MNHQ Group 4

[AnnMumsnet]

Many thanks for agreeing to take part in this closed discussion thread. As you'll know, you all have an individual user name, separate to your on-site profile. So please feel free to be as open and frank as you like, without your views being read-across to your site profile.

The aim of these discussions is to discover if, how and why women's voting intentions are shifting and what you think about each of the party leaders.

We'll ask a few questions, allow you to think them over, respond, engage in a bit of discussion with other participants, and then we will pop back on the thread. We might want to tease out the reasons behind particular views or opinions and then will crack on with the next set of questions (on Thursday) and one more set over the weekend. Do feel free to re visit the thread at any point over the next week or so. We'll email you when we add a new set of questions.

Here are the questions to get you started

Thinking about when you decide which party to vote for, how important is the leader of the party in that decision?

Why?

What do you look for in a party leader? What makes a good party leader and what makes a bad one? What makes a good prime minister and what makes a bad one?

Thinking about the party you voted for at the 2010 General Election and the party you would vote for now, has it changed?

Why?
Why not?

Feel free to include any thoughts you might have - they don't have to be the conventional, just true to how you feel!

[delegate417]

just testing

Will be back later to answer the questions.

[delegate421]

Thinking about when you decide which party to vote for, how important is the leader of the party in that decision? Why?

I think it's fairly important. I don't think it is the be all and end all but it does play a part. I think this is because they often get the most publicity compared to others in the party. I guess in some ways they are like the party branding. There's also a certain amount of feeling that the leader represents the entire party and you want that to be someone who represents your own views in a manner you like.

What do you look for in a party leader? What makes a good party leader and what makes a bad one? What makes a good prime minister and what makes a bad one?

Some sort of personality does tend to make them memorable. I also think they should be strong, by which I mean they will stand up for a belief regardless of the pressure to do otherwise (e.g. Nick Clegg failed on this when he backed down over tuition fees). I wouldn't vote for someone who I didn't see as strong as I wouldn't have confidence in them when times are hard/difficult.

Thinking about the party you voted for at the 2010 General Election and the party you would vote for now, has it changed?

Alas, I committed the sin of voting conservative. I have no idea who I would vote for now. I don't have much confidence in any of them but I do know that I really despise the way people are currently played off against each other under this government (e.g. working people on benefits vs people on benefits vs working people who claim no benefits)

[delegate422]

Thinking about when you decide which party to vote for, how important is the leader of the party in that decision?

The leader is very important, though not as important as their overall policies.

Why?

Because they set the tone for the whole party and their interaction with others. They are also our prescence on the world stage.

What do you look for in a party leader?
Integrity, honesty, and the ability to speak convincingly.

What makes a good party leader and what makes a bad one?
They need to have the courage of their convictions. A bad leader doesn't stick to their guns


What makes a good prime minister and what makes a bad one?
They need to be able to hold the trust of the country seriously and be strong. A bad prime minister is one who doesn't seem to stick with the intended course of action - and be prepared to be unpopular for it.

Thinking about the party you voted for at the 2010 General Election and the party you would vote for now, has it changed?

I would probably vote the same, though I am disappointed with the LibDems in some areas. But I think Nick Clegg is doing a pretty good job of negotiating in a joint government

[delegate412]

I wanted to say that the party leader isn't very important to me at all when choosing who to vote for, because I am voting for my MP, to represent me in parliament, and I read all the propaganda they put through my door and decide based on what the candidates say about party policies and local issues.
However, I'm mostly picking based on the general feeling I have about each party, and a lot of that general feeling comes from the leader.
So the leader is indirectly very important, but I don't conciously choose Leader A over Leader B.

A leader that would make me more likely to vote for them would have charisma. He/she (thinking about it, would probably prefer a he, although I am female) would come across as honest, straight-talking and would actually answer direct questions (unlikely, I know!).

I think I voted Lib Dem, but I can't quite remember. I would probably do so again, unless there was a strong independent candidate.

[delegate418]

Thinking about when you decide which party to vote for, how important is the leader of the party in that decision?Why?

