MNHQ Group 4

I would tend to think that Cameron would do better at both tasks, just because he seems less of a silver spoon type. I don't know enough about any of them really to say.

Sorry I'm late again (blush):

How well or badly do you think the party leaders could manage your household finances effectively?

First of all David Cameron? Hmmm, doubt he could do any better than we are tbh, unless he was going to inject a large amount of cash (wink).
And then Nick Clegg? Ditto!
And then Ed Miliband? Ditto!

Imagine the party leaders had to live on your family budget, which do you think would cope best/worst? Why? What problems would they encounter?

First of all David Cameron? Not to bad an income but I think he'd struggle.
And then Nick Clegg? Think he'd cope best.
And then Ed Miliband? No opinion.

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? Bugger all. :(
   And then Nick Clegg? Talks the talk but has absolutely no clout.
   And then Ed Miliband? Not at all.

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? Don't think he gives a stuff.
   And then Nick Clegg? I think he is more likely to listen but unable/unwilling to act on.
   And then Ed Miliband? No idea.

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?

Don't trust any I'm afraid to say. :(

How well or badly do you think the party leaders could manage your household finances effectively?

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?

As these are well educated man I imagine that they could all manage my household finances well enough, but would likely get a big wake up call as to the true cost of living (we live in Greater London).

Imagine the party leaders had to live on your family budget, which do you think would cope best/worst? Why? What problems would they encounter?

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?

I don't think any of them could live their current life on my budget - they may adjust long term but it would be a big shock.

I think all would have a wake up call about what I think of as 'optional luxuries'. Holidays - our budget just about stretches to one 5 day UK break, so no sunshine holiday for us (never mind multiple trips per year). Additionally, clothes are supermarket best with occasional purchases from mid-range stores during sales. We are scrimping to save for a house. In the SE, the size of the deposit we need, even for a relatively modest house, is ridiculous - not something any of the party leaders have had to really think about I would guess.

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?

I honestly feel that all 3 of the main party leaders are completely dismissive of women like me. I am a professional, educated women who has chosen to stay home with my children whilst they are small. However, the party leaders talk about respecting those parents (mostly women) who do make that same choice and then in the next moment turn round and implement policies that completely dismiss anyone who is a SAHP. It seems that in fact you are only valued if you go out to work.

The only other leader I have heard anything from recently is Nigel Farage from UKIP - and I don't think I have ever heard or seen any information on his parties thoughts about the issues that concern me.

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?

I think the Conservatives have regressed to the old-Etonian / Oxbridge elite style of leadership, with the odd women thrown into the mix as (in some cases) someone to point to and say "Look, we believe in women and there are women in Government".

Nick Clegg / Liberal Dems - seem to have forgotten that they are part of a Coalition and I honestly couldn't tell you what their position is re women in politics currently.

Traditionally Labour have been more vocal re. women and have had more women in Government / Parliament (c.f. Blair's Babes - a revolting phrase btw), but again I think currently their position is pretty weak all round.

Again, Nigel Farage - do they even have any thoughts on this?

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?

At the moment I have to say that I don't trust any of them at all. There are 21 months until the next General Election and I think it will be very interesting to see how things will play out in that time given recent policy implementations and the opposition towards them.

To qualify my answers above, I think the question is either aiming to get a response of 'they are out of touch with real people' or 'they can't manage a budget, look at the economy'.

To which I'd say that we see ourselves as 'real people' but with a higher than average income. We don't have inherited wealth (nor did we go to public schools) just both earn good salaries, only have one DC and live in the Midlands where living costs are not high. So are in a much better position than most. But we do budget very carefully, are not wasteful and save hard. I guess I don't see the party leaders as very far removed from our own class/standard of living.

And I think managing a household budget, with competing demands of a couple plus children, is significantly easier than managing the country's finances!

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

I think that the leader of political party is important as they are the public face of that party - the person who demonstrates the values of the party, sets the tone for the party and is most vocal (in terms of media presence, etc.) regarding policy. Also, they are potentially (as PM) the UK's voice in world politics.

