MNHQ group 1

[AnnMumsnet]

Many thanks for agreeing to take part in this closed discussion thread. As you'll know, you all have an individual user name, separate to your on-site profile. So please feel free to be as open and frank as you like, without your views being read-across to your site profile.

The aim of these discussions is to discover if, how and why women's voting intentions are shifting and what you think about each of the party leaders.

We'll ask a few questions, allow you to think them over, respond, engage in a bit of discussion with other participants, and then we will pop back on the thread. We might want to tease out the reasons behind particular views or opinions and then will crack on with the next set of questions (on Thursday) and one more set over the weekend. Do feel free to re visit the thread at any point over the next week or so. We'll email you when we add a new set of questions.

Here are the questions to get you started

Thinking about when you decide which party to vote for, how important is the leader of the party in that decision?

Why?

What do you look for in a party leader? What makes a good party leader and what makes a bad one? What makes a good prime minister and what makes a bad one?

Thinking about the party you voted for at the 2010 General Election and the party you would vote for now, has it changed?

Why?
Why not?

Feel free to include any thoughts you might have - they don't have to be the conventional, just true to how you feel!

1. So, these days how well or badly do you think the current main party leaders are doing on understanding the issues and concerned facing women like you. First of all David Cameron? He comes across well and as a general rule seems people focused. And then Nick Clegg? I don't find him very memorable and not a lot of what he says sticks with me. And then Ed Milliband? As for Nick Clegg.

On the whole they see. To be quite detached from people and their needs in general, not women specifically,

have an appreciation of the things that real people are concerned about.

2. I don't want to see women being singled out and treated differently with a specific agenda towards 'women being heard'. I want to see all party leaders listening to their party members but over and above this, listening to constituents and the public in general.

3. and how well or badly do you think they make sure or take account of women being heard in their party and in politics generally?
   First of all David Cameron?
   And then Nick Clegg?
   And then Ed Miliband?

4. Finally for now - which party - if any - do you trust the most to look after the interests of women? Why? And which do you trust the least? And why?
   I dont see why a party should have a specific 'looking after the interests of women outlook. Looking after People, yes.

1. So, these days how well or badly do you think the current main party leaders are doing on understanding the issues and concerned facing women like you. First of all David Cameron? And then Nick Clegg? And then Ed Miliband? What about another party leader you know of (or one you think should/ could be a party leader) - please name them and then say: how well or badly do they do on this aspect?

DC: I think he does a pretty good job at understanding the issues/concerns facing people. I don't know that I'd single out women as a particular group though, I think the main issues facing me relate to those facing the country as a whole, ie a shockingly bad economy, welfare reforms, or the health service.

NC: has made remarkably little impact on me as a politician, I really have no idea what he thinks, about anything (other than being unable to afford to implement basically any of his parties policies). He seems like a nice chap, and I respect the fact that he tries to fit the school run into what must be a very hectic and long working life.

EM: I'm not sure Ed understands much about anything to be honest. I don't like him, I think his brother would have been a better leader of the opposition and, other than for the unions, would be doing so. To my mind, EM doesn't hold the popular vote.

I think Boris would make a surprisingly good party leader - he's done a surprisingly good job as London Mayor so far. He's also one of the few politicians who appeals across party boundaries - my OH has canvassed on various occasions and frequently gets told that people would vote for Boris even when they would never ordinarily consider voting Conservative.

2. and how well or badly do you think they make sure or take account of women being heard in their party and in politics generally? First of all David Cameron? And then Nick Clegg? And then Ed Miliband? What about another party leader you know of (or one you think should/ could be a party leader) - please name them and then say: how well or badly do they do on this aspect?

I think all of the main party leaders do a decent job at taking account of women being heard in politics. All have fairly prominent women MPs, although I do worry about tokenism as it seems that having a female front bencher is mandatory whether or not they are up to it - for me, it should always be about the best person for the job, not the best person of a particular gender.

3. Finally for now - which party - if any - do you trust the most to look after the interests of women? Why? And which do you trust the least? And why?

In general I trust Labour the least, but that's mostly because they managed to create the massive economic bust that we're having to deal with now. They are still making promises that they have no possibility of delivering as there simply isn't the money to do so, yet seem to believe that the voting public won't notice this mismatch.