I tend to vote for the MP, rather than the party leader. The MP needs to understand and represent local issues. That said, I'm not entirely ignorant of the bigger picture - the policies and leadership of course play a part. Unfortunately leaders seem to be selected on the basis of youth and charisma. I think I would warm far more to leaders with experience in the real world rather than career politicians who have been styled and media trained to within an inch of their lives.

What do you look for in a party leader? What makes a good party leader and what makes a bad one? What makes a good prime minister and what makes a bad one?

I look for (but rarely see) a leader with experience in the real world. Someone who doesn't just say they understand the issues that real people face but some

Thinking about the party you voted for at the 2010 General Election and the party you would vote for now, has it changed?

Why?
Why not?

Feel free to include any thoughts you might have - they don't have to be the conventional, just true to how you feel!

[delegate412]

Oh, and I have enormous respect for politicians who are prepared to admit that they were wrong/have made a mistake.
We all do it, but somehow politicians are supposed to be flawless.

[delegate418]

Thinking about when you decide which party to vote for, how important is the leader of the party in that decision?Why?

I tend to vote for the MP, rather than the party leader. The MP needs to understand and represent local issues. That said, I'm not entirely ignorant of the bigger picture - the policies and leadership of course play a part. Unfortunately leaders seem to be selected on the basis of youth and charisma. I think I would warm far more to leaders with experience in the real world rather than career politicians who have been styled and media trained to within an inch of their lives.

What do you look for in a party leader? What makes a good party leader and what makes a bad one? What makes a good prime minister and what makes a bad one?

I look for (but rarely see) a leader with experience in the real world. Someone who doesn't just say they understand the issues that real people face but someone who has experienced them for themselves. A good party leader needs to have the backing and support of their MPs. A good leader in opposition has strong, tangible policies and actively challenges the party in power.

A good Prime Minister represents our interest at home and abroad. Works hard to create and maintain jobs and industry in our country. A bad Prime Minister does too much to protect their interests and those of their peers at the expense of the voters.

Thinking about the party you voted for at the 2010 General Election and the party you would vote for now, has it changed?

I voted Lib Dem. I doubt I'd vote for them again, but I don't know who I would vote for.

Why? I didn't feel Labour had got the country in a great state and felt we needed change. Experience of our Conservative MP who toes the party line and does nothing to represent local issues meant I wouldn't vote for him, so I was left with Lib Dem. I was also impressed with Nick Clegg in the live debates.

Why not? The Lib Dems have done nothing to challenge the Conservatives who seem to be under the illusion they are in power. The Lib Dems are doing little to challenge policy and seem to have forgotten they are part of a coalition.

[delegate405]

Thinking about when you decide which party to vote for, how important is the leader of the party in that decision? Why?

I think the leader is fairly important as it shows who the members of that party feel best conveys their message.


What do you look for in a party leader? What makes a good party leader and what makes a bad one? What makes a good prime minister and what makes a bad one?

A strong leader and personality, someone who has the courage of their convictions.

Thinking about the party you voted for at the 2010 General Election and the party you would vote for now, has it changed? Why? Why not?

I voted Conservative and, whilst I admire the courage to stand by their convictions I have been pretty appalled at the lack of thought put in place before policy is put in place. Not sure who I'd vote for now.

[delegate414]

Thinking about when you decide which party to vote for, how important is the leader of the party in that decision?
Quite important but not as important as the policies. Tbh, I probably wouldnt vote for a party if I didn't like the leader.

Why?
If they're going to lead the country & represent us to the rest of the world then they need to have certain qualities & I need to believe they're the right person for the job if I'm going to support them.

What do you look for in a party leader? What makes a good party leader and what makes a bad one? What makes a good prime minister and what makes a bad one?
A party leader should be capable of being prime minister so the good/bad qualities are the same. They should be trustworthy & approachable with strong convictions & the courage to stick by them. They need to be intelligent & diplomatic.

Thinking about the party you voted for at the 2010 General Election and the party you would vote for now, has it changed?
I voted Conservative. I'm not sure I'll bother to vote next time.