When voting however I look at the candidates standing locally and what their policy aims are. I have previously voted tactically, voting for the best MP to represent my area, who may or may not represent the political party that I most identify with.

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 one who is party leader needs to have personality and charisma. They need the ability to speak clearly and convincingly and be willing to make hard decisions and not back down in the face of opposition. However, if they don't have intelligence, ideas and drive to back the superficial elements up, it all becomes a game of smoke and mirrors.

A good party leader may not necessarily make a good Prime Minister and vice versa. I think that anyone who becomes party leader is obviously driven and is most likely quite ruthless, but as PM a person needs to work for the good of the country and not themselves. Most likely some of the potentially best PM's have never been in power because they have been beaten to the party leadership given the various backroom machinations that go on in leadership races.

I also feel that good/bad leaders and Prime Ministers from years gone by might be judged differently today given the increase press and social media scrutiny.

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 in the 2010 General Election as I believed in some of the manifesto. I feel badly let down however (I'm a SAHM) as I have been affected by some new policies (e.g. Child benefit changes) and I feel strongly that SAHM (or dads) are dismissed completely as unworthy by the current government.

However, the parliamentary ward I live in is a two horse race between the Conservatives and the Lib Dems - no other candidate from any other party will win here - the majority is that big. It would take a seismic political event to shift the incumbent (which I don't believe we have reached) so I really don't know who I will vote for in the next General Election.

How well or badly do you think the party leaders could manage your household finances effectively?

First of all David Cameron?
And then Nick Clegg?
And then Ed Miliband?

What a bizarre question. I am sure, as clever educated people, they could manage household finances perfectly well.

Imagine the party leaders had to live on your family budget, which do you think would cope best/worst? Why? What problems would they encounter?

First of all David Cameron?
And then Nick Clegg?
And then Ed Miliband?
Again, I think this is a most odd question. I don't feel that their family priorities are really that different to ours as professional people. They could all live on our budget without problems, I am sure.

Bit late with these answers, sorry. here we go:

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?
TBH I am reasonably happy that Cameron is considering issues facing women/parents like me in that he is planning to improve help towards childcare costs. Although I am not happy about increasing nursery child:staff ratios at least it is on the agenda.
All I can recollect of Clegg is whining about policy favouring higher rate taxpayers. People who earn £50k are not minted and deserve to be included in some policies!
Not sure what Miliband's policies relating to me are.
Don't care about other parties. Whilst I respect the Green Party and think they are a necessary and important side of debate on certain issues in parliament, I have no time for UKIP and certainly none for the BNP.

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? Perhaps a wee bit patronising, and could do with a Harriet Harman, but seems to be trying.
   And then Nick Clegg? Not sure
   And then Ed Miliband? Not sure
   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?
   I don't like to think exclusively in terms of women's issues, I think of my family's needs. Including DH and the DCs.

How well or badly do you think the party leaders could manage your household finances effectively?

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?

Imagine the party leaders had to live on your family budget, which do you think would cope best/worst? Why? What problems would they encounter?

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?

I would expect with their level of intelligence they could manage our okish finances ok - however it would be interesting to see how they would manage to get jobs without their connections.... if you look at their cvs they have all (Clegg less so but still) got what jobs they have had through family friends and benefited from v expensive education..

How well or badly do you think the party leaders could manage your household finances effectively?

First of all David Cameron? Sort of - but I think that it wouldn't be a joint decision
And then Nick Clegg? Probably, but could be argued out of anything I didn't agree with
And then Ed Miliband? No. He always seems like he'd get distracted into spending on a pet project

Imagine the party leaders had to live on your family budget, which do you think would cope best/worst? Why? What problems would they encounter?

First of all David Cameron?
And then Nick Clegg?
And then Ed Miliband?

We are lucky enough to have a good family income, but both work ft and with no family help we spend a huge amount on childcare. I think they'd all struggle to understand that theres just not a lot of time, and that any couple time has to be paid for, and juggling our work diaries to make sure that one of us is around at the right times for ds as we aren't anyway near able to afford a nanny.

