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

[AnnaCMumsnet]

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

drums fingers

Hi there! Keir here signing in. This is my third Mumsnet webchat. The first was in March 2012 when Mumsnet were running their We Believe You campaign and I was director of public prosecutions in the middle of changing our guidelines on the response to violence against women and girls. The session was really good and helped us in our response and I came back in December of 2012 to have a Mumsnet webchat about the impact. Hopefully this session will be just as useful.

[quote Winecheesesleep]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

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[/quote]

Let’s hope this webchat goes well so I can keep your support!

I agree entirely about offering a positive vision. Labour only wins when we convince the public we are offering a future that will make their lives and their families lives better—whether that’s founding the NHS, passing the equal pay act which made it illegal to pay women less than men for doing the same job, or creating the national minimum wage.

There are some really good positive ideas coming out of the Labour Party on how to deal with the big issues of modern Britain—like a Green New Deal to deal with the climate emergency or a National Care Service so we can offer social care free at the point of use like the NHS—and that’s where our focus needs to be.

Hello :) I hope so

Hi Keir,

I hope it's not too late for my question.

Two women a week are killed by partners or ex-partners. Many of us stay with violent partners because we fear homelessness. Over 700 people died homeless on the streets or in dangerous hostels last year. Women are ending up on the streets after DV.

The Domestic Abuse Bill has nothing to help women flee DV unless they are amongst the small minority (the report estimated around 1000 women) already in social housing. You are not automatically"priority need" for housing (in England) if fleeing DV. The same if you have disabilities or health issues making it hard to support yourself. Spaces in refuges are limited especially for women from outside the local area, despite the fact that many of us need to leave our local areas for safety. Refuges are short-term only, and difficult to access if you have disabilities or health issues as they're not funded to support these issues.

There's no point us calling the police for help if we end up homeless as a result. Would you do anything to help vulnerable people (those fleeing DV, sick and disabled people, etc) access secure and safe housing?

@ASmallMovie

Hi. I'm a Scot who voted no in 2014. However, after the horror show of the last 3 years, and in particular the fact that 62% of Scots voted to remain in the EU, I am now in favour of independence for Scotland.

Is there anything you can say to an increasing number of Scots like me - I'd say reluctant indie supporters - to persuade us of the benefits of staying in a UK.

Thanks and good luck.

Thanks for raising this ASmallMovie, it's coming up a lot. I was in Scotland last week talking to colleagues about this. I completely understand why people want more power over the decisions that affect them. I'm a strong believer in more radical devolution. But I think the binary choice between the status quo in Scotland, which isn't really working, and independence, which in the end becomes of them and us argument that puts up barriers and borders, is wrong. I think what I've called federalism - not a particularly helpful word - but meaning more powers to Scotland and less powers in Westminster/Whitehall is the right way forward and I don't think we've made that case strongly enough. With elections in Scotland in May next year, I've already promised the team in Scotland that if elected leader of Labour party I will be straight back up there to discuss with them how we go forward. I would genuinely welcome any further thoughts from you on this.

@LadyFuchsiaGroan

Hi Keir,

Just wanted to know your views on improving public transport. My local A&E is due to close, to get to the next nearest hospital on public transport will take me 2 and a half hours. Seeing the amount of money that is being spent on HS2 and rural public transport is not currently fit for purpose, how would Labour tackle our failing public transport system?

This is a really important issue for the country. As an inner London MP I know that my constituents face many challenges and difficulties, but they do have a reliable and affordable public transport system on their doorstep. That allows them to get to work, to see family, or make a hospital appointment. I want us to deliver the same for people across the rest of the country.

Part of that is about resources, and we need to invest much more in our transport infrastructure outside of the South East. But it is also about power. We need the decisions about which projects to take on to be made much closer to home. That’s why I have been talking about taking power away from Westminster and Whitehall in my campaign.

@Yestermost

Hi Keir, Why would you be a better Labour Leader thank Lisa or Rebecca?

