Webchat with Steve Hilton, ex-adviser to David Cameron and author of More Human, on Thursday 26 May at 1pm

[BojanaMumsnet]

Hello,

We’re pleased to announce a webchat with Steve Hilton, author of More Human: Designing a World Where People Come First, on Thursday 26 May at 1pm.

Steve was formerly senior adviser to David Cameron, working closely with him (on projects such as the Big Society, hugging huskies and the Nudge Unit) until 2012, when he left Westminster for California. He is co-founder and CEO of Crowdpac, a Silicon Valley political tech start-up, and a visiting professor at Stanford University. He has also recently come out strongly in favour of Brexit.

More Human: Designing a World Where People Come First argues that the frustrations people feel with government, politics, their economic circumstances and their daily lives are caused by deep structural problems with systems that have become too big, bureaucratic and distant from the human scale. The book proposes radical solutions, such as banning internet-enabled devices for children.

Please do join the chat on Thursday, or if you can’t make it, please leave a question here in advance. And do bear in mind the webchat guidelines - one question each only (follow-ups allowed if there’s time) and please do be polite.

Thanks
MNHQ

I'll be there for this one if possible.

I'm not around on Thursday. Very interested in seeing the world become more human though my DC would disagree with removing the internet from them -

Who do you admire?

I understand you are in favour of Britex. Can you explain why your views differ so markedly from David Cameron's.

I've heard a lot of people framing the referendum as a choice between the EU or the Tories, even though we have general elections every few years and may well have a different goverment next time.

The main fear seems to be that if we leave the EU, it will be people on low incomes who suffer the worst economic consequences and possibly removal of their working rights, due to a UK government that no longer has the EU to keep it in line.

So can you tell us please, how will Brexit benefit people on low incomes and those wishing to retain workers' rights?

How is your book any different to EF Schumacher's Small is Beautiful?

Hello Steve

What did you think about the character on The Thick Of It who was supposed to be based on you? The scene in which Roger Allam resists 'your' attempts to make him take his tie off makes me howl every time.

And also (with grim inevitability) what's your favourite biscuit (do behavioural scientists who live in Silicon Valley eat biscuits?)

Hi Steve. Who counts as human in your book? Given your attempt to remove maternity rights, consumer rights currently enshrined in European Law, are you really the sort of un-elected bureaucrat who should be lecturing us on Brexit?

Hello Steve,

It strikes me there are now so many 'disrupters' in UK and US society, (usually male, highly vocal, and of a certain age) that it sends out a pretty negative message about the steady, humble slog required of many women to keep any kind of sustainable order going within society at a day to day level. How do we know you are not just another bloke pontificating at us? How do we know if any of this has any kind of proper basis?

Cheers,
Boff

Steve - to me the EU is obviously a partially completed project, and those voting Remain for the status quo may get a nasty surprise in the future.

What direction do you think the EU will take, what is the ultimate endgame?

(I will miss the web chat but will catch up later.)

Hi Steve

I'd like to know how you view data and sharing of data if we leave the EU.

My understanding is that is is very difficult to share data with other non-EU countries due to shared data protection laws.

Aren't there jobs in the City which depend on global customers and data sharing within the EU that are going to be lost if we leave the EU?

How are we going to replace talent especially in the City if we leave the EU? we'd have to have work permits and Visas which would make it very hard for us to recruit high calibre graduates and professionals who currently work in the City.

Um, er... I have so many questions I can't work out which to spit out first. So just marking my place for now.

Hi Steve,

Do you think proportional representation for general elections is a good idea for reflecting people's wishes more accurately or do you prefer fist past the post?

What are your views on the veracity of manmade climate change and do you agree with Cameron's alleged statement that "we have to cut the green crap"?

Hi Steve

What do you think are the biggest challenges women face today (at home, at work, online)? Do you have any radical solutions to tackle the sexism/misogyny you've observed?

Thanks very much in advance.

Hi Steve,

Do you really think it should be illegal for my 4 year old to have limited access to a few educational games on my iPad whilst supervised?

Can you convince me you are not one of those white liberals who is really only liberal in the areas that suit you and your type?

It's just your desire to abolish maternity rights made me think you don't give a shit about women and all your lovely ideas are designed to progress the white male.

Can you give a brief bullet point summary of why you support Brexit. The Leave campaign has been on the back foot and appears to have lost the economic argument. Most elections come down to the economy so how can the Leave campaign claw anything back?

I second Boffinmums question.

I'm not going to be able to make the web chat, which is really disappointing, I'm very much looking forward to reading Steve's replies later.

God I hope it's a bit more enlightening than the Alan Johnson Webchat.

Like pps I want to know whether you consider yourself a feminist (and why) and what was the issue that tipped you over onto the Brexit side?

Steve, how can we get more men to see that gender equality is an issue for them as well? How can we engage them in acting in solidarity with women?

I am undecided about leave/remain.

My worries about leaving.
I read here that Brexit would damage the countryside.

I did think that Brexit might mean less immigration and thus less urgency to concrete over the countryside with houses etc, but on the Alan Johnson webchat it seems that Norway and Iceland have to allow free movement anyway, and they just end up with less of a say in things. What's the point in leaving if we get less say in things that affect us and still have to accept and house whoever wants to turn up?

Another poster on the Alan Johnson webchat said they felt "we're being put into a Lose:Lose situation, whichever way the vote goes" and I feel that way too.

I saw that Brexit advert - "if we stop giving money to the EU we could spend it on hospitals". We could, but would we really? Would more money go to the sick, or would it go on tax cuts for the rich and business?

Second Limer's question. How do you see the EU developing, if the UK remains, and how do you see that impacting social and political life in the UK?

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Hi everyone,

Come on then! I'm very excited to do this, been wanting to do it for years.