Webchat with Jeremy Corbyn, leader of the Labour Party, Tuesday 30 May at midday

[BojanaMumsnet]

Hello,

We’re pleased to announce a webchat with the leader of the Labour Party Jeremy Corbyn on Tuesday 30 May at midday.

Jeremy has been MP for Islington North since 1983, and has been Labour leader since 2015, having been re-elected when Owen Smith stood against him in 2016. Labour’s manifesto for the election on June 8 proposes ‘a Brexit deal that puts our economy and living standards first’, tax rises for the top 5% of earners, the renationalisation of the railways, free school meals for all primary pupils, the abolition of university tuition fees, and a £250 billion investment fund for infrastructure and the economy.

Please do join the chat on Tuesday at midday, or if you can’t make it, leave a question here in advance. Please do share the webchat on social - the more, the merrier!

As always, please remember our webchat guidelines - one question each, follow-ups if there’s time and please keep it civil .

(As we approach the General Election we will endeavour to offer you a balanced diet of webchats with politicians from different parties. More announcements coming soon.)

Thanks
MNHQ

[RTKangaMummy]

Deffo brill very exciting thank you MN HQ

[AllThePrettySeahorses]

Why are there so many lies about you? I don't mean 'Biased!! Media!!' - I mean all the lies that have been spread since mid 2015, such as you were pivotal to the NI peace process, crowd sizes, that kind of thing. It's like people can't follow you as a person so they have to fabricate easily disproved lies.

Follow up - why do you say nothing to counter these?

Not that my question will be answered. I also think sharing on social media is a bad idea - it's going to be invasion of the fawning shills like last time.

[Trenzalor]

Please can you assure me, that once in office, you and your govnerment will talk to educators before making policy. Those of us at the chalk face are leaving in droves because recent changes are failing children and teachers alike. We know what works and what doesn't, but no one ever asks us.

Good luck and keep up the good fight!

[MollyHuaCha]

Hi Jeremy, my question... if you were elected and ended student tuition fees (yes please!), how would it work for current students who have already taken out loans and for ex-students who have begun to pay their loans back?

[Saucery]

What assurances can you give that you won't just go after the squeezed middles for all the tax rises?

[mermaidsandunicorns]

Jeremy -

I love you and all that you stand for
I live in a reasonably safe con seat but we're doing all we can to shake this up
Don't give up even if you lose


Vote labour

[Valentine2]

Thank you Mumsnet.
Hello Jeremy, I managed to see only the end of your interview just now and I am very impressed how you responded to the point about certain PLP members who are against you.
I think your response was very measured, decent and positive. Positive and inclusive attitude is very important in a leader. Well done for that.

[PigletWasPoohsFriend]

Please answer AllThePrettySeahorses question.

[BowiesBlueEye]

Following on from Trenzalors post I'd like to see more involvement when policy making from charities and organisations involved in SN when putting SEN policies in place. The whole thing needs a huge improvement as schools are failing students with additional needs spectacularly. I've had to remove my child and Home Educate, the school were happy to see him go but he wasn't "autistic enough" to be in a special needs school. It's a huge problem that needs addressing.

[Lico]

Hello,
How can you compare earning £80 000 in London with earning £80 000 in ´the rest of the country? You live in Islington, surely you know that the cost of living is more than double in London. Renting is well above £1000 per month for a very small flat and does not include bills. Commuting to work is more than £2000 a year for many Londoners. One coffee and a sandwich is £10.00. How can you say that anybody earning £80.000 per year in London is rich??? Is it a tax on Londoners?

[zenasfuck]

Oh this is amazing. Excellent work MN

Hello Jeremy
I came to see you last week in Birmingham but sadly couldn't get in despite having tickets.
I don't have a question but I just wanted to say that I joined the Labour Party because of you. I've become an active member and helped with campaigning because of you. This is the effect you are having on people. For the first time in my life, you have given me a politician I believe in, one that I know genuinely wants to make the world a better place for my children and for that, I thank you sincerely.
Keep up the good work - JCforPM ❤

[Str4ngedaysindeed]

Hi Jeremy. We are labour voters in this house 😁 Our 17 year old son and his friends are extremely passionate about politics and they have been canvassing, leafleting and generally doing all they can for the party. He is so disappointed that he can't vote when he, quite frankly, has more knowledge and passion than me what are your views on lowering the voting age??

