Perhaps!
I suspect it’s deeper than a few recent braggart comments though - there is stuff online from as far back as 2007 that shows Bindel stating that Whittle is more reasonable than the newly emerging generation of TRAs and Whittle platforming Bindel at ManMet U despite a lot of criticism from team trans.
Whittle was rather quiet in the public sphere for a long period (occasionally popping up in The Guardian or posting here to finger wag at the nasty mummies) but since recent retirement from the university seems to be going full throttle at terves, like a born again Blue Hair.
Perhaps they were both somewhat influential on each other once upon a time (both lefty northerners, probably a somewhat shared friendship group 40 years ago) but the fissure between Women’s Rights and Trans Demands is now too big to bridge?
I’m pleased JB has spoken against the violence directed at KJK (unlike Filia and WPUK who can now FOTTFSOFATFOSM as far as I’m concerned).