want it enshrined.

While John gets to work, the rest of the political parties can get their houses in order and their apologies penned as publicly as their silence and compliance has been with all along.

Let’s start a very specific apology list per party and see if any of them will stick their necks out in real life and actually support women.

Rather cynically, was this just his version of Corbyn saying he would meet Linda Bellos and then doing no such thing?

Or a power play for our votes when he makes a play to oust Corbyn?

As a gesture of goodwill and good faith, I think John should make Sanctimonious Morph write a #nodebate mea culpa and ensure it's featured on the Grauniad homepage for a week.

Then I might take that load of waffle and deflection from the webchat seriously.

The thought of John McDonnell actually being the Chancellor , or worse the Prime Minister, scares me far more than self ID.

Me too, TBH.