Thanks for raising that. I'd like to start by saying that it is fantastic that Lisa, Rebecca and of course Emily, are putting themselves forward. So far, we've been able to run a very constructive leadership election race and not take lumps out of each other. I genuinely think each candidate is sincerely putting forward the argument about what's best for our party and movement and our country. I think I have the relevant skills and experience to carry out what I see as the essential tasks, that includes uniting our party (the old saying, divided parties don't win elections, is true), being a forceful and effective opposition against Johnson - a man without principle who doesn't know truth from untruth, and forging a path to victory. In the end of course, it'll be for our members and supporters to decide who they want as leader of the Labour party. I'm acutely conscious that this isn't the job of one person. I will want a very strong team, not just supporting me, but alongside me, shaping what comes next.

@Mistlewoeandwhine

Where do you stand on student loans?

I think we need to abolish tuition fees.

Going to university transformed my life and opened up huge opportunities for me. I didn’t have to worry about taking on debt to take those opportunities, but I knew that if I went on to earn more I would pay back to society through taxes. It was a social contract not a loan contract. I think it’s a sign that we’ve gone backwards as a society that we cannot make the same offer to young people today.

@Arkadas

Like TresDesolee above, I hold Labour partly to blame for Brexit and the fact that your leader failed to adequately oppose the government. Your party's stance has left many of us politically homeless, particularly previously labour-voting remain voters.

Labour's present focus seems to be entirely on the 'red wall', ignoring the fact that deprivation exists throughout the UK and that the party lost votes in many other places. Labour seems very good at alienating its core voters and they're doing it again, with people like Long-Bailey and Jess Phillips trying to 'out-Northern' each other, leaving voters in other regions feel disregarded. How will Labour persuade voters it's the party for everyone - not just key voters in one particular region? How will it broaden its appeal?

Thanks Arkadas, it's understandable why there has been so much attention on the seats in the Midlands, North East and North West that we lost. I don't like the phrase 'red wall' but I do understand how profound it is that we've just lost seats in areas that have been traditionally Labour for a very long time. I completely agree that we need to win those seats back and have spent a considerable period of time in those seats discussing how we do that. But if all we do is win those seats back, we'll lose the next general election. We also need to win again in Scotland where we've now been reduced to 1 seat. And in Wales where we lost seats - particularly in the North of Wales. And, the bit everybody forgets, that if you draw a line from London to Bristol and look South there are over 120 seats and we hold just a handful. So we need to win in the South East and South West. The leader of the opposition has to speak for the whole of England the whole of Scotland, the whole of Wales and the whole of Northern Ireland.

@Macbooksdontwork

Hi,

Do you think statutory paternity leave should be longer?

Thank you.

I think society should expect as much of new dads as it does of new mums. Obviously, this is a complicated issue, but I do worry that our laws around maternity and paternity pay work against that. It discriminates against new mums who are asked to take on the burden of childcare and it discriminates against dads who can’t take the time off work that they would want.

I would like to see reforms of the current arrangements. For instance, I think we should look at models in other countries, such as Sweden, which encourage both parents to take time off in the first 18 months of a child’s life. I know from personal experience how important this is.

@Umbrellaandwellies

Hi Keir,

I hope it's not too late for my question.

Two women a week are killed by partners or ex-partners. Many of us stay with violent partners because we fear homelessness. Over 700 people died homeless on the streets or in dangerous hostels last year. Women are ending up on the streets after DV.

The Domestic Abuse Bill has nothing to help women flee DV unless they are amongst the small minority (the report estimated around 1000 women) already in social housing. You are not automatically"priority need" for housing (in England) if fleeing DV. The same if you have disabilities or health issues making it hard to support yourself. Spaces in refuges are limited especially for women from outside the local area, despite the fact that many of us need to leave our local areas for safety. Refuges are short-term only, and difficult to access if you have disabilities or health issues as they're not funded to support these issues.

There's no point us calling the police for help if we end up homeless as a result. Would you do anything to help vulnerable people (those fleeing DV, sick and disabled people, etc) access secure and safe housing?

