Webchat with Miriam González Durántez, Tues 21st April, 11.30 am

[JustineMumsnet]

We're very pleased to say that Miriam González Durántez - international trade lawyer and wife of Nick Clegg - will be joining us for a webchat tomorrow (Tuesday 21st) at 11.30am.

Miriam a couple of years ago, and has spoken a few times about how she was bowled over by the support of Mumsnetters when she was propelled into the public eye five years ago.

She's fitting in some campaigning for some women LibDem MPs over the next few weeks, whilst continuing to practise as Head of EU Trade and EU Relations at law firm Dechert.

We hope you can join us at 11.30 on Tuesday April 21 to talk to Miriam about careers, campaigning, Mumsnet, and the mixed bag that is being a politician's spouse.

(And before you ask... yes, we are working on having all the major party leaders on before the election, and we're not intending to go too far down the spouse route ourselves - but we know that Miriam and MNers are rather fond of each other and think her insights on the campaign might be interesting .)

If you can't make it on the day, do please post up your questions in advance here.'

[MiriamGonzalezDurantez]

@roselover

During any election campaign there is always a fair amount of personal mud slinging - its the nature of the beast - how do you handle your kid's view of what people are saying about their parents - its ok to say - we don't let them hear about the bad stuff but how on earth do you manage that?

Both Nick and I believe that protecting our children comes first. We have never allowed any pictures of them. They know what Nick does and we obviously cannot isolate them completely. But we protect them as much as we can (which is part of the reason why Nick's parents and my mother are so much with them during the campaign).

[MiriamGonzalezDurantez]

@Julessn

Does her son get bullied when his dad turns up at school functions?

Of course not! their friends and their parents' friends could not be any more protective ( cannot thank them enough!). We are truly lucky on this. A lot of the credit goes to Nick, who has made every effort to be often at school functions and sports games, so that our children's friends would see him not as the Deputy Prime minister, but as Antonio, Alberto and Miguel's dad.

[JustineMumsnet]

@PlentyOfPubeGardens

I have PM'd my email address

Thanks - we'll make sure Miriam sees it.

[MiriamGonzalezDurantez]

@Gobbolinothewitchscat

Brilliant question chrisquean.

I'd also like to know if you think a junior associate would be awarded the same leeway in supporting their husband's career?

I am an international trade lawyer, which means most of my clients are in other time zones and therefore I can do my work at pretty much any time of the day or night. But if you really want to have my opinion, the higher you go in your job the more flexibility you have. I certainly could not have been able to do the Inspiring Women Campaign for example when I was starting. And all that applies also to the maternity years as well!

[MiriamGonzalezDurantez]

@EthelDurant123

Does Miriam ever get fed up of some of the silly questions asked by journalists about "having it all"? Does she have some good comebacks?

I am actually on record saying that I do not want to have it all, I only want to have what men have. Nobody asks a man to choose between work and family life if they choose to work outside the home. So I do not know why women cannot have that if that is what they choose.

And I would like every girl to feel the same, which is part of the reasons we launched the Inspiring Women Campaign - to tell the girls that they should feel free to take their own decisions and then work hard to aim whatever they want to do.

[PreemptiveSalvageEngineer]

I'd meant to ask this during the Nick Clegg session a few weeks back, but we ran out of time: Do you [Miriam] watch Poldark? And what does Nick think about that?

[eggsandham]

Hi Miriam. I saw you talk at Mumsnet's Blogfest a few years ago and thought you were brilliant. You are obviously a very inspiring person and accomplished speaker. How do you decide which public engagements to take part in? Is your instinct to decline most things and only do what you have to do to support your husband? Or do you enjoy it?

[MiriamGonzalezDurantez]

@caramelshortbreadnowplease

Hi Miriam,

Is there anything you really like or find exciting about your husband being in politics?

The negative effects on the family seem obvious, but I wonder what you (or your children) think makes up for all that?

Thanks.

Having been married to Nick, the Deputy prime Minister of this country for the last five years, and seeing British politics so close-by has been a privilege. I do not agree 'at all' with the victim complex that seems to be applied recently to some politicians and their families. If there are difficult times we deal with them together as a family, as I suppose most families do. But I can guarantee you that most of what families of politicians go through is nothing in comparison to the issues that other families have to deal with.

I am also completely open about the fact that if I had not been married to Nick I would not have been able to launch the Inspiring Women campaign and make it as successful as it has been in such a short time, so I have to thank him for that one as well!

[KiaOraOAotearoa]

The two cultures (Spanish and British) are very different, how do you marry them?