I'm not sure which party I trust the most to look after interests of women, they generally seem to have woken up to the fact that women are voters too - and not all of us are little women who do what our husbands tell us to when it comes to voting, either. So at least they do look at female interests when coming up with their policies.

Thanks again - we really appreciate all the comments.

The last questions for the weekend: please add your comments to these questions below - ideally by Monday morning but we'll give everyone an extra day to post if needed .

How well or badly do you think the party leaders could manage your household finances effectively?

First of all David Cameron?
And then Nick Clegg?
And then Ed Miliband?
What about another party leader you know of (or one you think should/ could be a party leader) - please name them and then say: how well or badly do they do on this aspect?

Imagine the party leaders had to live on your family budget, which do you think would cope best/worst? Why? What problems would they encounter?

First of all David Cameron?
And then Nick Clegg?
And then Ed Miliband?
What about another party leader you know of (or one you think should/ could be a party leader) - please name them and then say: how well or badly do they do on this aspect?

once more...MNHQ

How well or badly do you think the party leaders could manage your household finances effectively?
First of all David Cameron?
And then Nick Clegg?
And then Ed Miliband?
What about another party leader you know of (or one you think should/ could be a party leader) - please name them and then say: how well or badly do they do on this aspect?
-------

David Cameron - pretty well I'd think. But I bet he'd use tax avoidance strategies.

Nick Clegg - suspect he'd ask all his friends for help and still muck it up.

Ed Miliband - gawd knows. Perhaps he'd ask his brother who actually has a brain.

Nick Griffin - would refuse to buy anything which was not British and then be unable to choose an energy supplier because the bigger ones are ....horror of horrors....international!
---------

Imagine the party leaders had to live on your family budget, which do you think would cope best/worst? Why? What problems would they encounter?

First of all David Cameron?
And then Nick Clegg?
And then Ed Miliband?
What about another party leader you know of (or one you think should/ could be a party leader) - please name them and then say: how well or badly do they do on this aspect?

Our family budget is currently quite generous and I'm pretty sure they'd all do fine, especially if they had their MP salaries. This a very odd question MNHQ, not sure what you are trying to elicit but it's confusing! :)

My initial reaction for all of them is I am not sure, its not much that I have seen much about.

David Cameron? Well I guess the not very well in my opinion. I am a stay at home mum which I am proud to be as a choice, but I feel that we have been penalized a little bit under the new system for child benefits. The child benefit money (although my husband and I do share everything) came in under my name and it wasn't much but it made a significant difference every month. We always considered it my money to spend in order to make sure my two boys have everything that they need. I find it frustrating that it has been taken away (we are on the threshold) and yet I see other mums who work and have a much greater double income still getting it. Don't get me wrong I totally understand why it happened, I just think it demonstrates how David Cameron doesn't really get me as a mother, caregiver and voter. I like David Cameron and having said that I can't think of any other instance.

And then Nick Clegg? I don't like him and as such I have paid no attention to anything he has ever said so I generally have no idea. I think he talks a good game but thats all it ever is... talk.

And then Ed Miliband? Same again I don't like hime in fact I consider him to be the worst of the lot so I pay no attention to what he says.

What about another party leader you know of (or one you think should/ could be a party leader) - please name them and then say: how well or badly do they do on this aspect? I don't think I know of any others. It would be fair to say that I know very little about politics and as a stay at home parent I am actually really sheltered from it all, and lots of it just passes me by without me realising.

2. First of all David Cameron? I think he is fair in how he operates and that he would be fair in making sure women are heard. And then Nick Clegg? No idea at all. And then Ed Miliband? No idea, but my gut says he's not very inclusive.

Same as above I don't know any other party leaders! Sorry!

3. Finally for now - which party - if any - do you trust the most to look after the interests of women? Why? And which do you trust the least? And why?

It has to be conservative. The conservatives have always had a good track record of women in their parties, the biggest and most iconic of all being Margaret Thatcher. David Cameron is a fair man and I don't think he would allow it to be any other way.

