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

How do you think the referendum vote will go?
I think we should stay in and am amazed that we're considering not doing so.
I hope there's a big turnout at the polls so the voice of reason gets heard

But Glass of Port why does he have to be interested in everything? I care about the environment but I think that a lot of talk around climate change is bollocks - constant world meetings to discuss it which cost millions and achieve nothing, talk about carbon capture etc. I try to reduce CO2 emissions, use my car as little as possible etc. but I can't be arsed listening to all the hand wringing by people on their private jets so why should anyone else?

'I hope there's a big turnout at the polls so the voice of reason gets heard'

Farage is having no problem being heard.

@OTheHugeManatee

Steve - one of the reasons I'm in favour of leaving the EU is that I think smaller sovereign democracies with proper accountability are far better placed than huge blocs to meet 21st century globalisation in a way that benefits the majority rather than just the 1%. Why do you think it is that the 'leave for democracy' argument is falling so flat when it's so important?

And (I know I'm not supposed to ask loads but still) any thoughts on why the left is so silent on Brexit, when there is a clear left-wing case for leaving?

I find it a mystery. I would have thought the corruption and corporate cronyism in Brussels, and the crushing of grassroots democratic freedoms that the EU represents would be total anathema to the left. I just don't understand why there aren't louder voices calling for us to leave.

As for the leave for democracy argument, it's easy for it to be dismissed as airy-fairy and conceptual compared to the gritty reality of how much more your holiday would cost - to pick one of the remain campaign's phoney scares. But in reality I think people are open to having a serious thoughtful conversation about what this decision means for the very long term. It's just that the campaigns are not really allowing them to do that. It's interesting that when we were testing different versions of our EU referendum voting guide at Crowdpac, we started with an assumption that it would need to be simple and quick but it turned out that the most popular version was the longest and most in-depth, and included many questions about the democratic aspects of this decision.

@snowysnowstorms

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.

I think that one of the biggest has to be the fact that the fantastic advances in gender equality and women's role in the economy haven't been accompanied by an equivalent social and cultural change. so that women have gained a whole set of new roles over the last few decades whilst being expected to continue with their previous roles almost unchanged. This creates not only practical stress and hardship but an enormous amount of emotional guilt and I don't think we are doing enough to change society's expectations in order to reduce that. In a practical sense, men just need to do more and that's why I thought the Richard Reeves piece I linked to earlier was so important and strong. It's not the whole answer but it would go a long way towards helping women with the challenges they face.

Thanks very much everyone for the really interesting range of questions. That was great!

Haven't read the book, but you talk about getting independent people into government using the data in your software, but what's the point when we have the whipped party system and when you say that if Cameron wasn't PM, he would probably vote to leave to the EU.

Surely only PR and referenda can hope to give the people a chance of being heard and bypassing the rigged, whipped system of nods and winks?

Thanks, Steve.

Thanks Steve - I suspect we agree on very little but nice to see a webchat with someone who speaks their mind and isn't toeing a particular line. Wish more professional politicians would do the same.

I count 5 links to his book on Amazon so far. That's Amazon, the notorious tax dodgers by the way. Can someone check for me? the yellow is doing my eyes in

women have gained a whole set of new roles over the last few decades whilst being expected to continue with their previous roles almost unchanged

Pity it never filtered through to Cameron and his Cabinet.

I just read the NY TIMES article which he proposes will solve gender inequality.

Well apparently men have lost their status and now need to encroach on traditionally female arenas ("pink jobs")

That'll sort it apparently.

Ffs

I read his book last summer, it's not new

Not sure why the big push for it at the moment but the linky links were blatant

Interesting comments, thanks Steve, you covered plenty of varied topics there.

Urgh. He's a slippery one.

Sorry he didn't engage properly with Boffinmum's questions - they were very much to the point and worth answering.

What's he here for anyway?

He's just popped up on the panel on Questiontime.

I'm very impressed by him. He's the first person who seems to have talked sense about the referendum to me and I have found myself agreeing with almost everything he said
I might even have a look at the book

Yes, I feel he side stepped the questions I posed but at least he didn't ignore them completely, which is what usually happens when I post on these things.

On the whole, I like him, he is far better than the rest of the political class. I don't agree with lots of things he says, but I like the fact that he does think outside the box and does challenge the status quo. He shakes things up which is a good thing.

He came out srongly against Monsanto which lots of the rest of the political class wouldn't do.

But GlassofPort was right when she said

"So, you don't know enough about data stuff, you are not interested in climate change, you have not given much thought to proporional representation..."

The data stuff can be forgiven because it is less well known, but climate change and PR voting must have been thought about and he skilfully avoided giving a view on those and that was disappointing, but you have to weigh up that he may not be able to commit on some things.

However, coming out against Monsanto as a conservative was impressive.

Isn't this becoming more about ousting Cameron?

Mumsnet is supporting Brexit.

I thought the Brexit movement was about getting rid of the democratic deficit. Odd to ask us to listen to an unelected political strategist with an axe to grind.

#Remain

If you don't vote leave you are in effect opting out of the Democratic process and letting an unelected body make our laws