MNHQ here: webchat with Harriet Harman MP on Monday 20 February at 1pm

[BojanaMumsnet]

Hello,

We’re pleased to announce a webchat with Harriet Harman MP on Monday 20 February at 1pm.

Harriet was twice Acting Deputy Leader of the Labour Party and she has spent 28 years on the Front Bench. She was elected as MP for Peckham in 1982 and has campaigned for women’s rights, including introducing the National Childcare Strategy, all women shortlists, the Equality Act and changing the law on domestic violence. She was at the forefront of Labour's efforts to reach women voters before the 2015 general election, leading to the infamous 'Pink Bus' being pranged in the MNHQ car park as Yvette Cooper left Mumsnet Towers.

Harriet’s recently published autobiography, A Woman’s Work, included her account of being sexually harassed by at least three men during her career, which hit the headlines (example here and here).

Please do join us on the day - Monday 20 Feb, at 1pm - or if you can’t make it, post a question in advance on this thread.

Please remember our webchat guidelines: one question each, with a follow-up to the webchat guest's response if appropriate; please don't keep posting 'what about me/please answer my question'; and please be civil/polite.

Thanks
MNHQ

Thanks for answering my question. I think part of the problem is that political parties these days seem to have no agreed principles or policies that they can clearly articulate. They spend a lot of time trying to listen to voters and then work out what the most popular policy will be. I don't think that approach actually helps. I'd rather have a clear statement based on political beliefs, with clear policies as a result, rather than a mishmash of ideas resulting from too many surveys, focus groups etc. What do you think?

Hello Harriet! Huge fan here - but one who is increasingly heartbroken by the leadership's utter failure to hold this govt to account, and the membership's inability to acknowledge that the people they need to persuade - the electorate - can't abide Jeremy and generally favour centrism.

Can you let me know if you'd ever consider defecting, if Momentum's domination meant labour was demonstrably unelectable?

Hi Harriet,

I'm a former constituent of yours - my son and I were based in Nunhead but we were forced due to rising rents in the area. I was only lucky enough to secure affordable accommodation in London because I found housing co-operative that offers comfortable homes for peppercorn rent.

Housing co-ops are rare these days and don't have much housing stock. What are your thoughts on how all people can have access to affordable homes in London?

I know you're not going to answer my question, and fair enough, it was snarky, but please, I actually beg you...

Make Labour formulate some kind of opposition. It's not enough to say that the press are against us, some of us simply can't afford to live with another Tory government. We're doing all we can at CLP level, it's tme for the PLP to do similar.

I live in the NorthWest. We're screwed if the tories win in 2020

@dorade

Hi Harriet I too am very concerned about the move to allow anyone to self-identify as a woman. Not only for the reasons outlined by other posters but also because it means male-bodied people can compete in women's sport and take quotas set aside for women. A Labour all-women shortlist could conceivably be entirely transwomen. Taken to the extreme we could achieve 50:50 representation in parliament with every single MP possessing a penis. If anyone can call themself a woman then woman ceases to have any meaning.

What is your view on this issue please?

Lots of users raising the issue of self-identification and the report of the Women and Equality Select Committee. We need to make sure that transgender people are able to access the services and support they need and protected from discrimination and abuse. We also need to ensure that there are women-only spaces to ensure that women get services they might not otherwise get. We looked at this when we were bringing in the Equality Act 2010 and issued guidance but clearly there's been much more thought and consideration since then. I think the Women and Equality committee have done very important work considering these issues.

I think that it should not be impossible to reduce the barriers and obstacles for transgender people at the same time as protecting the integrity of women-only spaces. I think if the policy objective is to both support transgender people and protect women-only spaces, that is not impossible to achieve. Self-identification should not be absolute in cases of individuals where it's not appropriate. The point is to identify a process which goes with the spirit of self-identification but is proof against those who would abuse it, like a self-certification process but one which allows for an appeal against it.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU!!!!

Harriet
Following on from the Tony Blair intervention question. I often hear from the left of the party that TB is utterly toxic - and indeed many of the PLP seem almost crushed by his legacy and unable to effectively talk about the huge number of things that were actually achieved during his and Brown's tenure - to the massive detriment of the party's prospects IMO.

Is this toxicity actually a concern of non-Labour voters? Do people bring up Iraq on the doorstep? Is there a perception that Labour were in bed with the bankers etc? Or is this 'toxic legacy' really just something which preoccupies the membership only?

Hi Harriet! Similar question to a previous poster - given that you're working closely with people like Nick Clegg and Caroline Lucas, and the Labour Party seems a bit of a shambles, would you ever consider joining an entirely new 'anti-Brexit party' if the moment demanded it?

I was on a thread the other day and we were discussing things that could make a big difference to womens lives. The idea of a childcare loan, similar to a student loan, was proposed with the loan being shared between the parents 50/ 50 regardless of residence. With a loan being paid off over a career rather than a few short years where the costs are intense. How could I go about making this a real world suggestion to see if it could actually happen?

Thank you for acknowledging the problem regarding self identification.

@catsbum

Hello Harriet! Huge fan here - but one who is increasingly heartbroken by the leadership's utter failure to hold this govt to account, and the membership's inability to acknowledge that the people they need to persuade - the electorate - can't abide Jeremy and generally favour centrism.

Can you let me know if you'd ever consider defecting, if Momentum's domination meant labour was demonstrably unelectable?

I would never consider defecting - the country needs a left-of-centre progressive party to protect people from the Tories, and to quest for social justice and challenge economic inequality. That is the Labour party! I don't agree with people who say that the Labour party's finished and will never be in government again - that's exactly what people said in the 1980s, when they said that we would never again form a government and would come third behind the Liberal Democrats (indeed, at one time we were only two points ahead of them).