I don't like Ed Milband at all representing labour, and I have never really been a labour fan. I think they are really inconsistent with their leaders and I would like to be convinced that they do more.

How well or badly do you think the party leaders could manage your household finances effectively? Ha! As if they could manage on a budget!!

First of all David Cameron? Pretty good, I don't think he is very showy and so I think under pressure he would knuckle down, plan ahead, set his limits and get on with it!
And then Nick Clegg? I think he's all talk, so he would talk a good game but not actually manage, realise half way through the week he couldn't do it so then decide to blow it all by spending way too much.
And then Ed Miliband? Not a chance, he would have spent it all before the week even started. "Just this chocolate, just this beer, I am sure the budget will stretch" At the end of the week I think he would realise he didn't quite do it and try and forge it pretending he got it down.

I really don't know any other party leaders!

Imagine the party leaders had to live on your family budget, which do you think would cope best/worst? Why? What problems would they encounter? Similar to above.

First of all David Cameron? I think the reality of living on such a tight budget would hit home pretty quick. As above I think he would plan ahead and get on it straight away. I think sending him food shopping with so little would be a serious reality check and it would help him to realise just what many parents face on a daily basis, wondering how they are going to make ends meet at the end of the week. He already knows people live like this but when you are forced into that position yourself I think it gets you in a different way.
And then Nick Clegg? He would talk about it for weeks before, I can hear him bigging himself up to succeed... but sadly he fails. I think he would be the worst failure but by his own making. When he realised his mistake he would just blow it and choose to fail. Then we would all hear about how hard it was. I am sure he would try and convince people of his sincerity but it would just be about him "trying" to get them onside not really about the budget.
And then Ed Miliband? We would never hear the end of this one if he lived on budget. I consider him to be selfish and self centred so fail or not it would be about him. I don't think he would learn anything from it just go back to normal. I think he would be too ambitious with his budget setting not actually realising what things really cost in all areas. This would be his failing. His approach would be cocky and out to prove that people can live off nothing.

How well or badly do you think the party leaders could manage your household finances effectively?

David Cameron: Would do ok overall
Nick Clegg: Would be asking his wife to do the for him.
Ed Miliband: Would be taking payday loans out left, right and center.

What problems would they encounter?
They would have the same problems as me, making them stretch enough to survive the week/month.

How well or badly do you think the party leaders could manage your household finances effectively?

I'm not convinced that any of the party leaders manage a household budget so would not have experience of doing so. That said, my gut feel is that David Cameron and Nick Clegg would do ok but Ed Milliband wouldn't have the first idea and would spend it all in the wrong places!

Although I know this is not the done thing on MN (!) I have to say here that our family budget is not stretched so it wouldn't be as difficult as genuinely having to manage on a tight budget and be creative with decisions. It's still not the kind of budget they will live on at the moment, so I should imagine the giving up of chauffeurs and state entertaining might feel quite different :-) Also the holidays would be similar for David Cameron but for genuine budget reasons rather than looking like he's doing the right thing to the people!

If any of the party leaders were to try to live on a tight budget even for just a week, I think they would manage quite differently. I imagine that David Cameron would plan the week out and make ends meet in a pragmatic way, I think Nick Clegg would have a good old whinge about how unfair it was and struggle to prioritise his spending. Ed Milliband would just fail immediately by spending all of the budget in one day and wondering where the surprise extra money was going to come from.

How well or badly do you think the party leaders could manage your household finances effectively?

First of all David Cameron? I think David Cameron would manage them well, but may make decisions I wasn't keen on!
And then Nick Clegg? Probably quie good too, but not as effective as David Cameron
And then Ed Miliband? I think Ed Milliband would waste, make all the wrong choices and then not admit responsibility!

Imagine the party leaders had to live on your family budget, which do you think would cope best/worst? Why? What problems would they encounter?

First of all David Cameron? I think David Cameron would cope best and would make sure he planned his spending.
And then Nick Clegg? Would be OK, but perhaps not so good at planning.
And then Ed Miliband? Would spend it all at once on frivilous, unnecessary things, then complain!

DC Seems to be doing an ok job but still annoyed as I mentioned before about being penalised re child benefit because husband earns over certain amount.

