Open letter: Mothers Appeal To Mumsnet CEO Justine Roberts

[IwantToRetire]

Mumsnet is a powerhouse, and your advocacy for the protection of women and children carries real political weight. With every Prime Minister since David Cameron fielding your questions, it’s clear that when you speak, policymakers listen. No mother would turn away from the suffering of a child -and the children of Gaza are still suffering needlessly. Together as mothers, we can help.

While many parents may not feel confident enough to speak out themselves, your leadership now would galvanise them to demand tangible actions to get life saving supplies into Gaza and create safe conditions for women to give birth, giving those mothers and babies a chance at life. We cannot leave them alone in the New Year.

From https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XJv6qEHsa8XAQHfc_wjzUvNTqI2uCrvU0k45uk8H-UM/edit?tab=t.0

Irrespective of what they are asking, why aren't the asking politicians. Why are they asking Justine Roberts to do it for them.
https://www.artsprofessional.co.uk/news/cultural-heavyweights-call-for-action-to-help-mothers-in-gaza-after-aid-ban

Cant find anything about this on mumsnet, not sure which forum it would be in. Or is it a pritvate matter. Nothing to do with mumsnet itself?

Could we ask the same people to show their concern for women's rights in the same way?

Getting the word out there? You think people haven't heard already?

I agree with @selffellatingouroborosofhate and @Shedmistress.

This is not about Gaza.

That is disgusting bullying of Justine. Why should it be on her?!

I cannot believe that all those women have actually signed this letter. If they have, shame on them. But I suspect they are connected with the organisation, which has appended their names to this ridiculous letter.

Justine could add her name at the bottom of the letter and pass it in like a chain letter?

(with apologies I haven’t read the letter and feel a bit flippant)

This meme seems appropriate here

Maybe you should read it. It is very manipulative, and uses "mother" as some kind of sainted condition that makes us, and Justine, responsible for what the government does, or doesn't, do 🤔

It's spectacularly manipulative. Signed by exceptionally privileged women with an international platform - yet all trying to bully JR into doing as they wish.

It is strange though that the band of national treasures and worthies have included that alleged MASSIVE TERF Amanda Abbington in their missive to St Justine of Terfy Mumsnet, asking her to intercede with Keir Starmer.

Is it actually legit, this letter? Not a spoof?

The moment I saw it this morning I did wonder if there was something Jolyon about it...bearing in mind the shared director of the Good Laugh Project and MN and the current overarching omnicause and I'm just putting it down here for the record. But then so much was going on with them yesterday...would they have time to also arrange this?

It is just so fucking weird.

I've had numerous leaflets through my door calling for days of 'activism' including the following causes:

Climate change
Gaza
LGBTQ+
Trade Unions
Anti islamaphobia
Anti fascist
Anti capitalism

All on the same leaflet! What is this if not an 'omicause'? I'm not trying to discredit anything. It's what I see time and again irl.

Such a strange approach. I’m sure Justine will be terribly flattered to discover these people think she can wield that kind of influence.

I'll be honest, I doubt very much that they did all sign that specific letter.

I see that too. A set collection of causes that are taken on board uncritically by a certain type of person who identifies as left-wing, and are then espoused enthusiastically without much apparent further thought.

There doesn’t appear to be much, if any, critical thinking done about whether each cause should be supported and, if so, in what form. There’s just a sense that if other people on the left are telling you that’s a just cause, then it must be the right thing to support and doing so means you are a nice, virtuous person.

Anyone who doesn’t enthusiastically take the views on board uncritically is ‘right wing’ and therefore a bit of a shit.

I think it must feel very nice to just swallow all this whole without troubling yourself too much about the nuance, and feel smug about how lovely a person you are. Then there are the benefits of being part of the club and fitting in. And avoiding being cancelled. It’s very seductive. But it’s dangerous, because fewer and fewer people (particularly young people) seem to be thinking for themselves or deploying any effective level of critical thinking.

Omnicause luvvies normally have been led to belief that Mumsnet is transphobe central though, which is why I thought at first that this was some silly ‘trap’ aimed at Justine.

