Milifandom Abby Schools Trolls

Anyone who thought that Milifandom creator Abby Tomlinson would have kept a lower profile after Mil The Younger led Labour to defeat in May’s General Election had to think again after she declared that she wanted to interview not only the candidates for the party leadership, but also those wanting to become deputy leader. After talking to all four leadership hopefuls, she has backed Leigh MP Andy Burnham.

However, and here we encounter a significantly sized however, she has inevitably attracted the attention of the right-leaning punditerati, some of whom have taken it upon themselves to follow the path already trodden by (thankfully) former Tory MP Louise Mensch, and attempt to make capital from her presence, only for their clumsy efforts to backfire and leave them covered in rather more than confusion.

At the head of the queue to make fools of themselves was Alex “Billy Liar” Wickham, newly anointed teaboy to the perpetually thirsty Paul Staines at the Guido Fawkes blog, Tweeting “*Checks Twitter, sees everyone is still talking about the Milifandom girl*” and suggesting that anyone doing so would be seeking in short order to commit suicide.

Sadly, Ms Tomlinson had already seen that the Fawkes rabble was doing just that - talking about her. She promptly served Wickham his arse on a plate with the comment “Oh the irony”. Wayne Smith observed “@WikiGuido the odd thing is its right-wingers who seem obsessed with @twcuddleston. I'm thinking of @LouiseMensch, @DPJHodges & now you”. Did someone mention Whinging Dan Hodges?

Yes, the Telegraph’s not at all celebrated blues artiste was also in snarky mode, telling anyone not yet asleep “Yesterday a 17 year-old who wanted Ed Miliband to be PM told people to make Andy Burnham PM to stop Jeremy Corbyn being PM. Labour. 2015.” Hardly had Ms Tomlinson observed “This REALLY isn't what I said”, he was at it again: “She set up a web site called Millifans”. Her response? “Nope I didn't do that either”.

And she had Hodges sussed: “Dan Hodges is literally just making up things I've said/done and then tweeting said made up things what is he even doing”. Sounds about right. And, as she told Wayne Smith, “.@waynesmith1971 Right wingers seem to constantly complain about people talking about me & yet they keep talking about me, very strange”.

The Twitterati was mainly in agreement. As one observer put it, “Highlight of my day is reading @twcuddleston making a fool out of right-wing journalists. More courage at 17 than most ever have”. And the last word has to go to Owen Jones, who is not backing Burnham, but is in favour of civilised debate: “@twcuddleston Well, I think you are fantastic and anyone abusing for saying what you think disgraces politics for everyone”.

Well said that man. Meanwhile, that’s Wickham and Hodges to go with Ms Mensch in the Milifandom founder’s trophy cabinet. Good on her.