NC: Don't really think he has much of a significant role!

EM:Not at all convinced by him - not a contender!

Have to say I have a bit of a soft spot for Boris Johnson because he is such a character and seems a bit of a laugh! Not a very political reason I'm afraid!!

Not sure that any party really 'hears' women as such - surely all MPs and their voters views should be heard regardless of gender.

I think that men and women's views generally are not that different regarding economy, tax, healthcare etc and don't feel that any of the party leaders do a better job in representing women.

I don't think any of the leaders would have much of a clue about running my household finances to be honest. They would be shocked about how much we pay for our mortgage in relation to other people's mortgages in other parts of the country (we are in West London) and our council tax is so expensive too.

I think if they had to live on our family budget they could manage it as we are not struggling - although we are not rolling in it but we manage to have a good quality of life. Give them a very restricted budget and they'd all be screwed!!! We've had lean times when husband was out of work and I just learnt to shop about. Even now I have no problem popping into a cheaper supermarket/poundland if I feel the more upmarket ones are putting the prices up! I don't think any of the leaders would have much of a clue as to supermarket prices!!

Sorry - I am even later to this thread due to holidays.

For me, the importance of having the right leader to a party is very significant when deciding which party to vote for. I consider my vote on two levels: which candidate is the best choice locally as I want to be able to approach them personally if I need to call on their help to resolve a problem, but of equal importance is who do I want to be representing me and my country on a global level - it matters hugely.

Therefore, I am looking for a leader who exudes leadership qualities, someone who is personable and approachable, but at the same time will not hesitate to take unpopular decisions and see them through in order to achieve results and progress towards goals for the common good. They are very much the face of Britain and I need to be confident and proud to have them in that role as I am very proud of my country and don't want them to diminish our positive standing on the world stage. Above all, though, I suppose that I trust my gut feeling and so I also look for something undefinable that just makes me warm towards them.
For me, a bad Prime Minister would be the reverse of all these points.

I voted Conservative in 2010 and will do again. I first noticed David Cameron in the Conservative leadership elections when he was one of five candidates. My husband and father-in-law were at conference and heard all five speaking, and casually asked my opinion. My gut feeling immediately had been for David Cameron so I was pleased when he was duly selected. Until someone better comes along, in any party, I won't be changing my mind although it is always open.

My chief issues and concerns I suppose all stem from the health of the economy, and therefore I would say that DC has a very good level of understanding and is trying to actively sort it out, NC cannot help but have a good understanding due to the lead that DC has taken on it but does have some impractical ideas, and EM still appears to be in denial about the whole thing.

I think that in all the parties women are heard, but I think the fundamental problem is that not enough women get involved in politics generally. Whether this is because they simply don't have time, or just cannot be bothered to waste their precious time and energy on what may be perceived to be a lot of bickering and squabbling rather than constructive problem-solving, I'm not sure. And frankly I cannot blame them - whilst I have considered standing as a local county councillor, I just cringe when I watch some of the full council meetings at the time wasting by the Labour lot trying to score points rather than just getting on with the job in hand of making life a little better and easier for everyone.

I dislike the question about trusting a party to look after the interests of women - ultimately my interests are all about the holistic well-being of my family and the wider community - so men and women equally, I refuse to differentiate on grounds of gender. Therefore my answer will be that I trust the Conservative party most and Labour least because this is how I feel generally.

Argh, just lost my nice long reply! Will try again...

How well or badly do you think the party leaders could manage your household finances effectively?

David Cameron I think would do a pretty good job - although given his propensity for leaving his children in various places I suspect he might be a bit scatty about paying bills on time, so I'd recommend direct debits!

Nick Clegg - again, appears pretty competent. I think that he and his wife would make a good team, so would manage a household budget well. He would have a tendency to splurge on expensive and non-essential things though.

Ed Milliband would spend all his money on payday then live off beans on toast for the rest of the month and by cadging money off his friends. He would have no plans in place for the future - no emergency fund for example - but would spend all his money every month.

Imagine the party leaders had to live on your family budget, which do you think would cope best/worst? Why? What problems would they encounter?