Why?
Why not?
I may not have voted for them if I'd realised they were going to legalise gay marriage. I may still have if they had presented a sensible plan for implementing it pre-election but they've completely lost my vote because of the way they've pushed it through & made it into such a huge issue when there are so many more pressing needs to resolve. I'm glad that things are being done to give the minorities a voice but I do sometimes wonder if it's happening at the expense of the 'majorities'. I'm from a traditional white British, middle class, Christian background & I do often feel like the government are so wrapped up in pandering to the minorities that they've forgotten that they are a minority of the population & they need to pay attention to the rest of us as well.
I also disagree strongly with a lot of their benefit cuts - especially the bedroom tax which is ridiculously flawed.
Having said that, I think all the political parties adapt their policies to suit whatever they think people want, without really listening to the real people. They're all becoming the same in an effort to win votes but seem to be missing the point of having different political parties. I'd respect them all a lot more, especially the Conservatives, if they stuck to their original ideologies. I want to be able to vote for a party who represent how I feel & who I can trust to follow through with what they say. I don't want to be picking between the lesser of all the evils.
I'd vote Plaid but I don't live in Wales right now. Cymru am byth!

[delegate419]

Thinking about when you decide which party to vote for, how important is the leader of the party in that decision?

Absolutely crucial - if I am not well-disposed towards the leader then that puts me off the party as a whole, however misguided that might be. Same as a rock band, I might hum along with some tunes but if I think the lead singer ISP a dick then I'll never align myself with them.

Why?

The leader is the public face, the front of house, the person we'll see in the newspapers and on TV. That person needs to somehow embody their party in a likeable way. I can never vote Tory while Cameron is steering as his fat red face and public school ways completely rub me up the wrong way. Yes while I might have a more traditionally labour perspective, I'm not loving Milliband either.

What do you look for in a party leader? What makes a good party leader and what makes a bad one? What makes a good prime minister and what makes a bad one?

Must be charismatic, personable, likeable and not too different from me ie I cannot identify with Bullingdon, Eton etc so I'll never fully trust those individuals.

Thinking about the party you voted for at the 2010 General Election and the party you would vote for now, has it changed?

Voted for Labour and I really would be stuck at the next election as its all one big mess. I would defif Ely exercise my right to vote but right now, I am not sure which way I'd swing. Although not UKIP and that's for sure!

[delegate402]

Thinking about when you decide which party to vote for, how important is the leader of the party in that decision?

For me the leader is one of the top priorities in importance

Why

I think a good strong leader is vital (not just in politics) and if I did not think the leader of a political party was a good leader, then I would have no confidence in the party whatsoever.

What do you look for in a party leader? What makes a good party leader and what makes a bad one? What makes a good prime minister and what makes a bad one?

A good strong leader who will listen to popular opinion but will stand strong when needed. A leader who leads by example. I would like to think that the Prime Minister would not hide any bad practises by party members and he/she would be fair and just. He should be someone who relates to the general public and has empathy for their lives, especially when times are tough like at the moment, for so many people.

Thinking about the party you voted for at the 2010 General Election and the party you would vote for now, has it changed?

I voted Conservative, but my reasons for voting for them was a tactical vote in my local area - to keep our MP. If our local MP stood for election again I would vote for him, so Conservative again, but if he did not stand I would have to seriously look at who was standing locally and who was going to represent our local issues in parliament. Here it would either be Conservative or Liberal. Labour is not represented well here, so not really an option and basically a wasted vote.

Tea is now burning, so got to run without reading through this. I hope it makes sense - will return later and make sure its not a load of rubbish.

Hello everyone by the way - a bit weird being anonymous and not knowing who we are talking with.

[delegate416]

Thinking about when you decide which party to vote for, how important is the leader of the party in that decision?
Quite important but not as important as the policies. But is a definite influence on how I see a party - to do with the feel i think..

Why?
they are not the only people involved in governing they have loads of support and I'm not sure you get a real feel of what they really like as people only whats fed to the media and what they/speechwriters say in managed occasions...i think the personality traits needed to get to that position are interesting-

What do you look for in a party leader? What makes a good party leader and what makes a bad one? What makes a good prime minister and what makes a bad one?
thinking more about prime minister really....
Integrity I think - and also an understanding of what a serious role it is - Intelligence and also a willingness to listen a good level of diplomacy - jaw jaw not war war...I would like to see some real empathy as they really do impact peoples lifes (deaths in wars/poverty hardship in benefit cuts)
Bad one - blatant decisions based on own party battles rather than whats really right or honest- once pm needs to be able to rise above that I think..