Imagine the party leaders had to live on your family budget, which do you think would cope best/worst? Why? What problems would they encounter?

Actually just another note on this point. It seems that there have been a few tv programmes where a politician/rich person will go and live with someone on benefits to "see what it's really like" and I really wonder how useful that is at all. It's usually someone who doesn't work or works part-time to fit in around school hours or when family can watch the dc and claims benefits and the consensus always seems to be "It's a terrible way to live, he/she should get a job/get a 2nd job/work more hours". I'd like to see someone live with a family where both parents have full-time jobs and yet still struggle to make ends meet. I think that is the only way to try to understand the reality. Maybe then they would understand why it's not as simple as saying "Get a job/get a better job"

How well or badly do you think the party leaders could manage your household finances effectively?
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?

For context, we're a family of 4. Dh works, I'm studying. We'd generally describe ourselves as part of the "squeezed middle".

Like others on this thread I'm going to answer for all of them at once. I think that generally speaking they could make a budget, taking into account our income and expenditure. However I think they would come to the wrong conclusions from doing so. I expect they would say that we're doing fine. In fact David Cameron would probably use it as evidence we could afford to lose our child benefit. However that's not really the case. The reason I'm at home is because we couldn't really afford to pay out for childcare for me to work (when you take into account commuting costs, etc. we'd be worse off overall). I also expect they'd not bother to understand the reasons behind my household budget. e.g. Gym membership - they'd see it as a luxury that's not needed, where I see it something that helps my mental health (anxiety) enough to feel able to go back to work when the dc are both in school full-time. I feel all of them would take a very black and white attitude to the figures.

Imagine the party leaders had to live on your family budget, which do you think would cope best/worst? Why? What problems would they encounter?
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?

Similarly, I think they'd all manage. After all our budget isn't as difficult to live on as some. They'd probably all be happy to have their wife stay at home chained to the kitchen sink looking after the kids, etc. I expect all of them would miss some of the luxuries they can afford. It's the long term issues that are more of a problem. All of them would manage on our budget at the moment but I'd wonder how many would be able to help the dc go to uni or how they'd cope in retirement (neither of us have enough in a pension and I'm not sure we ever will despite being well educated and Dh is a decent job with a decent salary and I hope to be in a couple of years time). Also, our budget is workable because we've not pushed it to it's limit. For example, we live in a 2 bed semi (although our AIP would have let us buy a significantly more expensive house), so they'd probably find it far more crowded than they're used to. We only have one car (Dh walks to work).

How well or badly do you think the party leaders could manage your household finances effectively?
I'd be surprised if any of them couldn't manage on our budget. We're relatively comfortably off - we'd struggle to afford anything more than a cheap holiday (& would probably have to save up for that) & we don't have a tv or any games consoles but we view them as luxuries & only have very young children so we're not having demands for the latest gadgets from moody teenagers yet! If we can manage to feed & clothe ourselves without difficulty & have enough for the odd day trip or takeaway then I'm sure they could too! They'd probably all have to make do with M&S suits though...!

Imagine the party leaders had to live on your family budget, which do you think would cope best/worst? Why? What problems would they encounter?
Like I said, they'd probably all manage just fine if they didn't insist on buying fancy suits!

I'd have answered the questions for individual leaders but, as I've probably mentioned, they're all the same to me & it seemed a little silly to copy & paste the same answer for each one!

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?
Well, firstly I'd like to point out that I don't really see any issues facing me as 'a woman'. I have issues as a person & as a parent. My gender is pretty irrelevant IMO. Having said that, I don't know if DC understands my position on things but I'm certain he doesn't care. He seems to listen to whoever bullies him or shouts the loudest or probably whoever throws the most money or sucks up to him. Unfortunately, people like me tend to just go with the flow. I don't like to make a fuss, nor do I expect everyone to do as I please so I'm usually quietly concerned.