I'm not sure that this question really differs from the first one to be honest. I think they would all cope, after a fashion, as all are intelligent people and running a household to a budget isn't rocket science (so long as you realise it is essential, Mr Milliband...).

Problems they would face: the paperwork involved in benefit claims, living off investment income so only being "paid" every 6 months.

Anyone willing to adhere to Mr Micawber's advice about spending is basically onto a winner though - let's hope more than one of them has read Dickens :o

1. So, these days how well or badly do you think the current main party leaders are doing on understanding the issues and concerned facing women like you. First of all David Cameron? And then Nick Clegg? And then Ed Miliband? What about another party leader you know of (or one you think should/ could be a party leader) - please name them and then say: how well or badly do they do on this aspect?

DC comes across as a family man, who deals with issues on health, education, childcare.

NC - DC's sidekick, not sure where his opinions lie

EM - have not really heard anything different from him

2. and how well or badly do you think they make sure or take account of women being heard in their party and in politics generally? First of all David Cameron? And then Nick Clegg? And then Ed Miliband? What about another party leader you know of (or one you think should/ could be a party leader) - please name them and then say: how well or badly do they do on this aspect?

I think women are quite well represented in all 3 parties and do not see discrimination against women particularly.

3. Finally for now - which party - if any - do you trust the most to look after the interests of women? Why? And which do you trust the least? And why?

I think all 3 main parties consider interests of women as much as each other. Other parties like UKIP and BNP would seem less trustworthy, but thats just my instinctive view.

How well or badly do you think the party leaders could manage your household finances effectively?

First of all David Cameron? Reasonably well, but I likely wouldn't agree with his choices.
And then Nick Clegg? His hearts in the right place, so we'd probably have andrex toilet roll and run out of money by Thursday.
And then Ed Miliband? I don't really know much about him.

Imagine the party leaders had to live on your family budget, which do you think would cope best/worst? Why? What problems would they encounter?

First of all David Cameron? I'd like to think that he would be surprised at how little money can buy at the moment. I would also like him to live on my budget in the winter to see how cold it really gets for a lot of us.
And then Nick Clegg? I think he would cope fairly well. My budget is doable, but luxuries are few.
And then Ed Miliband? As above.

How well or badly do you think the party leaders could manage your household finances effectively?

First of all David Cameron?
I think he might do the best out of all of them - spend money on the essentials, and see what it is like to budget on a weekly basis. I think his intentions would be right and he would look after the family.

And then Nick Clegg?
Don't think he would be very good at making decisions - probably like to run everything by DC or his wife first, but still have good intentions.

And then Ed Miliband?
Would not trust him atall. As others have said, he would probably spend any money as soon as he got it - buy scratchcards and fags and have no nappies for the baby. Would need to borrow to get him through the next month, take no responsibility for his own actions and then moan about the price of everything.

What about another party leader you know of (or one you think should/ could be a party leader) - please name them and then say: how well or badly do they do on this aspect?

Imagine the party leaders had to live on your family budget, which do you think would cope best/worst? Why? What problems would they encounter?

First of all David Cameron?
And then Nick Clegg?
And then Ed Miliband?
What about another party leader you know of (or one you think should/ could be a party leader) - please name them and then say: how well or badly do they do on this aspect?

I think DC would do the best, but be surprised at how expensive food, fuel, gas, elec etc actually is for an ordinary family. He would see how much we juggle money and are always looking for deals - food shopping, days out, vouchers etc.

I think the other two, NC and EM would probably do ok if it was a week trial; but like a lot of men, they would be surprised at how much everything costs. All 3 of them would face problems making our budget stretch to pay for everything on a monthly basis.

Manage household finances effectively?

I think DC would do a fairly decent job; he would take into account our longer term objectives which take our young children through to their twenties and our pushing into retirement. I assume that he would refer to a financial adviser to bounce ideas off and be prepared to alter his plans in light of sound advice received.

I think that NC might well do similar, but may focus on the wrong things and then be unwilling to listen to/follow the sound advice given and carry on regardless, perhaps believeing that things will work alright out in the end.

