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Mumsnet webchats

Webchat with Labour leadership contender Sir Keir Starmer MP on Monday February 3 at 1.30pm

174 replies

AnnaCMumsnet · 31/01/2020 13:55

Hello

We’re pleased to announce a webchat with Labour leadership contender Sir Keir Starmer MP on Monday 3 February at 1.30pm.

Keir Starmer is Labour MP for Holborn and St Pancras (and is thus, importantly, the MP for MNHQ) having been first elected in 2015. He served as Director of Public Prosecutions from 2008-13, focusing on increasing prosecutions for violence against women and girls (see our previous webchat with him for our We Believe You campaign back in 2012), and seeking justice for Stephen Lawrence and his family. He was also involved in controversial cases (including the prosecution of the former LibDem MP Chris Huhne and his ex-wife Vicky Pryce over their creative approach to speeding offences). Before that he was a barrister specialising in human rights law, working with the defendants in the ‘McLibel’ case and working on environmental protections, workers’ rights and challenging the death penalty.

Keir is named after the first Labour leader, Keir Hardie, and is regarded as the frontrunner in Labour’s leadership contest. He is currently Shadow Brexit Secretary.

Please do join the chat on Monday at 1.30pm or if you can’t make it, leave a question here in advance.

We've invited and are hoping to have all of the contenders on over the next few weeks.

As always, please remember our guidelines - one question per user, follow-ups only if there’s time and most questions have been answered, and please keep it civil. Also if one topic is dominating a thread, mods might request that people don't continue to post what's effectively the same question or point. (We may suspend the accounts of anyone who continues after we've posted to ask people to stop, so please take note.) Rest assured we will ALWAYS let the guest know that it's an area of concern to multiple users and will encourage them to engage with those questions.

Many thanks,
MNHQ

Webchat with Labour leadership contender Sir Keir Starmer MP on Monday February 3 at 1.30pm
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GinUnicorn · 01/02/2020 13:12

Hi Keir,

I’m really pleased to see how well you are doing as you have been my preferred candidate all along.

I’d like to know if you are aware of the problems in antenatal and postnatal care. These range from basic consent to intimate examinations, women being dismissed during birth, staff so overworked they can’t deliver proper care which puts mothers and babies at risk.

Following what is often a traumatic delivery women are made to stay in wards, which often become over crowded because male partners are allowed to stay too. Many women mention not being offered food or water all day and recovering from even an uncomplicated birth are made to feel like a burden. Women who have had c sections are expected to care for newborns, fetch their own food and endure noisy overcrowded wards. I can’t help but feel because this is a women’s issue men don’t care. How would you address this?

Thank you for your response.

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Mwnci123 · 01/02/2020 13:15

Hi Keir,
I work in social care for the elderly. I feel that political discourse around the crisis in this area focuses excessively on preserving inheritance, and not nearly enough on the poor pay and conditions of many care workers and the related problems with quality of care and recruitment. What is your strategy for addressing the crisis in social care for the elderly?
No response required, but I'd like to add that being over 35 and not a politician or gender studies lecturer I agree with the others about sex/ gender stuff.

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ilovesooty · 01/02/2020 13:23

Hi Keir,

Thank you for coming and I wish you well in your campaign.

We believe it is humane not to allow animals to suffer in our country. In some other countries people do have some control and choice over managing their time to die. I would like that choice to be available to me too. Could you please articulate for me where you stand on this issue?

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Jux · 01/02/2020 13:25

In the south west, Devon in particular, we have MASSIVE water bills; it is a big problem here. Where I am, one end of town gets their water from one main and it's soft and tastes lovely, the other end of town gets it from a different main. That water smells of chlorine, is hard as you could get, kills kettles in 6 months and scales up everything near a drip of the stuff. We have to constantly pay to replace appliances, taps, pipes etc, and then pay enormous water bills too. It's rubbish. But people do get to play on nice beaches once a year and have fun.

Would you change the way water is paid for?

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Merename · 01/02/2020 14:49

Hello Keir, hope you are enjoying the webchat. What is your view on Scottish independence? Will you promote our right to self determination and pursuing our own kind of politics?

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Langbannedforsafeguardingkids · 01/02/2020 14:55

Hi Keir,

It seems that increasingly there is a rise in science denial. The BBC will provide 'balance' (e.g. a climate scientist and a climate denier) when the body of evidence supporting the former far outweighs the latter's position - so allowing both to speak for the same amount of time is not representative of the facts. Do you agree that facts evidence - scientifically proven - are a better basis for policy than mere opinion? If so, how will you counter this trend towards magical thinking which may result in extremely bad consequences for humanity?

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jewel1968 · 01/02/2020 14:59

Do you think there is too much emphasis on leadership and less emphasis on team work and collaboration?

Obviously I am asking this in the context of a labour leadership but also interested in your views on wider society and the work place. And do you think there is value in a type of joint leadership (job share) with someone to give you that honest challenge even in the world of politics.

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Angryresister · 01/02/2020 15:02

Hi, do you think it was right for 50s born women to have up to tens years worth of their contributions stolen in the name of equality, and given that the UK has nearly the lowest pension in Europe, what are your plans to compensate women if you ever get into power, or are women’s rights not worth fighting for these days?