And then Nick Clegg?
The only thing that NC understands is that he wants to be in power & so will do whatever is necessary to make that happen. No need to bother himself with the little people like me!

And then Ed Miliband?
I can't say I really know much about EM - that probably says a lot! He strikes me as a bit wet/weedy & probably easily manipulated. It doesn't really matter how well any of the leaders understand the issues of the average person if they're more concerned about being in power than being good leaders.

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?
I'm a little embarrassed to admit that I don't really know enough about any other party leaders to comment! That's probably part of the reason I'm not planning to vote next time. The 3 main leaders are rubbish & no-one else is likely to get in so what difference does it make?!
From the little I do know of them, Nick Griffin & Nigel Farage are pretty useless on issues that affect me too.

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?
No idea. I don't really pay attention to things like that - I'm perfectly happy as a SAHM so I'm not overly bothered by glass ceilings etc.

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?
I think it depends what you perceive "the interests of women" to be. Like I said, I'm a SAHM & my DH has a stable job which pays enough to feed/clothe us. I'm a woman but my "interests" would be very different to, say, a feminist, career-driven single-mother living in London.
Having said that, I don't really trust any party to look after anyone but themselves & anyone they think could be influential/useful to have on side!

This thread has been good at making me think more about politics. Unfortunately thinking more about politics has just increased my Goldberg's depression test score!!! There is not enough to distinguish the three leaders, not enough viable alternatives to them, and no-one here with much integrity or who can be trusted. I'm sure running the country is not easy and you can never please everyone but it would just be nice to see someone try and do the right thing for once...

How well or badly do you think the party leaders could manage your household finances effectively?

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?

Not a hope for any of them. They all come from very privileged backgrounds and are married to successful partners enabling them to have many choices in life. I'd like to see them try to juggle a "real person's" budget though.

My career with long hours and frequent overseas travel wasn't compatible with raising a family, and wasn't highly paid enough to employ a nanny. I think this concept is alien to them all.

Imagine the party leaders had to live on your family budget, which do you think would cope best/worst? Why? What problems would they encounter?

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?

I don't think politicians are aware what a big difference the little perks that they are (still) able to expense add up to. Rail travel into central London (DH commutes daily at huge cost to us), broadband and mobile bills paid, the list goes on... Our income halved overnight when I was unable to return to work after having DS - we have to budget every penny so carefully. DH's basic salary means that we were still entitled to child benefit, but an unexpected employer bonus (which we are incredibly grateful for) pushes us just over the threshold now. It's a real hassle for us to have to fill in a tax return now. The cuts haven't just cost us financially, but it costs us time administrating everything.

Because of 3 burglaries in 4 years we are paying £1000 a year home insurance - no amount of smart shopping can reduce this fee - no other insurer will touch us, despite the fact we have moved away from the cursed house, we are still seen as a risk.

We've shopped around for the cheapest Gas, Electricity, Broadband, Mobile bills we can. We run 1 car and only use it a couple of times a week for essential journeys. DM feeds us on Sundays to keep our food budget manageable. DM also buys most of DS's clothes. We only buy essentials, no luxuries. DM helps us with the cost of a small UK holiday every year.

Cameron and Osborne think we are in the comfortably off bracket. Looking at how many families are struggling, this is probably true, but living in the South East is expensive, and we have no hope of moving to a cheaper area as DH would be unlikely to find work away from London. For the vast majority, London salaries are incompatible with south eastern living expenses.

How well or badly do you think the party leaders could manage your household finances effectively?

First of all David Cameron?
Hahahahaha. We are comfortably above the breadline in my view but it would be like living in poverty to him I'm sure. I suspect tuition fees would be swiftly reduced....

And then Nick Clegg?
I think he would do better. He seems slightly more normal than the others. As others have said, sure his normal wife is an anchor. Or maybe I just feel more connection because his wife has been the breadwinner for them. Or maybe its him and his wife I imagine doing better, rather than him alone. He seems a bit ineffectual.

