Webchat with Nick Clegg - Tuesday 9 May at midday

[BojanaMumsnet]

Hello,

We’re pleased to announce a webchat with Nick Clegg on Tuesday 9 May at midday.

Nick is currently campaigning to keep his seat in Sheffield Hallam, where he has been the MP since 2005. He was leader of the Liberal Democrats from 2007-2015, and Deputy Prime Minister in the coalition government from 2010-2015, overseeing the introduction of shared parental leave, the pupil premium for disadvantaged children, and equal marriage - as well as increasing student fees. He’s also been on the losing side of two referendums, campaigning to introduce the Alternative Vote system, and to Remain in the EU.

Last week saw the publication of the paperback version of his book Politics: Between the Extremes, in which Nick lays out his assessment of the British political landscape - ‘nationalism resurgent, mainstream parties in turmoil, stark new divisions and the centre ground deserted’ - and offers his prescription for ‘a new politics based on reason and compromise’.

Please do join us on the day - Tuesday 9 May at midday - 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.

(As we approach the General Election we will endeavour to offer you a balanced diet of webchats with politicians from different parties - as ever, slightly constrained by their availability! Keep your eyes peeled for more announcements.)

Thanks
MNHQ

Another one here who is a natural libdem voter but has grave concerns about your party's policies on prostitution, given the evidence for what decriminalisation can leads to - see the German megabrothels and the appalling exploitation of women that is taking place there.

I would therefore like to add my voice to Katand2kits' question, 'Can you explain why you have not chosen to support the Nordic model, given that prostitution-related violence against women has been shown to decrease in countries that have adopted it?'

Thank you.

Hi Nick

As a Tory voter, in a household with 5 voters, would would you say to make me/us change our vote to your Party.

We own a small business with 2 sons in college. Homeowner

@QuackDuckQuack

With Labour in disarray, is now the time for a reorganisation of the centre-left like the one that created the Lib Dems?

I don't reckon the centre left is going to be re-organised in four weeks flat before the election, but I do reckon that non-Conservative political forces will need to learn to work together more effectively in future if we are to avoid perpetual one party rule in Westminster.

What do you think would have happened if you'd said 'No, I cannot in all conscience attempt to lead a country alongside the Tories, or assist David Cameron into number 10, as I oppose everything they stand for'?

@AssassinatedBeauty

Does it annoy or anger you that you get blamed for all the negative aspects of the coalition govt, and no credit for any of the positive things or for holding back the worst of the Conservative policy? People seem to not understand that as you didn't win the election you were never going to be able to implement all of your manifesto policies.

Lots of you have asked about this: no Government is perfect, all Governments make mistakes, but I think the Coalition Government provided breathing space for the country for half a decade immediately after the worst economic crash in living memory and at a time when other Governments in Europe were falling like ninepins. Without that stability many millions of people would have suffered even harsher effects of the 2008 crash and at the same time we introduced big reforms - apprenticeships, pensions, Pupil Premium, shared parental leave, green energy, free school meals etc etc - which I think will stand the test of time. It obviously didn't help the Lib Dems politically, but I think we did the right thing for the country.

Hi Nick,

Do you think that we'll ever have some kind of proportional representation voting system? Surely this is the only way to fix our broken democracy and bring it up to modern standards? How can we do this?

@purits

Your increase in tuition fees cost my family £24,000. Plus interest. Do you seriously expect me to vote LibDem ever?

Lots of you have been asking about this too: the truth is the Lib Dems found ourselves between a rock and a hard place. We hadn't won the election and there was very little money.

We inherited a tuition fee system first introduced by Labour (and tripled by them - for the record) and were faced by two larger parties who both wanted to increase fees substantially (the Browne report commissioned by Labour proposed no upper limits to fees at all).

So we did the next best thing, we introduced the fairest system we could in the circumstances - in effect, a graduate tax replacing a flat fee - and chose to spend a substantial amount of extra money on early years and the pupil premium to help poorer kids get ahead when it really counts, in the early years of their education.

I'm seriously considering voting Lib Dem this time after Brexit. They seem to be the only ones talking any sense, but I'm left wondering why they didn't say anything before the referendum.

Am I right in thinking the Lib Dems have proposed a 1p increase in income tax. I would fully support this to improve services but do you think it will put off a lot of voters/tax payers?

@queenoftheschoolrun

Remainer thinking of voting Lib Dem for the first time.

You say that we should have a second referendum after the Brexit negotiations to see if people still want to go through with it. My question is, isn't there a risk that this will weaken our negotiating position, leading the EU to offer a poorer deal hoping we'll reverse the decision, and this deal may be accepted by a majority in the referendum because people simply do not believe or understand how this would affect the country or be prepared to admit that maybe they got it wrong?

Without nit-picking, it would in reality be the first referendum on the actual Brexit deal itself not a second re-run of last year's referendum. Nor interestingly is it just a Lib Dem idea, John Redwood, David Davis and other prominent Brexiteers were the first to advocate a two-step process. Given that the Brexiteers deliberately withheld any description of what Brexit actually entails last year, I think it's right that the public should be the final judge of what is right for our country once the deal is done. I don't think another vote will lead to the rest of the EU giving us a deliberately bad deal. By that logic you could never successfully negotiate a good international agreement between democracies!

