Yvette Cooper - secretary of state for work and pensions - live on Mumsnet this Tues, 27 April, 2-3pm

[GeraldineMumsnet]

Yvette Cooper is secretary of state for work and pensions, and has been Labour MP for Pontefract, Castleford and Knottingley since 1997.

She's coming to Mumsnet to talk about Labour's family policies tomorrow from 2-3pm.

Yvette was born in Inverness in 1969. She's married to Ed Balls, secretary of state for children, schools and families, and they have three children (two daughters and one son).

Feel free to post your questions here and join us tomorrow (and please read our webchat guidelines).

Thanks.

testing, testing, 123

In your ideal vision for the UK economy, what should the optimum percentage of state spending as a proportion of GDP be, and why?

21 years ago I had my first baby and could not understand why I could set off other things that enabled me to be a self employed person against tax, except that one thing that enabled me to work (and pay tax). The sums became ridiculous. I didn't give up, but know many who did. Still at it now although public childcare provision has got much better.

I agree with Herbie. The teen years are the toughest, yet childcare and family support fizzle out at exactly this stage. Apart from patronising parenting classes for the truly dysfunctional referred to clinics.

I would like to know how you personally think more women can become involved in politics whilst caring for their families?

Do you feel that your children have missed out at all, particularly as both their parents are in that business?

Hi Yvette,

why aren't any politicians being honest with us about the scale of the cuts that are (already) taking place?

One Children's Services Department in my area (a labour heartland) has been ordered to make savings of 15% year on year for the next two years.

Blimey they are back-to-backing them in MNHQ on Thursday aren't they !

Doh! Sorry, I'm being stupid - this one is today.

I'd like to know why after training to be a midwife for 3 years, becoming qualified but was unable to find a job as a m/w as there was a huge recruitment freeze in most NHS trusts, was I unable to claim Job Seeker's Allowance?

I was told as I hadn't paid NI for the last 2 years I wasn't eligible. Hardly fair when I'd been working 37 hours a week, unpaid for the NHS for the last 3 years.

Hi Yvette,
Sorry I couldn't make your launch today - hoped I'd be able to come along but the Beeb put their foot down. RoaryTheRacingCar was keen to step in, but they went and locked the doors of his garage and gave him a stern lecture about BBC bias.

I'm doubly sorry because I know how tough it's been for you to get the big slebs like me to turn out during the campaign. Maybe if I dressed up as Elvis I could sneak past the security camera... I'm working on sourcing the white suit as we speak.

Best of luck with the rest of the campaign. Rest assured we're all on your side in the Pig household (although MummyPig is quite taken with Cleggy and even I have to admit he's quite dishy don't you think?)

Oink, Oink.

Hello Yvette,

Hope Labour will do better than the polls suggest.

I am a part-time working mother-of-one. Retirement is not an option for our generation, I realise that, so I am more interested in childcare at the minute.
I know everybody always complains about this, but it is a big hindrance to equal opportunities at the workplace and in life. Nursery places are so expensive that we can only afford to have one child, otherwise I would have to give up work, go on benefits, etc - which I would never willingly do.
We live in the North, so job opportunities are few and far between. As a result, my husband cannot really reduce his hours, and I am quite grateful to have found any part-time job requiring a degree at all.

Anyway, good luck for you and your husband on the 6th May

What improvements will Labour make to Social services and how does this compare to the other parties?

So Yvette is in the building and we'll be getting going very shortly.

Hello, thankyou very much for the invitation today -- and to mumsnet for tea, biscuits and very calm lovely offices in between hectic campaign visits.
I will try to answer as many questions as my typing will let me.

Hello ilovemydogandmrobama. Yes you are right that Ed is Secretary of state for schools and families -- but I've always thought every department and every spokesperson should talk about families. Certainly work and pensions should. (and ed unsurprisingly is used to me talking about families for so many reasons)

Another quick question from me, hope that is ok?

I am studying for a degree in politics and sociology and I am really keen to do some internships. Why is it so hard for me as a parent to find something? The roles that are part time seem to require evening and weekend work and the more full time roles are impossible for me as it would cost me £250 per week to work as they are usually unsalaried.

Surely MPs of all people could be more flexible and less discriminatory when recruiting unpaid interns? I thought the parties wanted to encourage more young women into politics.

Hi Yvette, im a widow(my husband died nearly nine years ago) and a mother to a thirteen year old son with special needs. I feel like i am being punished for being a widow as my carers allowance stopped when my husband died and i get widowed mothers allowance instead. Im still a carer as well as being a widow.

Hi Yvette,

Are the reductions of tax relief on pension contributions for high earners a matter of Labour party principle, and therefore expected to remain permanently, or is this something tht you would hope to reverse when the economy recovers?

Thanks

Thanks for your support Peppapighere> I appreciate you are an international superstar with more fans than madonna, so i guess the minders can get a bit heavy.

I think the questions about the obscene amounts of money given to private companies as part of the (Flexible) New Deal deserves an answer. Emma Harrison being the case in point as a person who is worth £40m because she has provided a particularly flaky 'back to work' scheme to the DWP. Am I wrong in thinking this is scandalous?

Hello HousewifeofOrangeCounty. We have increased support for children - spending, I think, over £25bn in early years and childcare since 1997. But you are right, there isn't anything specific to the self employed. You can still get free child care for 3 and 4 year olds and depending on your income the child care tax credit too. We're keen to increase the amount of free child care for 3 and 4 year olds and make it more flexible, as well as to steadily increase free child care for 2 year olds as well.

Carers often want to work but can't, clearly if you earn more your chances are higher as youi could hire a nanny / cleaner etc. And working parents = lower outgoings for the Government. So how come, when someone tries to retrain to a carrer where they can combine work /caring their carer's allowance is stopped? Yet when other students are working through the hols, carer parents are unabvle to yet not allowed to even claim CA in the gap?

Seems a ridiculous policy that effectively knoicks people off the ladder! When I was a student I couldn't get CA as my course was officially FT yet I was there to drop the boys off and collect then, and all holidays etc, as I would have been if not studying. I don't understand the no CA in the long summer break rule at all.