And then Ed Miliband?
Haven't a clue. Know little about him and nothing I know inspires me to find out. I have noticed on this thread people feel he is slightly more pro-women than the others, but no-one uses any examples - which makes me think he's just a better spin doctor.

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?
Obama would do fine I think. He seems to understand the ordinary life. Again, how I wish he governed this country.

Imagine the party leaders had to live on your family budget, which do you think would cope best/worst? Why? What problems would they encounter?
The comments above cover this I feel.
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?

Hmm well think some of the posters above have made very good points and maybe my profession isn't the only one that would benefit from the presence of the normal classes. I won't even say working, just normal people who weren't born with silver spoons in their mouths would do.

How well or badly do you think the party leaders could manage your household finances effectively?

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?

I think they'd all struggle. It would be alien to them. Just finished my HMRC form and next year we're predicted an income less than half the national average household income. I don't feel badly off as I have a home and enough money to feed my children and I have made the decision to work part time in order to look after them but mostly that's because I have been fortunate enough to be able to save in the past, had support from our families to get on the property ladder and also because we live relatively frugal lives in that we don't spend excessively on unnecessary items. I doubt any of the above named have the direct experience of managing a small budget and utilising it effectively to look after a family.

I'd guess Natalie Bennett (Green) would have the most experience. She works for a smaller party and is more likely to have had a similar life experience to me than the 3 big partyy leaders.

Imagine the party leaders had to live on your family budget, which do you think would cope best/worst? Why? What problems would they encounter?

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?

As above, I think the three leaders are relatively indistinguishable in this regard. That's part of the problem!

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 no idea. He's so far removed from the real life of most people in this country - and importantly - always has been, living a life of privilege from an early age. He tries to appeal to us, with talk of the importance of the NHS - ha! It's being systematically destroyed/privatised (same thing) and so is the education system with the ever increasing demands placed on educators, unless of course you're in a 'free school' where suddenly, the same rules no longer apply. Bonkers.

And then Nick Clegg?
I think he probably has some more of an idea, purely because of his wife and her seemingly more accurate grasp of reality away from the Westminster machine. However, still privileged to the extremem and part of the same old boys' club, in essence, as Cameron.

And then Ed Miliband?
Also led a privileged existence. I'd like to think he has some more of an idea of the real world and integrity, considering his background/upbringing but not made particular strong impression on me. Why isn't he seizing the momentum and actually LOUDLY OPPOSING the austerity policies???

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?
To answer the question accurately, I actually think Nigel Farage (for all that I disagree with his policies) understands (read: is willing to manipulate) the issues facing many women and men. SO much support for UKip has flooded form the Right and Left because they are offering a voice for those who feel they are excluded from/ignored by the political elite. I would never vote for him, but I am beginning to understand why many do/will...

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?
   Terribly. The 'calm down, dear' comment was very telling. Cronies all the way for him.
   And then Nick Clegg?
   Doesn't have enough political leverage to promote women. Not a priority for him. Only able to cling on to power for himself.
   And then Ed Miliband?
   Inherited a talented team of women from the previous government. Not seen that he's done anything major to promote/take account of women especially.
   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?
   I don't blame women for not coming forward to be party leaders or have more of a voice generally as they are often patronised (calm down, dear) portrayed cruelly in the press (Harriet Harman) or worse, by their colleagues and fellow MPs - look at the case of Julia Gillard in Australia.

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 feel has a relatively good record of female representation and visibility. I know many women concur with the position held by the Greens so them too. Trust least? Equal mistrust in this regard of ll the other parties!

How well or badly do you think the party leaders could manage your household finances effectively?

First of all David Cameron?
And then Nick Clegg?
And then Ed Miliband?

I don't think any of them could manage my family budget better than I could. I doubt they are even aware of what the inside of a Lidls looks like and certainly would not be able to find the best deals for school clothes and cat food etc.

Cameron would probably be insisting that I should be returning to work to earn more without considering the emotional benefits my DCs gain from having me nearby.

