Labour leadership hustings - Webchat with Andy Burnham, Thursday 30 July, 2pm

[BojanaMumsnet]

Hello

We’re pleased to announce the final webchat in our Labour leadership hustings series. Andy Burnham will be joining us for a webchat on Thursday 30 July at 2pm.

Andy was elected MP for Leigh in 2001. In Government, he was Secretary of State for Health, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport and Chief Secretary to the Treasury. He was also Shadow Health Secretary under Ed Miliband’s leadership (and in that role ).

During the heated leadership campaign, Andy has warned that Labour is becoming 'frightened by its own shadow' and has had to fight back against allegations of sexism, due to a row about remarks made by one of his supporters.

Please do join us on Thursday at 2pm if you can, or post a question for Andy here in advance if you can’t.

Labour leadership voting is open until Thursday 10 September and the ballot results will be released on Saturday 12 September.

Thanks

MNHQ

Hi Andy

If it's not breaking the rules, I'm going to post exactly the same question I asked Liz and Jeremy...(missed Yvette's chat unfortunately).

I was hugely disappointed by Labour's failure to respond more positively to UKIP etc on immigration during the election. The only senior Labour person I recall challenging their narrative in any convincing way was Chuka Umunna. How would this change if you were leader?

As a Labour supporter (and one of those who recently rejoined) I am saddened by the gulf between the declaration on my membership card and the stale, sound-bite-rich debates in which we seem to be trapped. For me, the immigration issue was one example of this. I'm no fan of Nicola Sturgeon, but at least she was seen to call out Nigel Farage on this. I'm also concerned that because of the immediate focus on the individual who will lead the party we're being asked to vote without really having understood why we lost.

Thank you!

Hi Andy,
I'd like to ask a really high brow political question but can't think of one at the moment so what's your favourite biscuit?

Actually, I would like to ask were do you stand on careers guidance for 13-19 yr olds? It seems to me, that giving the responsibility to schools was a big mistake, some have taken this seriously and some haven't, making it like a post code lottery, with the majority of young people without the access of individual face to face guidance unless the school is willing to fund it or until they go past their official school leaving date before being able to access whatever (if anything) the local authority has commissioned. In reality, they have then missed open evenings and end up making decisions based on whatever courses the colleges have spaces left on.

Would you change this system? Make support for young people a flagship policy for Labour? Be honest, if you don't know at this stage then I would respect you more for saying that.

Hi Andy, I attended the Q&A you held on Sunday evening, but unfortunately didn't get the chance to ask my question, so here it is!

I am incensed at the way that coalition/Tory cuts have hit women hardest and jobs often done by women (e.g. Public sector/caring roles) are seen as either dispensable or of low value.

What will you as party leader do to ensure that this balance is redressed and that so called 'women's issues' aren't marginalised as some sort of niche concern.

Yes I echo the careers guidance question

as a Local Authority adviser I attend PEP rveiews for looked after children, SEND Reviews, I work with NEET young people, I right reports for EHCP's, I support transition for vulnerable young people into post 16 options, I help teenage parents with childcare options, college or training, In short I do a heck of a lot to support our most vulnerable kids

My role is being scrapped due to cuts

no one will pick up that work

schools don't work with NEETS and the Job Centre doesn't really work with under 18's - neither does the National Careers Service - it's such a shame

please bring back funded, universal careers guidance provided by qualified and impartial staff x

Hi Andy can't think of a question but you have always had my support and many others from Wigan & Leigh.

We love you Leithers, they did well this year
Keep up the good work and please at local level can you please help in the fight for aa decent Arts venue in Wigan, we aren't all into sport.

Hi Andy,

You said that "we simply cannot abstain on this [welfare] bill"
You also said that if you were leader "Labour will oppose this [welfare] bill with everything we've got"

www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/welfare-bill-andy-burnham-says-we-can-not-simply-abstain-on-this-bill-after-abstaining-on-the-bill-10403498.html

Yet you abstained in the recent vote on this bill.

