How John McDonnell wooed Mumsnet

As so often these days, if you want real political insight, go to Mumsnet. In a web chat there today, John McDonnell has offered extensive proof that – whatever you think of his politics and policies – he is an extremely professional and skilful political communicator.

Mumsnet, as Gordon Brown, Nick Clegg and countless others will remember, is about the toughest gig out there: you’re faced with a bombardment of questions ranging from traditional political analysis to deeply personal issues and of course humour, much of it biscuit-related. Striking the right tone is very, very hard.

These days, Mumsnet is even harder for politicians because an awful lot of users there are (quite reasonably) very angry with politicians over transgender issues. They feel (quite reasonably) that their worries and questions about the impact of “trans rights” laws and practices on the legal and social rights of women are being ignored by many people in power.

Labour has policies in this area that many women on Mumsnet find troubling, not least allowing “self-defined” women to stand on all-women shortlists (a policy that may not actually be lawful, but that’s a story for another day.) Some prominent Labour figures, especially Jeremy Corbyn surrogates, have also dismissed and insulted women raising these questions.

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So McDonnell was undoubtedly taking a risk when he went to Mumsnet. And how did he do? Pretty well, actually. So well that I expect the whole thing will prompt a bit more speculative whispering about his long-term ambitions and talk about who is the “real” Labour leader.

On the gender issue, he was strikingly conciliatory and balanced. Here’s one answer:

One of the key elements that has come out of this discussion is that most people I have spoken to on the spectrum of views have emphasised that whatever policies are developed people must be safe and feel safe.