Thank you for raising this. From all my work on violence against women and girls, I know just how difficult it is for victims to even raise and report what's happened to them, let alone leave the home environment. There are a number of things in my view that can be done to improve this. The first is obviously to have more and better resourced refuges. And I'm a strong supporter of the work of John and Penny Clough who have lost their daughter, and have campaigned tirelessly on this. I also agree on your point about priority need. But I would go further and suggest that it shouldn't be for the victim to have to leave their home, it should be the perpetrator that should leave. In some areas, this principle is being applied and I'd like to see it more widespread. This is of course a short answer, to a very big issue and I'm well aware that there's a lot more that needs to be done across the board, and welcome any more views on it.

@WeSavedSallySally

Hi Keir, being involved in law do you agree poor people need far more access to legal help? By way of pro bono work, solicitors doing some free hours in court receptions etc. (walk up desk) Sometimes a life changing moment could come down to being able to collect the right 'form' in a court and staff are not even allowed to assist with that.

Legal aid needs re in stating and without access to legal help the poor will as ever be even more disadvantaged and open to abuse by those who can pay the extortionate fees charged.

The lack of legal aid nowadays is a complete disgrace. The whole idea of legal aid was that everyone could access our courts, whether they had money or not. That whole idea has been shattered. It’s fantastic that some lawyers give time for free but that is not the way to fix this problem. I would reinstate legal aid as soon as I could. The other tragedy is that first tier advice, law centres, walk in centres, has fallen away and so for people who don’t want to go to court can’t even get basic advice, whether that’s housing, immigration, education. That has to be reversed.

Please can you sum up your views on Brexit- looking forward not backwards. What will be the opposition's stance under you, in the transition year and beyond?

@TheMostBeautifulDogInTheWorld

OK. I'll try again.

You are a lawyer; you have a reputation for involvement in legal cases that matter to women (I'm thinking of your support for Helen Steel in the "McLibel" case, for example).

Do you agree, in the light of two to three women a week dying at the hands of men in the UK, that male violence against women is a problem? Do you agree that collecting accurate information about this is important? Would you mind explaining how (in opposition or in government) the Labour Party will ensure that this violence is
reported, analysed and fought?

Thanks for reminding me about the McLibel case - a real story of two determined individuals fighting against a might corporation, and winning. The statistic you mentioned, two women dying each week at the hands of a partner or ex partner, is shocking and it’s been shocking year after year after year. It’s a statistic that hasn’t shifted for as long as I can remember. It is a constant reminder that whatever improvements we try to make in relation to violence against women and girls, much more needs to be done. One of my major concerns, when I was DPP and since, has been about finding safe ways for victims of violence against women and girls, to draw attention to what’s happened to them. That’s why I championed and supported the idea that it shouldn’t be necessary to go to a police station, I can’t think of a place less likely that victims would go to. And I’ve always strongly supported sexual assault referral clinics and spent many hours with the team in the Manchester SARC, St Mary’s.

Why do you think that people voted for Boris Johnson and his government? What will you do to win over some of those voters, if you ever wish to be in power again?

@TresDesolee

Hello Keir, thank you for coming on. It’s 5 hours to Brexit as I type this and I feel so overwhelmingly sad about it. And I have to say I do blame Labour, quite a lot - from Corbyn’s risible ‘campaigning’ during the referendum to the unholy mess over what your actual policy was between 2016 and 2019. But most of all, for being an opposition so incompetent, anti-Semitic, unpatriotic and toxic to the electorate that we could not countenance voting you into power.

Do you think Labour owes Remain voters an apology? It was a pretty bad time to become quite so unelectable, wasn’t it?

Thanks TresDesolee for raising this. We are now 3 days post-Brexit. As you probably know, I passionately campaigned for remain because I am, and always will, be an internationalist. I genuinely believe that we need to collaborate and cooperate with neighbour states both to head off threats, such as conflict and terrorism, but also to take advantage of opportunities such as scientific research, medical research and education. I take the point you make about the Labour party and our response, but I have to say deep down I think that it was years of political and economic neglect that lead so many millions of people to vote against the status quo in 2016. Asked if they wanted things to stay the same they said no. I'm deeply concerned that we have not begun to address those underlying reasons. I've never known a time when inequality of every sort was so deep. And we need to address that urgently. Going back to the question of our relationship with the EU, I think we need to stay as close as possible to our EU partners. Not just on the obvious issues of trade but in other areas, not least conflict avoidance. We must never forget that one of the reasons that the 6 countries that originally formed the European Coal and Steel community, which ended up as the EU, was to promote peace (steel and coal were needed to make weapons). Whatever people think of the EU, it is a fact that no country within the EU has gone into conflict with any other country within the EU which is an an incredible achievement given their previous history.

