Webchat with Ed Balls, Tuesday 6 September at 2pm

[BojanaMumsnet]

Hello,

We’re pleased to announce a webchat with Ed Balls on Tuesday 6 September at 2pm.

Ed was a senior Labour MP from 2005 to 2015 and before that served as Gordon Brown’s key economic adviser at the Treasury. In Cabinet he served as Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, and was later Shadow Chancellor for four years under Ed Miliband.

He is a now a Senior Fellow at Harvard University and a Visiting Professor at King’s College London, as well as Chairman of Norwich City FC. A year on from the election which brought it to an unexpected end, Ed Balls reflects on his life in politics in Speaking Out - a book about a politician who thought he might become the country’s next Chancellor on the night of 7 May 2015, but who woke up the next morning without a job.

Ed has long been admired from a distance by many Mumsnet users. Please do join the chat on Tuesday at 2pm, or if you can’t make it, leave a question here in advance.

As always, please do keep in mind our webchat guidelines - one question each (follow-ups if there’s time) and politeness at all times.

Thanks
MNHQ

Photo credit: Chris Harris

[thedaisymeadow]

He had an awesome shirt on strictly Saturday night

[LineyReborn]

Hi Ed,

What do you think of Sharon Shoesmith's book? Do you feel any sympathy for her at all?

(Good luck on Strictly)

[Gobbolinothewitchscat]

Why did you end up wearing a tuxedo on SCD on Saturday night? I do hope you weren't body shamed into it by the Daily Mail!

[DaisyDando]

Who do you think would make the best Prime Minister of our country?

[embo1]

Shamelessly canvassing for the mums' vote! I do hope this means you are going for it 'all guns blazing' on Strictly!

[ilovesooty]

What is your strategic plan for Norwich City over the next five years?

[chameleon43]

I ran the same London marathon as you a few years back and chatted to you for a while en route. Are you planning to run any more?

[2014newme]

Are you enjoying life beyond politics?

[2014newme]

And good luck on strictly! 😀 have fun

[DrDreReturns]

Ipswich fan here - what on earth possessed you to support Norwich!!!

On a more serious note - I used to work for the Forensic Science Service until it was closed down five years ago - you were shadow Home Secretary at the time. Why didn't you oppose the closure more vigorously? I remember thinking that the opposition wasn't really challenging the government about that decision. In hindsight, do you think it was a good idea to commence the privatisation of forensic science provision (this was mainly done under Labour's stewardship)?

[TresDesolee]

Ed, what's your political strategy advice for bereft Remainers - should we be fighting tooth and nail now? Or wait to see what deal the government put together and stay quiet-ish in the meantime?

Also (sorry) if you could change one thing about labour's general election strategy in 2015, what would it be?

[Littleoakhorn]

What advice would you give to an aspiring MP?

[missyB1]

Ed what do you think about the junior doctors dispute? What do you think Jeremy Hunt needs to do to resolve it?

[StillStayingClassySanDiego]

Where are Labour going?, my ds1 -21 joined the party just to support JC and keep him in power but he's so alienated by the media.

Good luck and keep dancing!

[Blackberryandapplejam]

will the Labour Party remain in perpetual opposition, now they have Jeremy Corbyn as leader?

[yellowflags]

Now that we are two months on from Brexit, with an unchallenged Tory party and a Labour Party in disarray, what do you foresee will happen to the UK's economy and culture over the next 10 years? And what will happen to lower middle class, public sector workers with young children, low wages, high living costs and ageing parents????!!!!

[Becles]

Why have new Labour MPs chosen to work towards the destruction of the Labour party rather than seizing the advantages of a leaderless Tory party, and a Brexit team in disarray?

Is the destruction of the left so much more important than letting the voices of ordinary people be heard in the party founded to represent workers rather than the very apathetic political class?

[PippaFawcett]

How long do you think it will take for the Labour party to have a female leader? Yvette would have done a great job. Why do you think women get so few votes during leadership elections?

PS. I was very sad when you lost your seat.

[PippaFawcett]

And, would you like to see Labour split? There is no party for thousands/millions of people to vote for now. Labour is a mess, the Lib Dems are depleted and the Tories, well, they are to blame for the whole sorry Brexit mess.

I genuinely do not know how to vote during the next election, I will not vote for Labour under Corbyn and I will not vote Tory and a Lib Dem vote always feels wasted. Action is needed to engage with voters like me before power is handed back to the Tories.

[gunting]

Ed balls

[KimmySchmidtsSmile]

Hi Ed

You looked very smiley on Strictly.
What is Katya like?
Is your first dance ballroom or Latin?
Are you going to jive to Great Balls of fire?
Did you consider calling your book Strictly speaking?
Sorry. Will come back tomorrow with political questions
I won't they will all be glitter related

Good luck x

[ginghambox]

Will you admit that the labour party when in government deliberately encouraged unlimited immigration to improve your chances of winning future elections?

[TheQuestingVole]

Would you join a breakaway party if Corbyn wins the leadership vote?

For what it's worth - history isn't going to judge kindly senior Labour figures who remain loyal to a leader surrounded by the stench of anti semitism. People will have long memories on this. It will end up destroying the party if you and others don't have the courage to act now.

[derxa]

How would you make Labour electable in Scotland?