The webchat began at 12.30pm and at first it seemed as though Thornberry was going to be able to put in a 60 minute powerhouse performance. There were murmurs of approval and optimism. I learned a lot about her background and her frustrations with the current Labour Party culture. Women were rooting for her. It was all going so well. And then … well, something went wrong. A couple of simple questions about freedom of expression, no-platforming at universities, and women’s rights, left Thornberry - a barrister, no less - floundering in the wake of her own cognitive dissonance on sex and gender. She started closing down.