@DeRigueurMortis

Hi Keir,

If you were to be successfully voted in as Leader what steps would you take to address anti-semitism within the party?

Thank you,

DRM

If you’re antisemitic, you shouldn’t be in our Party – or anywhere near it.
I would make this my personal responsibility. On day one, I would demand an update on ongoing antisemitism cases and ask for a clear timetable for their resolution. I would ask the Jewish Labour Movement and others to submit the list of cases they believe are still outstanding. And to leave no stone unturned I would also ensure an independent process and work with social media platforms to take hate off the internet.
And my test for our party will be this; do those who have left the Party because of antisemitism feel comfortable to return. Only when they do, will I be satisfied that we have made progress. At the next election I don’t want a single Labour member or activist to knock a door and be told that people who previously voted Labour won’t do so because of antisemitism.

@katmarie

Hi Keir,

I'm a lifelong labour voter and trade union member. What will the labour party be doing to ensure that employment rights are not further eroded in the coming years, given the loss of the EU legislation which protects so many of our employment rights?

Thanks Katmarie. One of the reasons we fought so hard against both Theresa May's deal and Boris Johnson's deal was because they stripped away vital rights at work (and environmental and consumer rights, for that matter). Johnson's approach now goes even further, he has taken workplace rights out of the legally binding part of the Brexit deal altogether, paving the way to what I'm sure will be an attack on trade unions and rights at work. Just today he has made a speech totally inconsistent with the promises he has made about the deal he will get, that in the end will lead to deregulation and further erosion of trade union rights. We have to fight him every inch of the way and we have to do it shoulder-to-shoulder with our trade union movement. And that's a discussion I've been having with our trade unions. In this leadership campaign I've made a statement of intent that I will work hand-in-hand with the trade unions, not just turning to them in a General Election, when we need money, or for a photo op.

Hi Kier - thank you for a very clear and robust response to my question.

@BatleyTownswomensGuild

Hi Keir,

As a parent of a child with SEND, what are Labour going to do to ensure that SEND kids get the support they need in our education system? Specifically, what will Labour do to address the SEND education funding gap and stop discriminatory practices like off-rolling? Thanks!

This is a really serious issue. It's obvious that there isn't enough funding for special educational needs and that needs to change fast. But it's not just resources I've had so many families in my constituency that have had to battle, almost single-handedly, to get the support that they need. It shouldn't be for those families to have that battle. We all need to be champions of special educational needs.

@RetainTheSpousalExitClause

Thanks for coming, Keir.

If you become Labour leader, how will you tackle sexism within the party?

As a female, I am on the verge of leaving Labour over sexism I’m experiencing, both online and locally.

I think this is about culture. We have some good rules in the Party which help support women in our movement, including all women’s shortlists, although we need to improve the way we deal with sexual harassment complaints.

But the Party needs to be friendlier, more open and more respectful of each other. I’ve led a large organisation before and I know you can change culture through leadership, if you lead by example, if you put in place training, and if you argue for the culture that you want to see. That’s what I would do if I am elected leader.

Hi Keir
Politics in recent years has been so divisive. I've lost friends because they've been so furious I don't share their view of Corbyn, for example.

How do you personally maintain friendships across the political spectrum and how can we heal the divisions?

@jasjas1973

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 ?

Good question. We’ve got to address the fact that millions of people vote in safe seats and they feel their voice doesn’t count. That’s got to be addressed by electoral reform. But I think we need a much wider process of democratic renewal, including abolishing the Lords and devolving power so that people have a much more direct say over the decisions which affect their lives.

I'm a Scottish farmer. What can you offer me?