Webchat on women and politics, with Nicky Morgan, Jo Swinson and Gloria De Piero: Tuesday June 24, 1pm

[RowanMumsnet]

Hello



Hopefully lots of you will have seen coverage of our political culture survey over the weekend.

We asked 1200 of you what you thought about Westminster culture, and overwhelmingly you told us that you think that it's sexist, it's not family-friendly, and that to get on in politics you have to be ruthless, ambitious, rich, well-connected and - last but not least - male.

You also told us that you think the political culture in Westminster doesn't lead to politicians being able to take effective decisions about policies that will change people's lives for the better. And you told us that most of you (around two-thirds) would never consider standing for political office.

We're going to be having a webchat on Tuesday at 1pm to discuss the findings with the women's ministers/shadow minister from the three main parties:

Nicky Morgan is the Conservative MP for Loughborough, and is the Financial Secretary to the Treasury and Women's Minister

Jo Swinson is the Liberal Democrat MP for East Dunbartonshire, and is the Under-Secretary of State for Employment Relations and the junior Equalities Minister

Gloria De Piero is the Labour MP for Ashfield and Shadow Minister for Women and Equality.

Please join us on Tuesday at 1pm - and if you can't make it then, as ever, please post up any comments or questions in advance.

Thanks
MNHQ

STOP PRESS - DO TAKE A LOOK AT THIS RATHER FABULOUS VIDEO OF NICKY, JO AND GLORIA

[JoSwinsonMP]

Thanks very much for all your questions and comments - really enjoyable as ever. And also thanks for the wonderful resource that is Mumsnet over the past few months - it has been a superb place to go for advice on everything from nappy rash to the BabyBjorn or ergobaby decision!

[JustineMumsnet]

Thanks everyone for the great questions and especially to Nicky, Gloria and Jo for taking the trouble and for some terrific answers.

[JugglingFromHereToThere]

Thanks all

Justine and Rowan, what's it been like spending the day in Westminster?
Did they look after you?

[RowanMumsnet]

@JugglingFromHereToThere

Thanks all

Justine and Rowan, what's it been like spending the day in Westminster?
Did they look after you?

I was with Nicky's office and they were lovely

And on a personal note (in answer to Gloria's question) as someone who's job-shared for years (first with the glorious KateMumsnet and now with the resplendent RebeccaMumsnet) I'd very happily vote for a job-share MP

[TeWiSavesTheDay]

Just got back and read this. Thanks for answering my questions.

Excellent webchat HQ.

[DoItTooJulia]

I've just got in from work.

Thank you to each of you for answering my questions.

Really interesting webchat.

[wonderstuff]

I think MP job share is a fantastic idea, I would vote for it. I would love to run for parliament, the crazy hours put me off.

[JoSwinson]

[quote JoSwinsonMP] representing an area just north of Glasgow it does mean a lot of travel (and I now have the joys of doing that with a baby in tow? though now that I have had the flight from hell with a 1.5 hour delay on the tarmac and an inconsolable baby I?m hoping it can?t get worse than that!)


And I thought it couldn't get worse than that...

Well my journey home to the constituency on Thursday beat that: 90 minutes stuck in a hot lift between floors before we even got to the airport, which of course meant we missed the flight...

Thank goodness my DH was there too, and DS was on pretty good form and not screaming his head off!

[VikkiMumsnet]

You can catch up with our video interviews with Jo, Gloria and Nicky on our YouTube channel - like this one, where we asked what they'd change to get more women into politics.