Thinking about the party you voted for at the 2010 General Election and the party you would vote for now, has it changed?
I'm not sure am in a strong labour seat and although have voted labour more often than not the mp doesn't seem to give a stuff about outside his own direct support..
I will vote as i think you should esp as a woman and have never not voted but its more about who i wouldnt vote for really - did libdem last time or green cant remember but would def not do lib dem again...

Why?
Why not?

I think all the political parties adapt their policies to suit whatever they think people want, without really listening to the real people. They're all becoming the same in an effort to win votes but seem to be missing the point of having different political parties. I'd respect them all a lot more, if they stuck to their original ideologies. I want to be able to vote for a party who represent how I feel & who I can trust to follow through with what they say. I don't want to be picking between the lesser of all the evils.


thats it for now will add later

[delegate409]

Thinking about when you decide which party to vote for, how important is the leader of the party in that decision? Why?
Mmm. I'm unsure about this on some levels. Some party leaders, like Blair and Hague, put me off parties policies immediately, simply as they to me were fake, untrustworthy and slimey. But they had been heads of party for a while before I was voting, so my judgement may have been clouded. I can name the main three party leaders, and at the moment am fairly neutral to all three. Though some of their party members I'm a little more opinionated about and would affect my voting. I think leaders need to be approachable and friendly and neutral looks wise. But I'm not sure that it is a major factor for me in voting.

What do you look for in a party leader? What makes a good party leader and what makes a bad one? What makes a good prime minister and what makes a bad one?
A good party leader is not afraid to answer questions without skirting round the issue. To stand up for their policies and beliefs, but also acknowledge when they are wrong and own up to that instead of blaming others. I prefer a party leader who pushes their own policies as opposed to slagging off the opposition. One who challenges other countries and links, doesnt just kiss arse to the biggest man in the room. A strong leader, not afraid of change but who acknowledges that not everyone will agree with it. One who doesnt just target one group. And one who doesnt lie and scheme. For me Blair was awful. He fucked up, he was smarmy, he lied, he kissed arse and he ran away just before it all unravelled letting someone else take the blame.

Thinking about the party you voted for at the 2010 General Election and the party you would vote for now, has it changed? Why? Why not?
Its so hard. in 2006 I was a married mother and I voted conservative as their policies suited me and my family. By 2010 I was a single parent in social housing and felt I had to vote labour because quite frankly the conservatives like to put all of us single mothers as cheap slags with seven kids by seven fathers who never work. Now, well now I dont know. I am glad that labour introduced tax credits, they enable me to work part time and sociable hours. But I do agree that they let spending and welfare get out of hand and the conservatives were left with a shitty mess. I find myself agreeing with the conservatives welfare reforms, even down to the bedroom tax which did affect me. But I know that a lot of their changes were affected by the coalition, and without that it could have been a lot harsher. So I'm torn as to whether to give Conservatives a good crack at it, or actually vote Lib Dem to try and keep a coalition government for a while longer. But I hate Gove. He is a real factor for me, I need to vote against him and his stupid education reforms. Its not easy deciding who to vote for - I can see why so many dont bother, and why so many just go with who their parents or family or neighbours vote for.

[delegate407]

Thinking about when you decide which party to vote for, how important is the leader of the party in that decision? Why?

My initial reaction to this question was to say 'not very'. I like to think I vote based on the potential MP's credentials as the representative of my area. Will they be accessible, approachable, will they participate and vote on issues that matter to me?

However, their party colours are pretty high up there too in terms of what influences my vote. And the leader is the figurehead - as another poster said, the 'brand'. On so many issues, whips make MPs toe the party line so the party policies are important.

The party leader's integrity is key to me trusting the party as a whole. And the leader is our UK representative for the rest of the world. Someone wet, stupid or embarrassing (like George Dubya) would be difficult to vote for.