I am very interested to hear your reasoning for the recent abstention, and your comments above.

You may wish to consider the words of Mhairi Black MP?

"Tony Benn once said that in politics there are weathercocks and sign posts. Weathercocks will spin in whatever direction the wind of public opinion may blow them, no matter what principal they may have to compromise. And then there are signposts, signposts which stand true, and tall, and principled. And they point in the direction and they say this is the way to a better society and it is my job to convince you why. Tony Benn was right when he said the only people worth remembering in politics were signposts."

Hello Andy, I would be interested in your thoughts on non residential parents self employed or employed by family who financially abuse children avoid paying child support and tax?

I expect this issue to be ignored by you as it was by the other three.

I also want to clarify not all mumsnetters think you are a ventriloquist dummy and I am sad you were described as one in the press. that was a joke thread not intended to hurt

So Andy - no one seems to mention Staffordshire.
Are we all supposed to ignore this happened on your watch?
Because I won't, nor will the nearly 190 people who called for an enquiry and were ignored, nor will the families of the nearly 2,000 people who need not have died.

And you honestly think your actions (or lack of action more accurately) over Staffordshire make you the best person to lead Labour?

Andy, you have consistently voted in such a way that lesbians have been prevented from accessing equal rights to ivf and adoption. The other three candidates have all made commitments to human rights and equality. How do you reconcile your voting record on lgbt issues with a commitment to supporting the Human Rights Act and equality of opportunity for all? Do you really think your stance as a dedicated Catholic allows you to override principles of equality?

Hi Andy,

In the interests of Mumsnet'ers commitment to impartiality and fairness I think it only proper that you are given the same opportunity as Liz, Jeremy and Yvette to answer the biscuit question.

Yvette likes a chocolate hobnob ( fair enough) Jeremy didn't answer and Liz evaded the question completely and started talking about popcorn.

So Andy, what's your favourite biscuit?

I am a voter who generally wavers between Tory and UKIP. However, over the past few days, events in the Labour leadership contest have caused me to think deeply about how I can contribute to the long-term prosperity and success of Britain.

In particular, the fantastic four have even got me wondering whether I should become a Registered Supporter of the Labour party, and avail myself of the opportunity to vote in the leadership contest.

Would you encourage me to take part? Would your answer depend on who I would vote for?

Hi Andy,

Have you ever read Chavs by Owen Jones?

I agree with him that Labour are not doing so well as they have become lesser Tories and abandoned the working class. JC is doing so well as he is something so different yet something which Labour used to/should stand for.

I don't get the obsession for going after swing voters. There are far more that didn't vote because they think 'they are all the same'. Many voted UKIP for this reason. Abstaining on the Welfare bill just reinforces this view, the SNP MP said it all about them should be sitting opposite. Harriet Harman was wrong, you don't have to 'send a message' to Tory voters. So what Tories call you the party of Welfare, own it, embrace it. Welfare is the NHS, supporting disabled etc. Tories will now say you didn't oppose so its your fault too that people are suffering.

You currently have my second pref and that of many JC supporters. We need to get away from this me me me selfish individualist competitive race to materialism & care more about others and society. I truly believe Labour will die unless it goes left. It isn't the only party anymore and working class people will go elsewhere. People like Chuka & Tristam are not helping with their lecturing. We need more people who have been through diversity and struggled in life representing us.

Please would you express genuine remorse for the corruption of the Blair/Brown years, and in particular the daily lies that there was no conflict whatsoever between Blair and Brown?

As someone who's very concerned about climate change, I'm watching aghast as the Tory party seems set on wrecking any sensible plans to actually do anything about it. One of these recent announcements was Osborne making renewable energy pay the Climate Change Levy (more or less a carbon tax which was designed to encourage more clean energy so a weird thing to do unless you really dislike renewable energy!). And apparently only seven Labour MPs bothered to turn up and vote against this.

