Webchat with Deputy Labour Leader Harriet Harman MP; THURSDAY 12 FEBRUARY 12-1pm

[RowanMumsnet]

Deputy Labour leader Harriet Harman MP will be joining us at MNHQ on Thursday 12 February between 12 midday and 1pm.

Harriet is Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, and Shadow Deputy Prime Minister. She was first elected as an MP aged 32 when she was 7 months pregnant, and her long-term campaigning interests include gender equality, better maternity pay and conditions, and women-only shortlists.

Come and chat to Harriet this Thursday at 12 midday, or post a question in advance on this thread if you can't make it on the day.

Thanks
MNHQ

Yep, she's on Radio 2 right now

Yoni they should print that on the front of their manifesto.

But iseenodust, I think the NHS was always the "preferred provider" and was chosen for services, when all else was equal. The Tory's health and social care Act made it a level playing field with private companies, and Labour say they will repeal this Act - is this true Harriet, if you're still there?

there are people on here asking q's that relate to people having DIED hanging themselves due to the way disabled people have been treated in the last term of government, questions about whether labour may threaten them with criminality for home educating their children, questions that make a difference as to whether they can afford to run their homes etc and there is time to mention that money will be spent telling ppl that smoking is bad and veggies are good for you.

i think i am officially an ex labour voter and can finally see why some people couldn't stand their 'nannying' attitude and the insulting way they treat adults like idiots and interfere with their private lives whilst rome burns.

i am so sad in a way because this is the only pretense of a 'left wing' party we have and it can't even speak up for the poor or disabled anymore and has translated 'social justice and responsibility' into 5 a day campaigns and pink buses and a NMW that wouldn't even cover the rent.

I am so annoyed that no questions on disability were answered. As a parent of a disabled child I really want to know what Labour like all the other parties are intending to do now and in the future to help those who are disabled to have a better quality of life.

I wont vote for a party that doesn't make that clear and would rather spoil my ballet paper in protest - im in a right hump now!

3 months until a general election and you have 1 hour to answer as many questions as you can on one of the biggest parenting websites in the country and that was it?? Disappointed to say the least and I am an undecided voter you have not helped at all today Harriet.

Iseenodust

Agreed read that between 1997 and 2008, 90 per cent of all hospital construction funding was under PFI agreements, which paid for 75 per cent of all hospitals built.

"Because our health is so important we'd press forward on helping prevent ill health as well" - I'm already ill. What about me? A couple of million quid is all that separates me from a drug that could give me life back. And I've been waiting decades. In the meantime, we could do without persecution from ATOS or whoever is hired in their place. Will you do different?

iseenodust you wrote "Labour has held a large majority of the seats in Rotherham Council since the mid 70's. Do you feel it is time to introduce more rigorous criteria to the application process for potential councillors, including minimum education qualifications?" I've no idea of the current critieria or application process, but a PhD never prevented evil. And I wouldn't want to disqualify those who are not academic or rich enough for university.

I feel quite let down by that. I want to want to vote Labour, but that doesn't really hit the spot.

Hello

Harriet's still at MNHQ (doing the radio interview!) so before she goes we'll see if we can ask her to follow up with any further responses later on.

Sorry again - tis always difficult for webchat guests to get around to everything and there were a lot of qs here, but we realise some of you are disappointed that yours (or other people's) weren't answered and we'll see what we can do.

no one answers straightforward questions in politics anymore though do they?

would you reverse x? blah blah blah. sorry that was a yes or no question? blah blah blah.

why on earth would you trust someone in any walk of life (let alone seeking to rule a country) who refused to answer simple questions?

what happens when all faith is lost in a political system? is there any legal recourse or is it facism or revolution full stop?

Well get her to answer some simple yes or no questions then!

And insist on typing for her.

Hello lovely MNHQ

I think the current webchat format is broken. I think it should be a condition that you have a typist (or several) typing dictated answers and I think you should suggest guests answer at least 5-10 advance questions beforehand ie they send you the answers so you can post the answers when the chat opens.

Gawd TheHoneyBadger I need a like button for your post, agree 100%

This has shown politics up for the game it is to the out-of-touch elite who play house while in real life people are suffering. But as long as they/their rich friends remain insulated and we are given lip service and patronised, who gives a fuck eh?

Well that was a bit underwhelming.

So, what new MN emoticon will be the legacy of this chat?

Rowan, I was not bothered that my question was not answered. I just felt that a feeble number of questions were answered by HH. Also felt that you, MN, could have done more to push HH to hurry up. Some posts ,eg on disability have not been answered sufficiently to satisfy those posters who raised the questions.

Just heard the radio interview - I think she understands the issues that affect women more than men - but I want to hear more about policies!

E.g. would Labour increase funded preschool hours?

I don't think she did badly per se - AD and AS answered about 11 questions in the same time IIRC, presumably with typists, but juniors could presumably prepare some of the detailed answers and send across.

FFS.
'Sorry to give such long answers'. Been on an NLP course? You have not given long answers and saying that does not make it so. Also implies we are too daft to understand, if you had. Oooo, it's a bit difficult.

to help her perhaps everyone could reform their questions into yes/no answerable ones.

mine were:

will labour reverse the situation whereby lone parents will have their existing maintenance arrangements cancelled and have to pay and reapply and wait (having no maintenance coming in the interim) for new ones to be established and then have a percentage of that maintenance taken away from them every single month thereafter? yes or no.

will labour once again try to stop HE or interfere with the law as it stands on HE? yes or no.

another poster asked - will you be taking the 11% pay rise? yes or no.

perhaps the next person could copy and paste those into their post and add their own and so on so she could just respond to all with a simple list of yes, no, yes, no etc - no magical typing speeds required only a will to be transparent.

Hello MNHQ, whilst I appreciate your web chat guests have lots of questions to deal with and a limited time, other guests have managed to answer considerably more in the same time and at a considerably more in depth level than Ms Harman! I'm disappointed but not surprised at the outcome of this web chat session (oh and declining your offer to type seems calculated!).

What was that Harriet was saying about rising costs?! The Bank of England are discussing the risks of deflation, maybe worth getting in touch with the latest economic news Harriet.

DrankSangriaInThePark - good question about who gets picked to be a candidate.

Re Rotherham, UKIP go up there and Labour say they are trying to take advantage - no kidding, well don't give them an open goal then.

guy fawkes would be in with a shot these days.