[delegate406]

Thinking about when you decide which party to vote for, how important is the leader of the party in that decision?Why?
It does have an influence. I find it unpalatable voting for a party with a leader I don't like. I always find I am torn come voting time, as the MP I feel does the best for our area and is the strongest locally, is not the same as the leader or party I like the best. It makes it difficult, but normally the party and leader win. As a village we elect a parish council to represent us locally and this mitigates my guilt a little - if we didn't do this I would find it much harder to choose.

What do you look for in a party leader? What makes a good party leader and what makes a bad one? What makes a good prime minister and what makes a bad one?
Integrity is the most important, and an apparent belief in principles, rather than a lust for power - what a shame these qualities are in such short supply!! Strength is also important, otherwise its impossible to uphold those principles. I think my ideal leader would be some sort of hybrid between Obama (principles) and Putin (strength). I wish we had an Obama to vote for here. I'm afraid none of our leaders come anywhere even close to my ideal leader. Obviously I vote for those who share my beliefs, but I have more respect for someone who stands by a principle I don't believe in, than one who constantly changes their mind to please. I feel in some ways our country is run by the media - they are constantly telling us what we think and politicians what the public thinks (which is what they want us to think...) and there's a lot of spin and picking policies that are thought to be popular rather than what's right. I respect anyone that sticks to their guns when they feel its right. Mind you, I also respect someone who can admit they were wrong - I guess why they change their mind or not is as important as whether or not they change it.


Thinking about the party you voted for at the 2010 General Election and the party you would vote for now, has it changed?
I feel lost at the moment. I voted liberal but their blatant abandonment of all their policies under the conservatives hasn't made me feel they can rule. Nick Clegg has been my least favourite leader so far - he seems to go more with spin & media friendly speak than previous leaders who seemed more normal, likeable and to have more integrity. And he has proved weak within the coalition. I find it hard to accept the conservatives because of the area I was brought up in, and I cannot stand David Cameron, he seems really sly. However I do agree with some of their policies and was both surprised and pleased that gay marriage was legalised under them. But can I forgive them for tuition fees, treachery towards their coalition partners, and the way they treat marriage in general in society? Probably not. As for Labour, what are they even doing at the moment? I don't know anything about any of their current policies and beliefs. Is one of the Millibands the leader? Well if its true it doesnt win them any favours but I couldn't even say for sure. They are limp biscuits at the moment. I would love to vote for a marginal party. I would consider the Green Party and I am drawn to the Jury Team, who seem to have more integrity than most. But then I worry I will throw my vote away... It's very difficult and I don't know at the moment what I will do next time.

[delegate406]

As the delegate above said, voting for a party headed by Dubya would not be possible!!!

[delegate407]

(NB I use 'his/him' here as non gender specific, CBA to type him/her every time).

What do you look for in a party leader?
Intelligence, strength of character, integrity and compassion.

What makes a good party leader and what makes a bad one? A good leader has his party behind him through belief in his ability to lead and, overall, his views on policies. A bad leader is weak, causes division and changes his mind so often there is no direction.

What makes a good prime minister and what makes a bad one? The above, plus the charisma to represent us as a country, to hold his own on the world stage and command the respect of other heads of state.

Thinking about the party you voted for at the 2010 General Election and the party you would vote for now, has it changed? Why? Why not?
I voted Tory. I was a higher rate tax paying childless married woman working in the private sector. Now... I am the same, but also a mother.

Has it changed? I am persuadable. I am not impressed with the way Gove has alienated teachers and don't believe there will be improvements in education as a result. I feel the child benefit means testing will be expensive to administer and that will outweigh savings, so a stupid move. I feel the Tories pander to the baby boom generation.

However i am not convinced that Labour is presenting any strong alternative. All they seem to do is attack the government and their own policies are either barely disguised copies or farcical. So I am on the fence.

[delegate407]

Oh and I agree with the poster above about being really annoyed when the government (or is it really the media??) tris to turn us all against one another.

And in addition to benefits v non benefits, there has been teachers v nurses, public v private sector... Really distracts from the real issues. And makes us all look petty ("They shouldn't be allowed XXX because I haven't got it. I don't care if they need it, and need it a lot more than me, if I can't have it, no one should!")