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PootleandPosey · 01/02/2020 15:08

What’s your favourite biscuit? Biscuit

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Winecheesesleep · 01/02/2020 15:54

Hi Keir, I'm a Labour Party member who has recently rejoined. From what I've seen so far I'll be voting for you but let's see how this goes Grin

I thought this was a really good article on what Labour should do next but my question is specifically about point 5 - what positive and optimistic policies would you pursue to get people excited as opposed to "anti" policies ie anti-austerity, anti-Tory. It's not that I don't agree with those but it doesn't seem as though they connect for a lot of people.

publicpolicypast.blogspot.com/2020/01/so-what-should-labour-do-now.html?m=1

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BeyondReasonablyDoubtsLots · 01/02/2020 16:38

Hi mnhq. As I haven't had an email about it, could someone possibly advise on an appropriate way to word my disability discrimination/autism post so it won't be deleted? Thanks :)

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DeRigueurMortis · 01/02/2020 16:39

Wine - that's a good piece and I found myself (as a former LP member) nodding along as I read it.

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endofthelinefinally · 01/02/2020 16:40

Mental health services are absolutely shocking.
As a bereaved mother, I would like to know how a labour government would improve services and support for individuals and families who are desperate for help for their children.
I tried everything I could to get help, but there is none.

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YetAnotherBeckyMumsnet · 01/02/2020 17:21

@BeyondReasonablyDoubtsLots we've dropped you a line.

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BeyondReasonablyDoubtsLots · 01/02/2020 17:50

Thank you Becky - please feel free to edit my new post as required

Okay, take two... Grin

Hello Keir
I'm an autistic woman with autistic children. I am concerned about the rise in social media policing of "factual rudeness" by autistic individuals, taking away a support network that may be their one lifeline. This unfair treatment has been seen to extend into other areas such as employment, education and public services. I'd like to know how you plan to address systemic disability discrimination within these areas.

The occasional lack of a filter in autistic people/people with autism is an area that had began its way to becoming accepted and supported within wider society - acknowledging the need for reasonable adjustments to assist inclusion. Seventy percent of autistic adults believe that with more support they would be less isolated, and yet their existing support is being taken away?

www.autism.org.uk/about/what-is/myths-facts-stats.aspx

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MarshaBradyo · 01/02/2020 20:00

Hi Keir, I hope you win the leadership contest. Glad to see you running for it, you’re my preferred candidate by far.

I have felt politically homeless since Corbyn, actually before that, since Labour moved to the left with Momentum. Do you feel you can get lost voters like me back to Labour with a broader approach that is not so tone deaf to the centre left?

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BuzzShitbagBobbly · 01/02/2020 20:45

Hi Keir

If elected leader, how will you lead in order to drive out the core of Corbynite people who think that anyone who doesn't agree with a Labour policy is some kind of sub-human deserving of vile abuse and insults?

(I assume that would be something you support, but if not - how do you justify such a stance?)

I hope you respond on the other popular issues too.

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StillWeRise · 01/02/2020 21:13

I don't have a question but I want to echo Tresdesolee's remarks
I feel completely let down by, and taken for granted by, the Labour Party

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jasjas1973 · 01/02/2020 22:05

Hi Keir

I rather liked Corbyn but Labours policy on Brexit had me pulling my hair out at the indecision.

However, i believe we need a PR voting system in this country, in 2019, 14m voted Tory and 15m voted for revoke or 2nd vote parties... yet we are leaving as its "the will of the people"

Do you support PR ? and would you actively seek to implement it if you became PM ?

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GCAcademic · 01/02/2020 22:23

What will you do to protect academic freedom and open debate in universities when so many institutions are failing to meet their legal obligations in this regard? To be clear, I am not talking about Tommy Robinson-style extremists being welcomed onto campuses, but professional people, including academics, lawyers, prison reformers, artists, etc, being prevented from contributing to events on matters of public policy, or such events being cancelled altogether due to pressure from lobby groups. There have also been numerous physical threats to speakers and academics, resulting in speakers being assaulted at two universities and a female academic currently requiring protection from two security guards at all her lectures at a third institution. The silencing of people who have the expertise and experience to contribute meaningfully to public debate on difficult issues is extremely concerning to many of us in academia, and is not a situation which is consistent with liberal democracy.

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Coppersulphate · 01/02/2020 22:29

Can you explain why the Labour Party have readmitted members of Liverpool's Militant Tendency who were expelled by Neil Kinnock ?

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Coppersulphate · 01/02/2020 22:30

How are you going to win back voters in the red wall seats?

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Mistlewoeandwhine · 01/02/2020 23:02

Where do you stand on student loans?

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RedHoodGirl · 02/02/2020 07:59

I have become increasingly alarmed and concerned about the bias, misinformation and hate within the mainstream media directed towards minorities and those who don’t align with the powerful media owners / individual influential journalists own interests - with no apparent accountability or sanctions.

IPSO rules only allows individuals to complain, with no ability for targeted groups to ask for recourse.

Leveson 2 has been scrapped and nobody seems to be holding media platforms and their journalists to any kind of standards of truth, facts, non incitement of hate,

How would you intend on addressing this?

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SleepDeprivedElf · 02/02/2020 08:18

What will you do to address the UK housing crisis? It's negatively impacting so many people, and also the economy as houses soak up so much money that could be circulating.

If you do allow developers to build new homes, how will you police standards effectively? The leasehold scandal and poor building practices have been all over the media but home owners are still struggling.

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