Such was the expected turn out for the Guardian’s editorial conference this morning it was held in the larger downstairs conference room. Lisa Nandy was due to address the editorial conference…

The discussion kicked off with – unsurprisingly – the Coronavirus issue. After a while this was exhausted when a voice not heard before explained she no longer felt safe working at The Guardian following Suzanne Moore’s article this morning. Colleagues stared at their shoes as Jess, who works for the commercial rather than editorial side, ranted on. Another woke colleague spoke up to back up Jess. The columnist Hadley Freeman spoke up to say that columnists were supposed to be provocative. A third person spoke against Suzanne Moore being given a platform for her views, a back and forth followed with it turning into what was described to Guido as a “full-on, high pitched tense debate”.

The article’s reference comparing the treatment of Polanski and the feminist Selina Todd was a particular point of controversy – even though it was not in reference to trans people. Somebody claimed it was a dog-whistle. People wondered where Lisa Nandy was. Jess repeated she was not safe and walked out. Guardian editor Kath Viner summed up the discussion. Lisa Nandy was a no-show. Probably for the best…

UPDATE: In 2013 a previous Moore article was eventually removed in an act of self censorship by Alan Rusbridger. See “Have Cocks and Have Nots”