We rebuilt, and swept to a landslide, but we lost four general elections and so many people suffered during that time - not least because of what the Tories did (and always do) on the NHS. You're right that we need the support of the electorate - as Neil Kinnock once said, "never mistake the enthusiasm of the minority for the support of the majority" - it's the support of the majority that we need, and don't have as yet. The job of the Leader of the Opposition is to stop being Leader of the Opposition and become Prime Minister.

Hello from Gransnet - we were very pleased to see this But one of the things I shall be standing up for is challenging the notion that women are past it when they are past 60 - why is it that women go from being too young straight to being too old, without ever being the right age?

This is something oft talked about on our forums. We would love to help change this. (According to gransnetters 60 is still middle aged anyway - not remotely 'old')

' I think if the policy objective is to both support transgender people and protect women-only spaces, that is not impossible to achieve.'

Thank you SO MUCH. You have no idea what a relief it is to hear a politician acknowledge this and talk about a way forward instead of either ignoring it or hinting that we are bigots for even asking.
I absolutely agree with you, it is perfectly doable, just a matter of going into it with open eyes and considering the needs of all groups instead of just one.
Thank you again

Harriet

Thank you for being the first politician to engage with us and address this issue. We understand how fraught it is.

MN has asked us not to discuss this topic further on their forum and I will respect that, but is there a forum outside of MN where you would be amenable to engaging with very specific concerns about the wording which MPs will vote on on Thursday of this week?

Based on what you have written the wording as it currently stands will not do what you have stated you wish it to do.

MNHQ please, please, do not consider this post barracking, and please do not ban me for it. I am asking Harriet if this can be taken somewhere else to discuss so that your discussion guidelines are not breached. This will be my only post on this webchat, and I am posting in good faith. I hope you will appreciate that.

If you deem it inappropriate please delete the post, but please do not ban me for asking it. Thank you.

Hi Harriet
I'm not a current labour supporter but I would definitely vote for you if you were to become party leader!

What do you feel is your greatest single achievement in politics?

@woeface

Harriet Following on from the Tony Blair intervention question. I often hear from the left of the party that TB is utterly toxic - and indeed many of the PLP seem almost crushed by his legacy and unable to effectively talk about the huge number of things that were actually achieved during his and Brown's tenure - to the massive detriment of the party's prospects IMO.

Is this toxicity actually a concern of non-Labour voters? Do people bring up Iraq on the doorstep? Is there a perception that Labour were in bed with the bankers etc? Or is this 'toxic legacy' really just something which preoccupies the membership only?

Some, a minority, do bring up Iraq on the doorstep and Labour being too close to the bankers but I agree with the sentiment underlying your questions, the Tories spend all their time rubbishing the last Labour government. Why on earth should we join in with that? For all that we didn't get everything right, Britain was a fairer and more prosperous place after we'd been in power. And now, problems are growing again, not least on the NHS. You can look to how we can do things better in the future without denigrating our past.

Harriet, thank you for your last answer, on self-identification. (And thank you for all the work you've done over the years.)

Will you be taking part in the debate expected on Friday on the Gender Identity (Protected Characteristic) Bill 2016-17, and in light of the very real concerns about it (many of us believe that it - with the best of intentions - will hand power over to misogynists and homophobes, and will seriously set back women's rights) will you support or oppose the second reading?

"Thank you for acknowledging the problem regarding self identification."

I echo this.

"Thank you SO MUCH. You have no idea what a relief it is to hear a politician acknowledge this and talk about a way forward instead of either ignoring it or hinting that we are bigots for even asking. "

And this.

Also, thank you for answering my question.

(Ah - have just paid attention to the "no more questions on self-identification" thing. Perhaps my question could be regarded as what it is - a legit follow-up to the answer that Harriet gave?)

HarrietHarmanMP you're awesome. I am another who really appreciates you taking the time to respond with regards to the transgender issue. Thank you!

The NHS is failing in Wales under the Labour Welsh Assembly. How can you assure us it will be safe under a Labour government?

"Thank you for acknowledging the problem regarding self identification."

I echo this.

"Thank you SO MUCH. You have no idea what a relief it is to hear a politician acknowledge this and talk about a way forward instead of either ignoring it or hinting that we are bigots for even asking. "

And this.

I also agree with this. Thank you.

@user1479748652

If you met Donald Trump, what would you like to say (or do) to him?

Donald Trump is sowing a whirlwind. He provides no solutions for the discontent that he's identified - his answer is only more division and more xenophobia and blaming of outsiders and minorities. The problem is what he's saying is legitimising all the prejudice and xenophobia that we have been fighting against in this country for decades. Racism and xenophobia cures nothing - far from it, it is an injustice and makes things worse.

This is why I am strongly backing Speaker John Bercow in banning Trump from Parliament. Some people say "but you've had dictators from other parts of the world to Parliament, why ban Trump?" My answer is that there's a difference from those we're trying to encourage to go in the right direction and those who are heading off in the wrong direction - and when the Chinese government does something terrible, we all feel for those in China and others who it will affect, but it doesn't directly affect British culture and politics in the way that the US does.

@Silentplikebath

Hi Harriet I'm not a current labour supporter but I would definitely vote for you if you were to become party leader!

What do you feel is your greatest single achievement in politics?

Keeping pressing on for the objectives that were mapped out in the women's movement in the 1970s. change takes a long time to come but we worked on it together and have made progress - the important thing is to go further forward and to stop it slipping back.