[delegate410]

How important is the leader?

Increasingly the leader has become important for me. I think the live televised debates and the Americanised 'following the campaign' trail is focused on the leaders. We are becoming conditioned to allocate our vote based on the leader. I do make an effort to find out about local candidates but this would be unlikely to sway my vote.

What do you look for in a party leader etc?

I would say honesty but I think it is naive to expect that any of the major party leaders espouse this virtue. In the absence of honesty a sense that they can defend their own manifesto and that it wasn't written on the back of a fag packet and that there has been some consideration to the implementation and costs.

I think a good leader is one who has a grip on what most of the electorate think even where they have a difficult message to deliver. I despise leaders who think we are all thick and ruled by the right wing press. The Conservatives have a really transparent policy of announcing something really unpopular, letting everyone get wound up and then watering it down to whatever they wanted to achieve all along. I'm baffled as to why people can't see this. An obvious example was the public service pay freeze which was initially touted as a pay cut. Hey presto, a pay freeze doesn't look so bad when the threat was a cut.

A good PM needs a presence on the world stage and therefore they need to be able to communicate well with everyone.

Through the course of my work I come across several parliamentary candidates and some of them are captivating in the way they talk to you and make you feel that they are really, really listening to what you have to say.

A bad PM would be one who doesn't make me feel safe be that through their economic or defence policies.

How did I vote; has it changed?

I voted labour. I was probably one of about 10 people who liked Gordon Brown. I think he is a cautionary tale of how important image is now..... He didn't have a good image and that overshadowed his policies.

In some ways I should be a natural Tory voter. DH and I are higher earners from middle class backgrounds but I don't like their hatred of the poor, women and public servants. DH and I are wealthy off the back of free education and full employment. I could literally weep for young adults trying to establish themselves now and I don't see any sign that the Tories have any policies to deal with this.

I may vote labour again but this is due to a lack of suitable alternative. If Nick Clegg and Vince Cable hadn't been so horribly opportunist and settled down in Cameron's pocket I would have considered voting liberal.

I hope Ed Milliband becomes a bit more visible and tones his TU friendly policies down a bit and then he will be a really viable choice for me. He runs the risk of alienating me at the moment as he doesn't offer much for the old 'new labour' fans and I have serious doubts about Ed Balls doing a better job than the pretty awful job Osbourne does.

[delegate410]

407 I agree with you but where does the government end and the media begin? Let us not forget Cameron wanted to bring Andy Coulson in to his inner circle...... I would laugh expect it is too real to be funny.

[delegate408]

Thinking about when you decide which party to vote for, how important is the leader of the party in that decision?
fundamental
Why?
They are the public face of the party, they ensure that the parties policies are taken seriously and garner public support
What do you look for in a party leader? What makes a good party leader and what makes a bad one? What makes a good prime minister and what makes a bad one?
A good party leader has a strong individual personality, can relate to "ordinary" people, the need to be an outstanding orator in order to engage us. A bad party leader would appear aloof, have no "presence" and wouldn't be able to put their point across in an authorative and convincing ,anner

Thinking about the party you voted for at the 2010 General Election and the party you would vote for now, has it changed?
I voted in Lib Dem, which was a tactical and no clearly stupid decision. Yes I have changed my mind
Why?
My vote only helped the Conservatives to take power
Why not?

[delegate401]

Thinking about when you decide which party to vote for, how important is the leader of the party in that decision?
Leaders are crucial to my decision and it's the reason I may be wavering from the party I've always voted for.

Why? Simply, parties need a figurehead which embodies the beliefs of their electorate. Without that, who knows what you're voting for. And sadly, in these celeb-driven days, there is a huge portion of voters who are looking simply at personality. A lot of people don't have time or inclination to read manifestos and listen to the Today programme - they rely simply on whether the party leader looks as if he/she reflects their general views.


What do you look for in a party leader? What makes a good party leader and what makes a bad one? What makes a good prime minister and what makes a bad one?
Charisma, strength, humility are what I look for in a party leader. Charisma seems to be lacking these days among our UK party leaders. Likeability is seen as more important, but IMO this does not make great leaders.