[OnlyRose]

Hi Jeremy. Why are you so opposed to going into coalition with the SNP? If the numbers work, surely a coalition is preferable to another Tory government?

[pottered]

How do you think you can build a consensus to govern Britain when you've alienated all the moderates in the Labour Party?

[TheCunkOfPhilomena]

Hi Jeremy,

How do you think politics can be made more accessible for single parents?

I have been asked on a number of occasions to stand as a local councillor (for Labour!) and it would be an honour to do so but I find the timings of meetings (invariably held in the evenings) means that I am unable to do so whereas I am able to fit in case work quite easily.

[DaisyChaining]

Love you Jez! You have so much support from my generation. You've got the under 25s to get fired up about politics for the first time in our lifetimes.

Following your meeting with JME recently, what's your favourite boy better know song?

[VioletHornswaggle]

Hello Mr Corbyn,
Thank you for taking part in this web chat. Something I have not heard about yet and, apart from your repeated terrorist apologist language and muted opinion about our Armed Forces, it's something that is bothering me as I want to vote Labour (and I would be swinging left after 20 years voting Tory believing in free market capitalism) to benefit my local constituency as it is in desperate need of investment (Poole) and would benefit from similar attention that Portsmouth did. However, I have a dilemma, I want to vote for my constituency but this election is key with regards to Brexit and we do need a strong leader for that so its like a presidential race. How are you going to negotiate Brexit? What are your plans for this, how will you lead it?
Many thanks for your time.

[derxa]

I like you Jeremy but I will never vote for you. Your shadow cabinet is disgraceful. Why have you appointed a Shadow Education Minister who has little education? I know it's not her fault but really????

[GlassOfPort]

Hello,
I was quite hopeful when you were first elected leader of the Labour party, but was hugely disappointed by your lukewarm support to the Remain campaign.

The only reason I will probably vote Labour is that my MP defied your three line whip and voted against article 50 (like the vast majority of her constituents).

My question is this:
Why is Labour now opposed to Freedom of Movement? All the stats show that European immigrants pay more in taxes than they cost when they access public services. I really don't understand your stance.

[Queenofthedrivensnow]

I will miss this as I'm at the van with no wifi. I'm gutted.

What will you do to support social workers? We have been underfunded and scape goated by the last two government - lack of investment in a profession colours public opinions.

Management of the profession and practice had been a disaster since 2010. Please don't forget us. I think every child matters was a vital policy - please consider bringing it back.

Please consider making the BBC show some positive representations of social workers once in a while. We spend all our time tidying the fringes of society. Most of us love our jobs and care deeply about our clients. Cut us some slack!!

And please don't privatise any more of our services. I don't want to work for Branson. Or in the private sector full stop.

Thank you and I will never vote Tory. Ever.

[Cocklodger]

Will you reverse the bedroom tax?
What will you do to help the working poor?
How will you ensure that small businesses aren't harmed with the 10 pounds minimum wage?
Will you close the 'self employed' loopholes that allow companies to contract in low wage staff for less than the minimum wage?

[Cocklodger]

Sorry I missed the one question rule,
Please just answer the bedroom tax question.

[MotherOfBleach]

Hi Jeremy.

I could easily get behind all of your pledges, however while I would love to vote Labour, I'm concerned by the lack of support you seem to have within your own party. Do you see this improving?

Also, yeah, the whole getting up close and personal with terrorists is a bit disconcerting

[GWENSTACEYROCKS]

Like a PP, I think it was a mistake to rule out a coalition with the SNP. Lots of people in Scotland want to support Labour but feel the party left them (to court the votes of middle England). Ruling out a coalition was needlessly antagonistic.

The question I'd like to ask is: how do you plan to unite the country after the divisiviness of the EU Referendum?