David Cameron live webchat, Friday 14th March 3.30-4.30

[JustineMumsnet]

David Cameron is coming back (which is more than we can say for Piers Morgan). The leader of the opposition will be logging on from The Tory party's spring forum in Gateshead this Friday pm, at 3.30. Come along and pose him a question about an issue relevant to you, or if you can't make it on the day, you can post advance questions here.
Best,
MNHQ

I haven't read the thread but just popping my nose round the door...please tell me you are joking milkgoddess?

how I vote will make no difference as I'm not in a marginal constituency. So why should I bother?

Whatever you say about your party some of your MPs (including the local Conservative MP) make it crystal clear that they are only interested in those with substantial amounts of money. Since this is a very small proportion of the population why should the rest vote for you?

Message withdrawn

dear sir,

my son would like to be prime minister, how do i break it to him that he has no chance having never been to eton or harrow.

I would like a government to introduce compulsory voting.
it works in other countries.
in this country we don't get a representative view in any election as the turn out is so poor.
If it was going to be introduced there would have to be a "none of the above" box, it would be really interesting to see if 50% of voters actively stated that they didn't think any of the options were representative of their views.
Please comment.

If you gain power, please could you set aside a budget to buy flats - or maybe an hotel or two with room plus ensuite - in London. A room/flat to be allocated to each seat in Parliament. Whoever holds the seat lives in the flat for their term of office, and when they leave, they lose the flat. A fixed sum - say £5k - could be available to re-furbish. Maybe the refurb costs should depend on how long the previous tenant was around. Perhaps if someone was around for years they could have a review after 5 years.

There's really no need to provide huge amounts of money for individuals to buy property at the taxpayers' expense.

Companies own flats for execs to use when in position/in town. Why shouldn't it be the same for government?

Sue that is a great idea.. I hope he listens!!

dear sir

how come my dp and i could afford to buy a nice two bedroom flat in london for £50,000 in 1992 yet the young couples of today have no chance.

what would you do to make london more affordable to the youngsters of today.

you've been on tv alot recently too, is there a general election coming up hahahha

and i don't trust any of you.

can't you get a job in daddies ad agency or something

Will a Tory government be brave enough to cap immigration at a reasonable level so that we don't have to turn the whole of southern England into a housing estate/road?

I notice Theresa May feel that MPs' salaries should be increased to help them afford second homes.

I am a social worker and my husband is a Police Officer. We are limiting our family to one child, as we can barely afford a 2-bed flat in a deprived part of London.

Does the Conservative party really think that giving MPs money for second homes, when other public sector workers are struggling, is really a reasonable use of public money?

Can I ask how this works - I don't really remember from last time.

Are the questions that are posted here given to him in advance, or does mumsnet towers choose some of these questions to start him off, or is it just try and get on at the set time and re ask your question?

And I am one of those whose son finishes school at 3.30, but it's not as if mumsnet closes down every day at that time for an hour is it? There are plenty of people on here at that time every day to ask questions.

Sue W - excellent idea!!

I do feel that any monies given to MPs to enable them to afford a second home (only where necessary due to the distance of their constituency from Westminster) should be repaid when each MP quits the house - either through choice or at the behest of their constituents. If the second home is sold at any point, any monies should be repaid immediately with an increase in line with the increase in value of the property. That way MPs won't always be seen as money-grubbing, self-serving hypocrites, voting on measly payrises for others, whilst happily feathering their own nests.

I AM SHOUTING AND PROUD!!!!

WHAT WILL YOU DO ABOUT SOCIAL SEVICES FAILING TO MEET THE CARE NEEDS OF YOUNG PEOPLE WITH LEARNING DIFFICULTIES ?

SHOULD IT BE SOLELY THE RESPONSIBILTY OF THE FAMILY TO CARE?

ONCE ADULT SERVICES ARE REQUIRED(POST CHILD REACHING EIGHTEEN YEARS OF AGE), ISN'T IT LOGICAL TO HAVE STANDARDS OF CARE ON A PAR WITH THOSE OF CHILDRENS SERVICES?

