Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Mumsnet webchats

WEBCHAT GUIDELINES: 1. One question per member plus one follow-up. 2. Keep your question brief. 3. Don't moan if your question doesn't get answered. 4. Do be civil/polite. 5. If one topic or question threatens to overwhelm the webchat, MNHQ will usually ask for people to stop repeating the same question or point.

MNHQ

Live chat with David Cameron

77 replies

tech · 27/02/2006 14:03

Hi everyone,

We've taken the moderation control off this thread now so you may comment as you wish......

Love,
Tech

OP posts:
Elf1981 · 28/02/2006 10:23

I was disappointed that none of my questions were answered. I had one posted from the first thread onto the live chat, but it was unanswered. But then I should have realised that no politican is going to answer a lot of the hard hitting questions that we asked. Though I would have loved to have known his thoughts on the questions I asked, rather than what music he prefers (no digs to those that asked, just my personal opinion).
I feel it is a good idea (chances to ask questions to spotlighted people you wouldn't usually get to ask a question to) but perhaps the format should be altered if it happens in future. Like it was suggested before, all questions submitted before hand, and then the questions and then answers being posted in order. The chat is a bit all over the place when trying to follow it all!

ruty · 28/02/2006 10:40

he was always going to answer unproblematic light hearted questions and evade tricky ones. that was his intention before the questions were even asked.

willow2 · 28/02/2006 10:55

Live chats always result in more questions than answers - regardless of whether it's Anthea Turner or David Cameron doing the answering. There is a chain of thought that it would make sense to submit questions in advance so that answers could be prepared and more people would get a reply - but then it wouldn't be a live chat. I have no idea why some questions made it on to the page and others didn't - but anyone with any real sense of rhythm will know that my question was actually quite loaded and that DC's answer spoke volumes.

PeachyClair · 28/02/2006 11:48

Willow2, do you HAVE to be so reasonable??? Wink

Suggest you consider giving that up for Lent

willow2 · 28/02/2006 12:03

Ha ha ha, reasonable? Think you have mistaken me for someone else.

crunchie · 28/02/2006 12:05

I still thought it was interesting, especially when the clip on Newsnight showed him writing

Dear Cheeky Cow or something!

It showed once again what a brilliant PR manager he is. In his old life (pre politics) David Cameron worked in PR, therefore this chat on Mumsnet was a great PR stunt to get space in newspapers and time on news broadcasts. It was his first day back from Paternity leave, so what is he doing? Talking to mums about their issues. All the while he is actually working on the real news story which is his 'change to the tory party' that he wants to be in the headlines. He is doing the classic 'baby kissing photo' but on a far grander scale :)

I am not saying he didn't put forward 'some' interesting opinions, but he really didn't answer much (unless you count ABBA and nappies) except to make the point on immunisations.

Still I think it is a great thing to do on MN and I wish more MP's could do this. I also want to know IF HE has signed up to that breastfeeding in public private memeber thingy. Does anyone know if he signed this?

I know my TORY MP didn't and still never replied to my email. Perhaps I should email DAVE and ask for a response!!

getbakainyourjimjams · 28/02/2006 12:10

Well I'll vote for him because of the special schools answer - what I wanted to hear. I'm a bit of a one issue woman :o

meowmix · 28/02/2006 12:25

very good point Crunchie. He was a real PR operator from what I hear.

Now this is sad but as a PR person I automatically have less faith/trust for him knowing that he knows how to spin as well as I do. Well that and ... you know....(whisper) he votes CONSERVATIVE....

whatsmyname · 28/02/2006 13:39

Rhubarb,

Strongly agree with what you said (and Kama).

Flum · 28/02/2006 13:49

My favourite reply was

Dear Mommie i chuck, chuck chuckled.

I thought he was quite good. probably slow so that advisors/lawyers could 'ok' the answers before they could be posters.

I called my dh and told him DC was on Mumsnet 'he was impressed'.

I told my co-worker that he was and she said 'Who is DC'

MN is taking over the world. I miss it but will be back soon when on maternity leave.......

pucca · 28/02/2006 13:55

I liked COD's questions lol Wink

Dahlia · 28/02/2006 22:49

I have only just read this thread as I don't often get on mumsnet these days, but am intrigued by something. Cod, did someone retype your posts before they appeared? Its just that there were no typing errors and normally your posts are full of them. Seems odd!

newgirl · 01/03/2006 12:13

Hi I emailed my conservative mp anne main last week to ask why she had not supported the bfeeding bill. She represents St Albans and our town is packed with parents bfeeding/bottle feeding as they see fit, but not every place is so family friendly. I got a letter this morning in response.