I'd love to return to my previous job but it involved extensive travel so that's not an option with small children. I have had 2 other part time roles since having my DS and both of these roles have been withdrawn due to removal of funding for services. What's annoying about this is that I was happy to work for a low pay despite being massively over qualified as I believed the services were much needed in a heavily deprived area (think Tia Sharp) and I could see the longer term benefits of being in these roles. I'm sick to death of hearing about the 'Big Society' and how we are "all in this together" when actually we aren't in this together as all the party leaders are so far removed from the reality of life for many that it scares me to think about how this can or will be changed.

Imagine the party leaders had to live on your family budget, which do you think would cope best/worst? Why? What problems would they encounter?

I'd like to see them live a relaxing life on my budget. I can survive but some months it feels as though we are just existing rather than thriving. I'm aware that this probably sounds bitter but I'm sick of taking the red pill. I'm an educated woman who used to be a company director but now that I'm a SAHM I've fallen off the radar politically. As far as all are concerned I'm just another drain on society. My husband earns an excellent wage yet as a family we struggle from month to month. I know others are much worse off than we are but it's not a bloody competition. It's not acceptable that the banker fuckers who got us into this mess are not being penalized as much as they should. Instead it appears that we are being encouraged to blame the poor, the women, the migrants etc. it's just not on.

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.

I think all of them are incredibly removed from what women want or need. Their political personas appear to support women and they use their spouses to show that they are 'family men' but very few real policies have been implemented recently or even discussed that will help women.

First of all David Cameron?
No idea of the reality of life of the average Joe, let alone the average female. I believe he really hates women otherwise how has he allowed some of his current policies to continue.

And then Nick Clegg?
I don't think he cares about women. I have yet to see any sign of him actually understanding my needs.

And then Ed Miliband?
Meh. See my previous comment about his keeping the party's head down.

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?

It seems like lip service to me. The reality of women in politics Vs what actually happens is vast. The Labour Party appears to consider women's needs more in policy development but I'm not sure if this is just that they are demonstrating a more human approach or actually considering women.

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?

I would say that I trust the Green Party most of all with the interests of women, however I'm not sure they have the ability or experience to run the country. But then I guess neither to the incumbents and it hasn't stopped them.

*How well or badly do you think the party leaders could manage your household finances effectively?

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?*

I'm guessing that at least part of the point of this survey is to separate out now women feel about individual parties and their leaders but I really am so disillusioned by the state of the nation, the old boys club, the complete distance from reality that our supposed leaders are. I never realised I am so cynical! But how can old Etonians like Cameron et al truly comprehend the reality of living hand to mouth?

*Imagine the party leaders had to live on your family budget, which do you think would cope best/worst? Why? What problems would they encounter?

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?*

They would probably be incredulous that I am such a mug - I work for a loss. Returning to work after my second child means the cost of 2 in childcare, a prohibitively expensive commute and a pay cut means that until my eldest starts school next year, it is actually costing me to work and line the governments coffers through my taxes.

. understanding issues facing women like me David Cameron - No way. He does not have a clue!

Nick Clegg -Hmm I thought he would be better than he has turned out to be, he just seems like another Conservative now! I would have trusted him before, but now NO!

Ed Milliband - I suppose he is the most likely to understand issues, but I am not convinced!!

Same for the second question.

They would not have a clue how to cope on what I have to cope on. I would not say that any one of them would do it, or understand the problems I have trying to juggle family finances. I have 1 disabled daughter who cannot go out alone and cannot walk out of the house, she cannot be left for any amount of time, nor eat or drink without supervision.....but since the Conservatives have been in power she is not disabled enough for DLA! (She went from highest rate to zilch but with the same problems! )It costs me loads to care for her and do everything I do just to make her life a little more comfortable for her, but with no DLA now she has a miserable lonely existence! Thanks Mr Cameron - you had money to look after your disabled child, I don't!!! Sorry, slightly bitter rant there!
No, none of them would have a clue how to budget, budget and budget and work out whether the family eats meat today, or we put money for a bill.