Live webchat with Ed Miliband, Labour leader and Leader of the Opposition, Thursday 1st Dec at 1.45pm

[KatieMumsnet]

We're very pleased to announce that Labour leader, Ed Miliband will be joining us for a webchat this Thursday between 1.45pm and 2.45pm.

Ed is MP for Doncaster, former Minister for Energy and Climate change and won the Labour leadership in the autumn of 2010. He's keen to hear your views and answer any of your questions.

Do join us for the webchat. As ever, if you can't make it, please post up your advance questions here.

Thanks,

MNHQ

@Iggly

I'd like Ed to remind the PM every now and then of the human stories behind those affected by the cuts and stick up for the little people.

I agree with you....I heard from someone who works in the House of Commons canteen about why she was going on strike, taking home £1100 a month, looking at working much longer, paying more,without feeling there had been proper negotiation. She didn't want to, but felt the government had given her no alternative

Thanks for repsonse.
One last thought. In the film Spinal Tap, the Tap complain that the support act were so bad the crowd were still booing when they played their set - remind you of anyone??? :)

@BCCubitt

Before you go.... Spending £900 million on planning HS2 in this parliament - is this the right priority for taxpayers money while cutting essential services?

I am for HS2..I think it part of building a modern country and good for the economy

Thank you Ed for answering my question. I'm very pleased to see you agree it's being gone about the wrong way - something for you to consider in your manifesto against the opposition I hope. Have a Jaffa Cake on me :o

Ed's frothers? A-political we are. Although he is welcome to join us

You are coming across much better Ed, than Dave did on This Morning.

Just sayin' like.

kettlecrisps I don't understand why you think Ed Miliband is not being honest about the debt. Labour have repeatedly said that paying down the deficit is important. Just look at some of the earlier answers on the thread - I quote from

Mr Miliband today 'If we were in government, we would have made cuts too because paying down the deficit matters massively.' How is that deficit denial?!

It seems to me that Labour are simply focussing on developing growth in order to tackle the deficit rather than just austerity measures which seems to be the current govts plans.

Joke, Kate.

I am sure he will be joining us, and voicing his support !

oh and please pass on how utterly disgusted we are at spending £37k on a bloody portrait let alone the idea of paying millions for gove's ego trip giving autographed bibles out to school kids. what the actual f is that?

@Glitterknickaz

I would like to ask why despite requests there hasn't been representation for people with disabilities who are going to be hit hardest by the Welfare Reform Bill. This applies to working age people and children. Is he aware of the impact the cuts to Universal Credit is going to have on my family as despite needing constant supervision two of my three disabled children don't qualify for the highest rate of DLA so we'll lose £200 a month.

Carers save this country £18 billion a year and what little we have to live on is being further eroded when the cost of everything is rising. Will you help us?

Points taken. Will make sure we take up the first issue, which I think we have already raised. I agree with you on the work done by carers, and the way in which they aren't properly recognised....

kate you're just saying that because you're holding out some hope that the liberals can come back from this utter betrayal. i dont' think they can.

Yes the Michael Gove Bible!

Staggering arrogance.

Don't start talking about Michael Gove! [spits]

I do see your point swallowedAfly and agree that I would also like to see the tories gone. I just don't necessarily want to vote for a party who could be doing more now to stop things before they get even worse and who would rest on their laurels expecting an easy ride. I want to vote for a party I believe in.

BIWI,quite right!

Thanks again Ed, just realised I forgot these

Can I echo what SwallowedaFly said about Bibles for schools? As a teacher and head of department with a budget cut in half, it's literally like Gove is laughing at us.

well you've got two choices littlewhitewolf - which seems the lesser evil? of course they need to get better but given the alternative.....

i'll go with not throwing disabled mothers out on the street.

@Noodlemacdoodle

I'd like to know whther Ed could take up the cause of pediatric cancer care. One child in 750 is diagnosed with cancer, and treatment involves life changing side effects including: learning disabilities, nerve damage, permanent baldness, infertility, mobility problems... to name a few. Despite this horrendous treatement, survival rates are regrettably low. If this was his child, would it be good enough? In this time of auterity measures, does it make sense to create disabled children, to create a drain on teaching resources (as one local headteacher kindly put it to me).

We have, despite the cuts etc, blah blah, a world leading health system, something to be proud of (on the whole). What would Ed do to focus this great resource on improving treatment and cure rates? A clue: Only 3% of cancer research funding is spent on ALL types of pediatric cancers, including solid and blood cancers. How could he change this?

And if he's not willing to... what can I do?

This is a really important question. I have a friend whose child has had cancer in the last year and I know from a distance what a trauma it is. I can only imagine what it would be like to be in that position with my kids. I didn't know how little was spent and again will look into it....

I'm saying that because it's true. Floating voters are the majority and win and lose elections. It doesn't matter what your traditional political association to feel something is very wrong.

Also want to register my disgust at the whole bible thing. Is Gove a total narcissist?

Thanks for answering my question upthread, Ed.

@reelingintheyears

Ask him about Justine Justine,is she an MNer?

Is she here now?

Justine at work. Not a regular MNer but really it's between her and her computer....

I second what KateMiddIeton just said.

Echoes Hugo et al

I'm a HOD for RE and I find Gove's arrogance staggering as regards the Bibles for schools.

sorry i was just messing kate. you are absolutely right of course.