Live webchat with David Cameron - this Thursday 19th, 1.45 pm

[JustineMumsnet]

Hello all - David Cameron is coming on to Mumsnet to answer your questions this Thursday at 1.45-2.45. Please post advance questions here if you can't make it on Thursday. (And please read our Webchat guidelines above before posting ie only one question each). Many thanks.

well, I hope it will be a lesson to him not to make childish jibes at GB during PMQT, lost him credibility when by that time we all knew it wasn't GB's fault. If DC gets a pasting then says oh but it was a technical problem it'll be instant karma.

Yes maybe the connection went down Lenin - that's a thought.

'Perhaps we could do one in association with mumsnet. Talking to the team about it now....'

PLEASE tell me you're going to say no to this Justine. MN in association with the Tory pardeee brings you :

Cameron Direct.

I will never ever forgive you.

Justine
Could you show the potential victims Web Chat guests the previous chats, particularly the ones that were well received.

Adam Fox was great, very well prepared and came over very friendly and open.

Obviously politicians are a different kettle of fish and are going to be asked more critical questions, but it would give them an idea of what the nest of vipers MNetters expect.

Oh yes Shiney, they do it to get a council house, doncha know. And they spend all the child benefit on vodka and coke.

Shiney, maybe you would care to join me and my friends in my country pile all paid for courtesy of the state?

We have champagne lunches during which we nibble on foie gras and caviar while congratulating ourselves on getting shot of useless DPs and leaping several income bands with our state benefits...

It's fun!

How ever tricky it might be to do a web chat, the fact is he could have scored major points [against GB] if he had been more prepared beforehand and done what Dr Adam Fox apparently did [and all without a butler I presume]

The losing answers thing was bad luck, that sort of thing happens to us all, but even with that happening being prepared would have meant more answers and less hostility I think.
I agree that cut and paste before hand is a good idea so that guests can hit the ground running so to speak, although they should admit to it upfront.

Oh I don't know midnight, I for one would be quite happy to re-educate him personally on his views on single parents. Get him in a room with a few mumsnetters with the door barred until he gave straight answers on Sure Start, tax credits, that'd be a worthy use of an afternoon.

eh but Dr. Adam Fox is does not have the same draw as David Cameron or Gordon Brown

Haven't had a chance to read through the comments since the chat stopped, but is it me or are these chats not really working at the moment? Not sure if it is the election-fever or general politician-bashing tone we are all adopting but I just don't think these are very satisfactory chats?

What is worse is that they attract loads of non-Mumsnetters who stumble into a room full of all of us carrying on as normal and, shoot me here if you want, but I am not sure we come across at our best? I mean, what do we expect? The politicians are not going to make shiney new pledges on Mumsnet? Nor should they? They are not going to say 'oh yes, now that you mention it, we will definitely do that, regardless of the cost to our teetering-on-bankruptcy national economy and all the other, equally high priority causes'? And they are not going to be able to respond on specific cases. This is a public forum so they are not going to say anything here that isn't rehearsed or planned for, as they will have it rammed down their throats endlessly if, on reflection, it turns out to be udeliverable.

Which brings me to the broader point - we berate the politicians for not being 'real' and 'in touch' and relaxed in the way they respond, but we are part of the very reason they can't do that. The media hype surrounding every little utterance any one of them makes, the endless Nick Robinson analysis of every comma and semi-colon in every word they utter and the endless hyperactive panicking to be seen in any daily newspaper, together with the lack of respect shown to public figures just means that the whole thing doesn't work. Of course they can't be 'real' with us; we won't let them and if they are we ust pillory them for the, inevitable, mistakes that will arise. You can't have it both ways.

And finally, if there is to be any point to the election at all, we HAVE to get over the fact that Cameron went to Eton and is a white, upper class male. I mean, what is he meant to do about it??? I don't know what it is like to be a male old Etonian, or to lose a child in such a horrific way. That doesn't mean I can't look at his policies and his approach and decide whether to vote for him or not. Surely that is what this is meant to be about?

"A big fat laugh at the person who said "I was born Labour" -- as though poltiics was a hereditary disease. It's slighty scary in 2009 that such silly political intransigence exists."

MrsNeilTweedie - a big fat laugh back and also a bum wobble at you for judgemental arrogance. I was born into a very very labour world - if politics existed at all. I was told absolutely that to vote anything but labour would be an insult to my roots and family. Mind you in 70's council estate Bradford all politics was frowned on in the first place. I should have thought that to recognise and reflect on that is my adult life shows sense and reflection? Which would fly in the face of the intransigence insult would it not?

The idea I was trying to put across was that political intransigence has been slowly eroded, to the point where despite my roots I am able to shop about looking for a home for my vote. Perhaps you are too closed minded and...er...intransigent to see that people will be moulded into a political mould in consequence of their upbringing, parenting, schooling and so on. It is the skill of the politician and challenge of society to try work around these moulds.

Or is that thinking too outside the box for you?

TBH I didn't see it which is why I wrote apparently there, I was basing it on MmeLindt's reply.
I just think a bit more preparation would be helpful, probably more so if you a big draw.

Someguy
Sure, Dr Fox does not have the same draw as PM or his possible sucessor, but he showed how to do a web chat. And without the might of the Tory party behind him.

You would not go into a meeting unprepared. With answers to a handful of questions. If you did, you might be called 'unprofessional'.

DC is a professional politician. His performance today did not reflect that.

I think he thought he won over MN last time and it was easy........but actually last time there was little possibility that he could be prime minister. THis time, there is a distinct possibility he could become the PM and therefore our expectations are so much higher. He needed preparation and he obviously was not.

And all this "technical issues" bollocks - I mean - how hard is it to log onto the internet and type ? That in itself is rather worrying.

DC I recommend you take Shiney up on her offer, you convert her she'll bring half of MN with her

Shiney, don't you live in his constituency? or near? I'll pop in too if there is chocolate, with my wonderful ds who is much happier away from a verbally and emotionally abusive xp.

Good point dittany.

Really, what's to prepare? He is the leader of the party, so would be fairly up to speed on the party's major policies on the armed forces, education, health and so on. Surely. So these things should just fly from his finger tops. Just write down what your party believes will be policy.

Which takes me back to my question [unanswered of course] are there any policies in the Conservative party? Or are we going to have an entire campaign based on the 'we'll do better than that shower' pov. How tedious.

I'm really surprised he didn't take the chance to promise to end the 4 nappy rule. I really hope that is addressed and the pledge made. Least that anyone could do really.

so, nobody wants to come to my faux-georgian pile? Maybe DC would prefer my gaff, as it would confirm all his prejudices?

Shiney Close enough.

I was one of you once, but then I reformed, of course I only got married for the promise of future money. Just like I was only a single parent for the benefits. Nothing to do with anything else. Oh no.