Thinking about the party you voted for at the 2010 General Election and the party you would vote for now, has it changed?

Why?
Why not?

It will depend on local candidates at the time, but the way in which UK politics works means that I will probably vote the way I have always voted which is Labour. I very nearly voted LibDem in 2010 which I would have sincerely regretted the very instant the coalition was agreed. At heart I'm Labour but could easily be pushed to vote for the Greens if we had a credible local candidate. Ed Miliband does nothing at all to inspire me, while I find Natalie Bennett to be a lot of the things I want from a party leader.

[delegate404]

Thinking about when you decide which party to vote for, how important is the leader of the party in that decision? Why?

The leader is important because he/she is the main representative and spokesperson for Party views. However, the policies are more important. If I agreed with the policies but disliked the leader I would still vote for that party. It wouldn?t work the other way around though ? I wouldn?t vote for a personality alone the way I believe some people did for Boris Johnson in the London mayoral elections.

What do you look for in a party leader? What makes a good party leader and what makes a bad one? What makes a good prime minister and what makes a bad one?

A party leader should:

• believe in what they stand for
  
• not patronise the electorate (either literally in their manner -?Nick Clegg?or in being deliberately deceitful or trying to cover things up, which goes for all MPs really I suppose)
  lead* their party ? be a model for those looking to them, support and encourage younger MPs and political talent
  
• really understand what life is like for the electorate across the huge spectrum of this country
  
• listen and act upon to the views of their fellow party members and electorate
  
  Thinking about the party you voted for at the 2010 General Election and the party you would vote for now, has it changed? Why? Why not?
  
  It has not changed because I have a good local MP who represents a party I have sympathies with, though I don?t agree with everything they/he have done in the past.

[AnnMumsnet]

Thanks for answering the first questions: some really interesting feedback. Now we want to try to what you really think about the specific leaders.

1. So, these days how well or badly do you think the current main party leaders are doing on understanding the issues and concerned facing women like you.
   First of all David Cameron?
   And then Nick Clegg?
   And then Ed Miliband?
   What about another party leader you know of (or one you think should/ could be a party leader) - please name them and then say: how well or badly do they do on this aspect?
   
   
2. and how well or badly do you think they make sure or take account of women being heard in their party and in politics generally?
   First of all David Cameron?
   And then Nick Clegg?
   And then Ed Miliband?
   What about another party leader you know of (or one you think should/ could be a party leader) - please name them and then say: how well or badly do they do on this aspect?
   
   
3. Finally for now - which party - if any - do you trust the most to look after the interests of women? Why? And which do you trust the least? And why?
   
   thanks again - we will add some more questions for the weekend.

[delegate416]

1) So, these days how well or badly do you think the current main party leaders are doing on understanding the issues and concerned facing women like you.
First of all David Cameron?
I think he has very little understanding of impact of policies really and cares less...(is scared of Farrange and Gove- says it all really)
And then Nick Clegg?
So desperate to be in power doesn't give a stuff and is hamstrung now to make the party have a distinct position- previoulsy would have been a lib dem strength
And then Ed Miliband?
Isn't in power so doesn't have to be making decisions but seems to be missing the opportunity to really make hay with the real life impacts

What about another party leader you know of (or one you think should/ could be a party leader) - please name them and then say: how well or badly do they do on this aspect?

The Green lady seemed much more real and aware but has such lack of media presence I can't even remember her name...

2) and how well or badly do you think they make sure or take account of women being heard in their party and in politics generally?
First of all David Cameron?-old boys club thru and thru ,seriously Theresa May (mummy/nanny figure) only senior women....
And then Nick Clegg?- would have previously seen as lib dem strength but now all boys again
And then Ed Miliband?- labour seem more female orientated as strengths are in key issues for me health/education

but with 503 male mps and 147 female mps none of them really represent my 50/50 ish world.........

What about another party leader you know of (or one you think should/ could be a party leader) - please name them and then say: how well or badly do they do on this aspect?

3) Finally for now - which party - if any - do you trust the most to look after the interests of women? Why? And which do you trust the least? And why?
Labour I think would look after the interests or women more as they are closer to the important issues of family life....
thanks again - we will add some more questions for the weekend.