Actually sod the tax question - please talk about Brexit

Hi Nick,

Who would be at your fantasy dinner party? Dead or alive.

So if the Lib Dems got into power, what would they do regarding Brexit? Apologies if this has been asked before. Would you still go ahead?

@DrinkMilkAndKickAss

There's been a lot of discussion concerning progressive alliances and tactical voting in this election, showing that for many first past the post is not a viable electoral system.

Do you think this will re-open the debate over electoral reform in this country? Do you envisage the liberal democrats furthering the campaign for a system such as the single transferable vote?

Don't get me started on the injustices of first past the post - even at the low point of our fortunes, the Lib Dems still got a million more votes than the SNP at the last election. What democratic system can justify giving a party with a million more votes than another 8 seats to 56?!

First past the post also forces voters to take tactical decisions all the time if the party of their own choice is not in the running in their local area. In other words, first past the post discourages people from voting with their hearts. For eg a Labour voter in the South-West of England will often be faced with a choice between a Conservative and Lib Dem candidate. So tactical voting happens all the time and has happened for years.

I long for the time when people can vote for what they believe in, not what they think is tactically their second-best option. That is why the loss of the referendum on electoral reform in 2011 - and Labour's unforgivable refusal to campaign properly in that referendum - was such a historical setback.

Sorry if someone has asked this before me. Is an alliance with Labour on the cards? Tactical voting is what we need in so many areas now.

is the current Lib Dems policy of total decriminalization of the sex industry (including the buyers) one that you stand by?

I will never be able to vote for a party that wants to rubber stamp the sale of women to men so this policy unfortunately rules out support for Lib Dems.

Similar policies in Germany, NZ and elsewhere have been disastrous for prostituted and trafficked women.

How does the current Lib Dem policy of full decriminalization fit in with promoting sexual equality and negating violence against women in our society?

@AgainstTheOddsNo2

I think the libdems lost seats in the last ge more because of tactical voting against ukip than anything else. Most people realise you were in a coalition government rather than actually being in full control. That being said the party is far weaker without you as the leader. Do you regret stepping down?

I take an old-fashioned view that if you are the leader of any organisation that carries lots of privileges but responsibilities too and when things go wrong on your watch, whether it's your personal fault or not, the buck stops with you. I would have loved to have carried on playing a role in national government and on the front line of politics, but in politics more than most vocations you have to roll with the punches and never expect that you have a right to hold onto power.

Nick, you're obviously still massively involved in politics and are very knowledgeable. You're still young! What are your plans for the future?

Hi Nick - no question from me, I just want to thank you for speaking so clearly and forcefully about Brexit.

I am astonished that so many people sucked up misinformation and plain lies prior to the referendum (which easy enough to verify as false) and it troubles me deeply that this misinformation is still being further normalized through the silence of politicians who should and do know better.

Without politicians willing to stand up and call these lies out, democracy loses all value since voters are not expressing opinion based on reality. I'm truly saddened that this is not taken more seriously in this country, particularly on an issue which will affect future generations so profoundly.

Thank you for your continuing efforts.

Am I the first on the thread to say I agree with Nick?

Hear hear rebel

@Ellie5555

Thanks for coming on here to chat.

I was so hoping for a stronger anti-Brexit stance of the LibDems in advance of the coming election. Could you explain why the party is not positioning itself more forcefully in this direction? I've seen the website etc but the message isn't coming through very strongly in the media.

It seems like no-one wants to cater for the many remainers who are still angry about the referendum. If the LibDems promised not just soft Brexit but to do their best to still avoid Brexit after all it'd be an easy choice for me - and there must be many who feel the same? Plus, what does the party have to lose...

Ellie, I believe as strongly as anybody that Brexit will prove to be the most terrible historical error for our country, and I remain furious that my kids will not enjoy the same freedom to live, work, travel and study in Europe as we have all enjoyed for the last 40 years.

But your and my anger and frustration - and many others like us - can't undo last years vote from one moment to the next. The only way to reverse a decision by the British people is by way of another vote by the British people, and that is why our commitment to a referendum on the final deal is the centrepiece of our election campaign.

I would love to think that there is an army of 48% of the electorate waiting to rise up against Brexit, but of course it is more complicated than that because many remain voters take the attitude that we just need to make the best of it. That is why it is also so important to use this campaign to point out to them that Theresa May's choice of pursuing a hard Brexit is making a difficult situation a whole lot worse, not better. Over time that may encourage them to re-engage with what is at stake.

Nick, for the record I do think you're a refreshing example of a politician that is in politics for the right reasons.
Best of luck getting reelected and I am certainly hopeful that the lib dems will win back a significant number of seats this time.
I also hope you'll make a return to frontline politics when the time is right.

Hi,

I have your book which I am looking forward to reading when I go on holiday in a few weeks time.

My question is: Have you considered the Lib Dems and Labour forming a coalition for this general election for the greater good, so the Tories would loose the election? Surely this is the time to unite for the greater good, and put the smaller differences aside? If you could make it work with the Tories, I can't see why you can't with Labour?

Secondly, many blame you and your party for the mess we are in now, as if you had chosen Labour over Tories to form a coalition with, we wouldn't be in this mess? Do you take any responsibility, and isn't it time to put things right?