Then I saw Amanda Abbington’s name on it.

So now I’m thinking hoax or mental.

Also, given that it was Joanna Lumley who reduced government ministers like Phil Woolas to apologetic nodding puppets over the plight of Ghurka families, wouldn’t she and the other Dames and luminaries be best placed to seek meetings with the government?

Rarely have I seen anything as fabulous as Joanna Lumley sorting out the Labour government’s position on the Ghurkas.

But as I said, I’m not sure how real this letter is.

The omnicause has been going for years. I remember going to a protest against the Iraq War in New York in 2003, and finding myself sandwiched between climate protesters and "Free Mumia Al Jamal" posters.

Sorry, *Abu Jamal

Even as a callow uni student I remember thinking that including these other disparate causes - even ones I agreed with, like the climate one - really weakened the main message against the Iraq invasion.

Yeah that is genuinely interesting!

I agree that the letter is tryng to commandeer the whole of mumsnet towards a personal cause; one that is known to be a lightning rod for all sorts of other contentious issues.

Same. I went on a lot of anti Iraq war demos, my first experience of activism, and noticed some people were trying to use it to crowbar others of their pet issues in.

Dear signatories / authors of this open letter.

Yes, the situation in Gaza is unspeakably awful.

No, men cannot become women.

Yours sincerely,
An avowedly anti-capitalist, anti-fascist, anti-Islamophobic, climate-defending, solidly left-wing, socialist-to-the-core feminist.

https://www.youtube.com/live/y92n9xU6rWk?si=lFjYwcf7Hwc_I7vG

This is where the actress Julliet Stephenson explained about the Mumsnet approach. Not sure it takes you straight to it. 1hr 16mins into Sky News breakfast this morning.

Thanks, but no time to fiddle with videos. According to AI:

Actress Juliet Stevenson was a lead signatory and co-organiser of an open letter to the parenting forum Mumsnet, co-signed by around 100 high-profile British and Irish mothers, urging the UK government to take urgent action regarding the maternity crisis in Gaza.

Details of the Appeal

The letter, published on Mumsnet in early January 2026, was also signed by other notable figures including Judi Dench, Imelda Staunton, and Joanna Lumley.

• Core Message: The signatories appealed to Mumsnet, as a powerful platform for mothers, to galvanise its users to demand "tangible actions" from the UK government to help women and babies in Gaza.
• Conditions in Gaza: The letter highlighted the dire situation where women are forced to give birth in unsafe environments and noted that vital medical aid, including four equipped mobile maternity clinics, remains stranded in Egypt after being denied entry.
• Assigning Responsibility: The letter argued that the crisis is a result of political decisions, not a natural disaster, and noted the UK government's continued diplomatic support for Israel while aid remains blocked.
• Juliet Stevenson's Statement: In a statement supporting the letter, Stevenson said the scale of support from established names showed that the maternity crisis "haunts mothers across the UK" and is "not a fringe issue".

Mumsnet has since confirmed receiving the letter and is arranging a meeting with Stevenson and other signatories to discuss the matter.

Which makes it sound they have pressurised Justine to do something public.

Which I think is really shitty.

But still implies that somehow they think mumsnet does have influence.

But as PP have said, instead of putting Justine on the spot, why not ask to make a guest post.

(Still haven't seen it any where on MN)

Has mumsnet taken on the role that the WI used to have.

Remember the national shock when they slow clapped Blair?

This still reeks of exceptionally privileged women seeking to use Mumsnet for their own ends without ever contributing anything to the site.
While we're all anonymous on here, I'm sure that Juliet Stevenson / Dame Judy / Dame Imelda / Dame Meera are regulars on AIBU. telly addicts, style and beauty, fought the Bounty good fight while sharing their thoughts on FWR occasionally. I expect being such fans of Mumsnet they all rallied round Justine when she was swatted and became premium subscribers like so many of us to support Mumsnet.

All this no doubt explains why they feel so entitled to piggyback off Justine's / Mumsnet's hard work and success in order to compel MNHQ into signing up to their current priority.

And Justine has diplomatically set up a meeting with these powerful members of Mumsnet - bless her.