She says that 'breastfeeding is good' and 'I find the arguments for bfeeding compelling'. She says that the bill has failed and there is no need to legislate to support bfeeding in public. She does think that more should be done to provide bfeeding facilities in public places.

I will write back as I still have the following thoughts:

  1. The WHO guidelines should be convincing enough, rather than individual mps deciding for themselves. When there are high profile cases of cafes, shops police etc asking people to stop bfeeding, shouldn't more be done to help those who choose to bfeed?
  1. Did our local mp consult with any local parenting groups on this matter? Apparently she didn't, and I think that mps are meant to represent views of local community?
  1. It would be nice to feel able to bfeed wherever, rather than in tucked away places in the back of the local library.

Any other thoughts that I could add?

ruty · 01/03/2006 14:16

i can't believe the bill has failed. Shocking. I think we should march in Westminster. Really! Grin

Flip · 01/03/2006 14:53

I think Crunchie was spot on. Everything a politician does is a publicity stunt. It's all about getting peoples awareness. He's using the fact that he's just become a father again to hopefully win votes. The problem is that no matter who get's voted in they're always going to do things that we don't want. Yeah the sun shone from Tony Blair's backside before he became PM but I know I wouldn't want to be woken up at three in the morning to be told something awful had just happened. It's a crap job and I'm sure everyone who wants to be PM starts off with good intentions. The money has to come from somewhere for everything we want to change in the country. But we all want tax breaks and subsidised child care. Better schools and better health care. Maybe it was the government who did that heist!!! Wink

Hattie05 · 01/03/2006 22:43

I have had a reply from one of David Camerons correspondence peeps.

They say, thank you for my reply, interesting to hear my thoughts, and tory's are not embarrassed to talk about breastfeeding.

?????

My email did not suggest i thought they were embarrassed.

It then goes on to tell me what they are doing for pre-school age children, and children with special needs, and invites me to make suggestions on these policies via their website.

Hmmmm i am left thinking they got a lot of emails from mnetters and have one standard response which vaguely covers all subjects important to mnetters.

LaylaandSethsmum · 01/03/2006 23:01

In my local paper it said that the current health sec had criticised him for saying he would make single vaccines available aswell as the MMR! Did they get that off here too? I did see an answer similar to this.

kiskidee · 02/03/2006 00:44

who thinks DC had one of his minions do all the typing and some of the answering for him?

GrannyJane · 02/03/2006 19:43

I was disappointed there was only one question not about parent matters, tho I supose it IS MUMSnet. The one by Elf about bringing home our troops was ignored. Too tricky?

To be even-handed, will MN follow up with a Q and A session for Ming Campbell, newly elected leader of the Libdems, even though he has not just had a baby and has his bus pass? Hope so.

getbakainyourjimjams · 02/03/2006 20:00

Well I'm glad DC's minnion mentioned children with SN Hattie- just pleased they even feature on the radar.

Why is the provision of single jabs being criticised??? It's not like they're getting rid of the MMR. if coverage is such a problem that should up it, surely?

chonky · 02/03/2006 20:10

jimjams - I totally agree, I'm easily bought when it comes to SEN provisioning :o

getbakainyourjimjams · 02/03/2006 20:13

:o well having lived with years of labour screwing it up.....

TBH the one thing I would trust DC on is SN provision- after all he lives with the consequences of the system- it's important to him that it's right iykwim.

CP · 03/03/2006 19:23

WOW - that was really interesting! Let's face it, no politician is going to say what we ALL want to hear, we will only ever like some of it some of the time. Also, we all want loads of stuff from the government but don't want to pay more taxes to pay for said stuff so what are they to do? We wouldn't be happy if we didn't have something to complain about would we?

PinkLady100 · 30/05/2006 14:27

i had unprotected sex prior to having the injection could i be pregnant as am feeling movements in my stomach if i am what affects could the injection have?

Marina · 30/05/2006 14:34

I don't think David will know the answer to this one pinklady Shock
hopefully if you start a new thread under Health or maybe Pregnancy someone will be able to give you some advice.
If you really fear you are pregnant I would go straight to your GP.

Swipe left for the next trending thread