It seems pretty clear that we need to leave most fossil fuels in the ground so as not to completely screw up the planet. How as Labour leader would you try and put the country back on the path to a low-carbon economy and give green businesses back the confidence they have now lost that the UK is a good place to invest?

Andy, what is an "aspirational socialist"as opposed to a "socialist"? So what are you socialist or capitalist?

I can't even come on Mumsnet. It's a standing joke in our house. Andy is our MP and we can't go anywhere or open the local paper or turn on local tv without him popping up. He's everywhere! No one can say he's not involved in his constituency

Hello.
Im going to ask you the same question I asked Jeremy Corbyn and Kendall and didnt get an answer to:

I want to know what Labour will do to help the disabled and their full time carers (who ''earn'' a pittance on carers allowance yet look after disabled 24/7).

For starters taking off the spare room tax for disabled as ''spare'' room is for medical equipment and the like.

And disabled and carers have high living costs as most are NOT helped by the so called services out there.

By all means sort out the wheat from the chaff regarding benefit scroungers from the genuine needy, especially the severely disabled (mentally and physically) and theior full time carers, lifelong carers

And I seriously hope so much the ''biscuit'' question is ignored as this is supposed to be a serious question thread!

Issues are more important than ''heat magazine'' questions!

Andy, I want to know how you justify not voting against the welfare bill given you say you will vote against it at a later date. Does it not show your lack of leadership ability and moral courage to not stand up and defend those most vulnerable NOW, rather than vague promises to do so in the future?

For what it is worth Jeremy is the only candidate that I feel is representing my views and offering hope at the moment. Given they are more experienced and probably more "electable" than Jeremy I am very disappointed that Andy and Yvette are not doing more to put across a positive vision for the future, rather than promising Tory-lite policies with a nice smile.

Similar to the post about disabled families support.

I am an educated single Mum of a almost teen with additional needs, I fled ex husband due to domestic abuse which started during pregnancy.

Now Self employed and on a low income and completely trapped!

I would love to be office based again and feel some self worth again but due to not being able to find childcare for a almost teen with additional needs I'm stuck as self employed and about to be hammered by Universal Credit changes. All the after school care here stops at 11 and very few school hour based jobs available, none in the village I am in (I don't drive) and school hour jobs wouldn't pay enough to support us.

Andy,

Would you ensure the rail projects in the north that Mr Osborne is going to postpone will be started under a Labour government?

Hi Andy. Firstly I would like to say well done for all the work you have done for the Hillsborough families.

I think the problem with the Labour leader candidates is that they don't appeal to middle Britain which they need to in order to appeal to the current Tory voters. What policies would you put forward to appeal to middle Britain?

Hi Andy
My daughter had a an adverse reaction from the HPV vaccination which has left her with a chronic illness and she has been unable to attend school regularly for the last 2 academic years . My question to you is please investigate the vaccine and acknowledge the number of girls in the uk who have been affected and help them receive the care and attention they deserve from the NHS !

I would like to ask you the same question that I asked Glaxo Smith Kline a couple of days ago. What research is being done to give our HPV vaccine damaged girls their health and their lives back? Glaxo replied that they could not comment. They suggested I went to my doctor as he would know. I doubt he will know, but I am seeing/asking him on Friday morning.
Can you tell me what is being done? Glaxo to an extent acknowledged that some girls have had adverse reactions to the HPV vaccine and that they are researching into why this might be happening. What is being done to help the thousands of girls suffering tremendously in Britain? My beautiful daughter is one of them.

Hi Andy,
My daughter has suffered adverse side affects/illnesses since having the HPV vaccine Cervarix at the end of 2011. She is constantly poorly with illnesses that doctors cannot explain. She has not attended school since January this year and sat her GCSE's after receiving very little help from the school. My question to you is: When are the government going to look into the safety of this vaccine? There are too many girls that are experiencing the same kinds of illnesses for them to be coincidences. The UK govt should take note of the action countries such as Denmark are taking.