Mr Cameron.
I would be interested to know what the Conservative party position is with regards to schools/education.
I feel very strongly that parents do not really want a choice of school. What we actually want is a GOOD local school. If all schools where the same high standard we would not need to choose! Why do schools not have to perform the same? Why are some allowed to become so bad in the first place???? Do you think that the teaching profession has to explain why it allows some of its teachers to underperform? As a nurse if I performed badly a patient could die!!

Thank you. I also loved your bugjet tie. Very dashing

Ps you are much nicer than Gordon!

Budget Tie even!!

Has there ever been a webchat with a Labour politician? If not, why not? Why always Dave? This is just good publicity for him, isn't it?

Definitely think there should be a house/flat provided for each MP, either in London or in each constituency. Centralised maintenance, rolling programme of refurbishment etc. If they don't want to live in it, the house/flat is rented out and the MP gets that sum to put towards their own rent/mortgage. Researchers/secretaries should be employed as civil servants and work for whoever the MP is. Job done, problem solved. Parliament should have a good look at how the Foreign Office operates abroad and follow what they do tbh.

Will ponder on some questions for you.

you can't blame him for that, though, you dreadful goblins. he's just exploiting an opportunity. for which we will exploit him right back...

I woudl think that with all being fairness and light at mn towers folk from labour and the lib dems ahve been asked.

Dear David Cameron

I read today in the papers about the Conservative proposal for a new 52 week m(p)aternity leave, to be shared à la carte between both parents after an initial maternity-only leave of 14 weeks.

The greatest advantage as I can see it of the proposed new system is that it will allow the higher earner in a couple, be that the man or the woman, to to work leaving the lower earner to take leave to care for the child.

However, I think this will put enormous additional pressure to return to work quickly on new mothers who are also main earners/breadwinners. The feminist in me perceives this not as a victory for women but as part of the continued erosion of women's choices the higher up the career ladder they go - work, or else.

Is this what your party intends?

Ah aitch, true thing. We were pulling HQ's plonker...

Dear Daaaaaaaaave,
I live in Newcastle. You can send your Samantha round for a cup of tea to admire my kitchen if she gets bored with the old farts guffawing at the Sage (don't bring the press though; not getting my hair done until tomorrow).

Meanwhile..... you'd get my vote if....

1. Tax breaks for couples where only 1 is working and the other is at home with under 5's (ie flat rate of 20%). Why? DH is taxed at 40% but I'm at home with teenies.

1. Businesses offering green products get a govt bung e.g green nappies, cleaning products etc (Ecover, BioD, Moltex)

1. You banned plastic packaging of supermarket stuff (they do compostable packaging for organic food - why not force them to roll it out for everything?)

1. Ban carrier bags (or make them well pricey)

1. Issue a regularly updated list of high street retailers that use child labour or subcontract to dirty manufacturers in China etc.

1. Don't just slap a hefty tax on gas guzzlers - encourage people to use public transport or cycle by investing in a well-thought out infrastructure FIRST - ie give us lots of buses, make councils have a good cycle lane structure in towns, more pedestrian crossings. If all that isn't there first, we're hardly likely to give up our cars are we??

1. Recycling - use a standardised system throughout the UK - no matter where you go, you recycle the same stuff into the same colour-coded bins. Don't leave it up to individual councils to fanny about.

1. We're a booze nation. Go Swedish (steady! ) and restrict how much grog we can buy.

1. Where's our community? No wonder "youngsters" are out at night boozing and trashing cars. Booze is too easily come by, and we're a nation of couch potatoes. More sports centres, more for youngsters to do at night - even if it is a load of coffee houses so they can sit and compare eyeliners!

10. Parenting classes (with an emphasis on child psychology as opposed to the pointless fingger-wagging naughty step approach) for all. Let's see some enthusiasm and normalising of this, rather than classes as a last-grasp desperate approach for "failed" families.

I want a govt that will lead, not pass the buck onto local councils. The UK is in an awful state and we need to be nannied for a while. Yep, you'll need to spend a lot of cash at govt level - up for it?