[MiriamGonzalezDurantez]

@BananaHammock23

What one thing has Nick achieved in government that you're genuinely proud of?

The stabilization of the economy at a truly difficult economic time and the Pupil Premium. The effect of the Pupil Premium in the years to come will be huge in closing the gap between privileged and less privileged children. This was the revolutionary education idea of the last five years, not free schools!

[MiriamGonzalezDurantez]

@ThurstonWingman

I like Miriam, so there.

Miriam, it seems like election campaigns demand weeks of lack of sleep and ridiculous levels of activity and no down-time, and then - last election and probably this one too - sleepless, knackered politicians are asked to stay awake for four days straight to conduct coalition negotiations.

The whole thing seems mad to me and surely can't lead to good decisions. The Channel 4 drama about the coalition negotiations showed Nick protesting about not having had enough sleep when he was asked to attend an early meeting. Was this true to life? Do you try to insist that he gets some rest?

I know it seems like a trivial issue, but given that lack of sleep has the same effect as being wildly drunk I genuinely worry about the quality of the decisions that get taken!

Aren't we all knackered as a generation??
I have lost long time ago any hope to 'insist' on anybody in my home doing anything I want...
But yes, I do think politicians should relax and try to do things that everybody else does (school run??!!)

[MiriamGonzalezDurantez]

@textfan

Is it difficult to trust a man who blatantly turned his back on his beliefs in the pursuit of glory and power?

Nick has not turned his back on his beliefs. He was not elected Prime Minister. There was one promise (one) he could not get in the coalition negotiations. But he got every single policy in the front page of the LibDem manifesto. Every single one.

Free tax allowance, shared parental leave, pupil premium, extended hours of childcare, the Green investment Bank, the bank levy, a record number of apprenticeships, putting mental health on the same level of importance as physical health.... you tell me any other party that has done all that with just 56 MPs.

[MiriamGonzalezDurantez]

@DianeLockhart

What do you think is the most important issue in this election and what was the policy you were happiest to see in the lib dem manifesto this time?

Guaranteeing the education budget from cradle to 19. No other party has done that.

And putting mental health in the front page of the manifesto, something that most others will not even dare to do.

[JugglingFromHereToThere]

"I have lost long time ago any hope to "insist" on anybody in my home doing anything I want ...."

HaHa, me too Miriam - especially with two teenagers
And specifically on the sleep and bedtime thing my dd, now 16, sometimes stays up virtually all night finishing homework or preparing for a school exam. She is just too conscientious I think. I wasn't expecting this!

[LineRunner]

But you only have to read Mumsnet to know that mental health services are NOT on a par with physical health services, especially CAMHS.

[MiriamGonzalezDurantez]

@DianeLockhart

Which is better - Suits or the Good Wife?

Well, both have female Managing Partners in their firms...

For my taste the Good Wife... though for Daily Mail standards she would be the Bad Wife!

[MiriamGonzalezDurantez]

@TheAbbessofBarking

I'm really interested to know your thoughts on the SNP, given your own background in a country that has a strong separatist movement.

Do you think that the SNP are as dangerous to the country as the Conservatives are making out? What are your thoughts on Nicola Sturgeon?

I am glad to see more female politicians in this campaign than in the last one. But I am in favour of politicians who want to work for the whole country, not politicians who want to break the country apart.

[LineRunner]

[MiriamGonzalezDurantez]

@JugglingFromHereToThere

Have you thought of going into politics yourself?
If so would that be for the LibDems?

Second question ...
Who's the brightest?
And do you help Nick much with policy and general political challenges?

I enjoyed meeting him (kind of) at the Mumsnet debate BTW
He seems very good with people and seems to be fairly much enjoying the campaign?
How is life for you ATM?
Are you both knackered?

Sorry I guess a few questions there but it's more conversational than anything else! - That's my defense anyway!

Boy you have lots of questions here!

Your second questions: My DH is the brightest, but I compensate with effort what I did not get through nature... and I eventually get there!

On your first question,I have always been close to politics (my father who was a teacher ended up as a local and then regional and national politician) and I have also worked for politicians in Brussels. I do think everybody should be interested in politics - it simply determines fundamental issues of all of our lives.

But I cannot even vote in this country, so there is no chance I could be a candidate. Though I would tell you this; I would have given my right arm to have been able to do for my country what Nick has done for his.

[JustineMumsnet]

@Hannahouse

Do you think positive discrimination is a good idea in the workplace?

Hi - reminder of guidelines: one question per user please.