Webchat with Tim Farron, leader of the Liberal Democrat Party, on Friday 2 June at 1pm

[BojanaMumsnet]

Hello

We’re pleased to announce a webchat with Tim Farron, leader of the Liberal Democrat Party, on Friday 2 June at 1pm.

Tim has been MP for Westmorland and Lonsdale since 2005 and was elected leader of the Lib Dems in July 2015. He has also held roles as party spokesman for youth, rural affairs and home affairs, as well as being national party president from 2011 to 2015.

The Lib Dem manifesto for the election on June 8 includes a second referendum on the Brexit deal, a 1p income tax increase to raise funds for the NHS and social care, opposition to the planned expansion of grammar schools, the extension of free childcare to all two-year-olds, and an additional month’s paid paternity leave for fathers.

Please do join the chat on Friday at 1pm, 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; we hope to have more announcements soon.)

Thanks
MNHQ

@Kaija

That exclamation mark speaks volumes about the period 2010-15

I just thought I'd give you a short, clear answer to a short, clear question

@BillMasen

Hi Tim, IM the father of twins with cystic fibrosis. A newly developed drug, Orkambi, is available that could possibly help them, and many others with cf, lead a longer and fuller life. However it is not being made available in the U.K. On cost grounds

What are your views on this and would you commit to ensuring drills like this would be made available.

My homework tonight is to find out more about this drug and understand the issues around it.

There is a pressure on the NHS drugs budget - compounded by under-funding in the NHS more generally - which we will alleviate through the money raised by the penny on income tax for health and social care.

We're also concerned about the impact Brexit could have on access to the newest medicines in the UK, as currently we benefit from a lot of medical research funding.

@Figmentofmyimagination

Hi Tim

Were you as excited to be endorsed by the Economist as you will inevitably be by the favourable endorsement of so many posters on this fab WebChat?

(not really allowed a second question, I know)

Yes, I'm really grateful.

And that's how you do a MN Webchat.

Thanks so much for your time, your very thorough answers and your earnest honesty.

Because the Britain we love is not lost yet.

I was undecided but the more I read the more I'm swaying towards LibDem. I was really impressed with you on the debate the other night and with your answers on here.

At the end of the day you need to decide what is the most important thing for you (education & NHS for me) and go with your gut. Unfortunately I'm in a Conservative stronghold so people may say mine's a 'wasted vote' but at least I'm exercising my right to vote.

Tim Farron - Mumsnet Legend 👑👍

"I just thought I'd give you a short, clear answer to a short, clear question "

Absolutely - a rare and welcome thing!

@glitterglitters

There's been a lot of rumours the last few days about this "land value tax" which has been mentioned (as a potential idea) by Labour.

Would the Lib Dems consider something like this at all? Or would you leave the current council tax in place?

Taxing according to wealth is something that is as long-standing a commitment as Liberals as free trade and we believe that council tax is unfair.

My Northern Irish colleague, who is politically right of centre with a mix of liberal and conservative opinions, says that he would never have considered voting Lib Dem before. You could have had his vote now (if he were on the mainland), had the party managed to position itself more credibly as a national alternative. Part of the reason is that he feels strongly that Brexit is a mistake, and part of it is the dismal alternatives in May and Corbyn. However, there is no clear policy platform coming across from the Lib Dem side beyond "Brexit is bad".

What would you say to a voter like him? Do you think the party can still convince potential voters like my colleague that the Lib Dems are worth supporting in this election?

@WeakAndUnstable

Hi Tim. Thanks for coming on.

I'm very proud to be voting Lib Dem. It's a relief that there's a party that combines kind social policy with non-punitive fiscal policy.

Thanks also for your enormous efforts to hold our Prime Minister - and indeed entire democratic process - to account in regard to Brexit...in seeking a final say on whether this is good for the country or not.

And great work on the BBC debate

That's really kind of you - I'm thoroughly enjoying the campaign and I've really enjoyed answering your questions. Thank you for having me.

MrsHathaway

It brought a tear to my eye too.

Sorry Tim if you are still here what do you think of the Tories and election fraud?

www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/jun/02/craig-mackinlay-charged-over-tory-election-expenses

Thankyou for coming on here and answering our questions Tim

I was voting LD tactically anyway but now I'll be doing it happily too. Thanks Tim. Good luck.

I think it is a shame that you wouldn't join a coalition. We need moderate politics in these sometimes extreme times. Best of luck.

Are you going to specifically support medical cannibas or all?
Original question not answered.

He said he wouldn't go into coalition with the Tories / Labour. Read between the lines. ..

Hi Tim

Are you still hopeful of some type of voting reform? As someone who lives in a Tory stronghold (Same MP from the 1950's until he retired at the last election) I feel my vote has never made a difference.

Thanks Tim, as you can well imagine it's a subject close to me personally and, like for you, for me the NHS is personal

It's vital that new drugs have a market and are made available. This one would help around 40% of cf sufferers, that's nearly 3,000 people, and making this one available would lead to more research, more development, and perhaps the drug after that may help 100% of sufferers.

Happy to point you, or a researcher, in the direction of some info.

Incredibly impressed with this. I just cannot vote Labour at the moment. It's a shambles

Can't bring myself to vote conservative. Am so relieved to have read this. Now have my vote sorted and am quite tempted to join the lib dems

Because the Britain we love is not lost yet

And irritatingly this WON'T be reported in the media as it's a serious politician who seems like a normal person actually engaging with the electorate and attempting to answer all questions in a considered manner. BORING 🤔

I'm very impressed. Still a couple of sticking points for me, but overall more impressed than other offerings out there from other parties.

And what a pro at a forum q&a. That was some MSN Messenger level typing there.

Very impressed with this webchat, Tim was far better than I thought he would be. I am happy to readjust my views on him and his party. I am in Scotland and an SNP voter so the Lib Dems won't have my vote but you never know, in a future independent Scotland...!

Great web chat - well done Tim.