Webchat with Ed Balls, Tuesday 6 September at 2pm

[BojanaMumsnet]

Hello,

We’re pleased to announce a webchat with Ed Balls on Tuesday 6 September at 2pm.

Ed was a senior Labour MP from 2005 to 2015 and before that served as Gordon Brown’s key economic adviser at the Treasury. In Cabinet he served as Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, and was later Shadow Chancellor for four years under Ed Miliband.

He is a now a Senior Fellow at Harvard University and a Visiting Professor at King’s College London, as well as Chairman of Norwich City FC. A year on from the election which brought it to an unexpected end, Ed Balls reflects on his life in politics in Speaking Out - a book about a politician who thought he might become the country’s next Chancellor on the night of 7 May 2015, but who woke up the next morning without a job.

Ed has long been admired from a distance by many Mumsnet users. Please do join the chat on Tuesday at 2pm, or if you can’t make it, leave a question here in advance.

As always, please do keep in mind our webchat guidelines - one question each (follow-ups if there’s time) and politeness at all times.

Thanks
MNHQ

Photo credit: Chris Harris

Mrs Hathaway, don't be a bore!

I would like to ask, will Katya try to teach you properly or will Strictly use you as the "fun" celebrity. (It would be lovely to see them treat you seriously) x

@plainbellysneetch

Ed, three Qs if you've got time?

I'm a LP member and I'm really struggling to explain to new members why the Blair/Brown years aren't a shameful blot with nothing worth keeping about them. How would you respond?

And ...
what was going on in your mind when you realised that everyone had noticed your first tweet?

And..
Is there a rising tide of misogyny in society, specifically against 'public' women like MPs?

Thanks.

There is no doubt that there is a lot of misogyny in the form of abuse directed at women in the public eye on social media. Yvette has been doing a lot of work with Facebook, Google and Twitter on this - as a parent with two daughters, it's something which really worries me and it's not something we can just ignore.

@TheQuestingVole

Would you join a breakaway party if Corbyn wins the leadership vote?

For what it's worth - history isn't going to judge kindly senior Labour figures who remain loyal to a leader surrounded by the stench of anti semitism. People will have long memories on this. It will end up destroying the party if you and others don't have the courage to act now.

I strongly agree with you about anti-semitism - political leadership means being tough on prejudice and discrimination from wherever it comes. And I think the current Labour leadership has a responsibility to do more.

I have a chapter in my book called 'Loyalty' which explains why it is very hard to walk away from a political party, history and tradition matter as well as values and policies. I hope my Labour colleagues will continue to stay and fight to make Labour an effective opposition and a party of government again, even if Owen Smith doesn't win.

Hi Ed,

Also interested in LineyReborn's q and what you made of Sharon Shoesmith's book?

Thanks a lot!

Poor old Scotland. Always forgotten

@callmeadoctor

I would like to ask, will Katya try to teach you properly or will Strictly use you as the "fun" celebrity. (It would be lovely to see them treat you seriously) x

I'm definitely doing Strictly to have fun as well as to get fit and learn to dance. But I won't be fired out of a cannon or arriving on a trapeze, let alone being dragged around the floor. I may not start as a good dancer but I want to do my best and try to get better, which is what I think the show is all about.

@Xenophile

Never thought I'd say this, but we need politicians like you back in the driving seat of the Labour Party or we're screwed! Who would you suggest might be ones to watch within the CLP for the future? Or do you think that Statespersonship is dead now?

I think "statespersonship" is needed today in politics more than ever. The referendum vote means we have to tell the world what kind of country we are going to be and forge a new relationship with the EU - we can't just walk away entirely because that truly would be to cut off your nose to spite your face. It is always easy in politics to storm out of a meeting, to leave a spare seat at the table but that isn't the way to get things done. And when you hear populist politicians pretending there are easy solutions and trying to claim that every problem is all the fault of immigrants or eurocrats or bankers or a neo-liberal global conspiracy, I think most voters know they aren't going to get solutions from those kind of politicians, just slogans.

I think most voters know they aren't going to get solutions from those kind of politicians, just slogans.

I'd wholeheartedly agree, but there does seem to be a dearth of people ready to step up and be counted. Let's just hope that our party can produce the goods when it's most needed. Right now, I don't hold out much hope though. It's a bit demoralising.

Oh please answer the Scotland question Ed !

@LineyReborn

Hi Ed,

What do you think of Sharon Shoesmith's book? Do you feel any sympathy for her at all?

(Good luck on Strictly)

There is a whole chapter in my book called 'Emotion' about how you have to balance head and heart when making decisions in government. You have to listen to your emotions but remain objective and balanced. In the Baby P case, there was huge public anger but I commissioned an independent report to investigate what had happened in Haringey. I fully expected that report to contradict that public emotional reaction and absolve the leadership in Haringey from responsibility. In that circumstance I was ready and prepared to go out and defend the Haringey leadership. But when that independent report arrived it was so critical of the leadership in Haringey that I judged I had no choice but to act the way I did to ensure the safety of children in that borough. In the end, that was my responsibility.

@okeyhokeycokey

Hi Ed! I'd love to know who is the nicest person you've met throughout your career? In politics or a celebrity from your various TV appearances

I think one of the nicest people I met in TV - and worked with as a Cabinet minister was Denise Robertson, the agony aunt on This Morning for many years who very sadly passed away earlier this year. I was at the TV Choice awards last night and the This Morning team dedicated their award to Denise which was really nice.

@DaisyDando

Who do you think would make the best Prime Minister of our country?

Yvette, of course!

I've really enjoyed that. Thank you so much for all the questions and comments. As always, I'm really sorry I didn't manage to answer all of them. It's been great to be back in the Mumsnet offices again. Oh and by the way... don't forget to vote in two and a half weeks' time!

Can't believe no-one asked the BISCUIT question

Hi Ed, should I be concerned that I picked you in the strictly work sweepstake?
All the best

He couldn't answer the question about Scotland because the Labour Party no longer has a clue about the country and its former voters

He couldn't answer the question about Scotland because the Labour Party no longer has a clue about the country and its former voters Ed and his pals are genuinely stumped. Why don't Scottish people want to vote for a party which took them for granted for years.