I imagine that EM might well assume that the state will provide for us in our retirement, and that our children will all be adequately served by the local education authority and then get jobs as soon as they turn 16, and therefore not see any merit in planning for future eventualities and just live for today. Therefore, I would expect for our various savings and investments to be raided and spent on fashionable/faddy items just to make him look good now.

Nigel Farage is another party leader who springs to mind - I'm picturing him down the pub having a lovely time befriending everyone at the bar, buying lots of rounds but then being remebered the next morning as some dreadful bore. I don't really care for UKIP, I'm afraid, and actually I've now remembered the sweeping generalisation that they are "male, pale and stale", which does sum up the ones I've met. To go back to the previous questions, I think UKIP would be absolutely dreadful at representing women's interests - I find them faintly patronising in the "little woman" kind of way.

Living on my family budget?

They'd all manage to, I'm sure, but the question is for how long? There's regular sources of income and regular expenditure so not rocket science if they just stick to what's important and plan ahead for bigger expenses. They would come unstuck if they spent my emergency fund, and there's not really any spare capacity for borrowing so they'd be wise not to take on any debts unless they were very clear about how these were to be repaid. On that basis, I think that DC would manage best and EM would be too tempted by spending like mad to make himself popular, similarly perhaps would Nigel Farge.

Sorry I am a bit delayed in responding... Will try to catch up now...

1. So, these days how well or badly do you think the current main party leaders are doing on understanding the issues and concerned facing women like you. First of all David Cameron? And then Nick Clegg? And then Ed Miliband? What about another party leader you know of (or one you think should/ could be a party leader) - please name them and then say: how well or badly do they do on this aspect?

DC- I feel he understands the issues that matter to me (health, education, welfare, economy) and is trying to tackle problems in all these areas. I may not agree with every decision he makes but I feel we are making positive steps in the right direction & that a lot of these decisions are very difficult.

NC - I am unsure what he stands for really

EM - he seems to care most about moaning about the Tories without coming up with any sensible alternative solutions... And sorting out his own in party problems with the unions, which is all fine & good but I don't really care about the power plays within the Labour Party.

Nick Griffin just seems to care about immigration. Nigel Farage seems to only care about how much he hates the EU. Neither of them talk much about the issues I care about.

2. and how well or badly do you think they make sure or take account of women being heard in their party and in politics generally? First of all David Cameron? And then Nick Clegg? And then Ed Miliband? What about another party leader you know of (or one you think should/ could be a party leader) - please name them and then say: how well or badly do they do on this aspect?

DC - Ok. I think we expected more in terms of promoting women to the cabinet etc but there are some excellent women who he listens to - Theresa May for example.

NC - I can't name one lib dem female so difficult to answer really!

EM - think he is similar to DC on this one - a few v good women who he obviously listens to. Harriet Harperson and Yvette Cooper.

Being an MP is a difficult job to do if you have a family. I can think of a few MPs who have backed down from things because of the need to balance family and political life. This is why it has been so hard for there to be equality on the front bench.

3. Finally for now - which party - if any - do you trust the most to look after the interests of women? Why? And which do you trust the least? And why?

I suppose the Tories. They are making efforts with their attempts to help with the cost of child care which I think is a massive issue for most mums I know. At the moment I just struggle to trust Labour to look after the interests of anyone - because I just can't imagine Ed & Ed in charge of this country and making difficult decisions.

And the next lot of questions...How well or badly do you think the party leaders could manage your household finances effectively?

This is an odd question! But I will try to answer it.
DC- he seems like he can manage life pretty well so I can imagine him managing family finances just fine.
NC - as above really!
EM - I'm undecided on Ed!

Imagine the party leaders had to live on your family budget, which do you think would cope best/worst? Why? What problems would they encounter?

DC - oh dear, I must admit I think he would struggle to cope on the massive limitations our household income would give him. It would be hard for him (having had such a privileged life) to have such a comparatively small house. We are middle class but our income is nowhere near that of DC and SamCam!

NC - he too has had a privileged background and would struggle with smaller mortgage, and smaller budget for everyday life. It is the lifestyle things - no big holidays abroad or shopping at waitrosr for us. I just can't envisage NC living the way we do.

EM - I'm not so sure about Ed's background - though I think he went to state school. I actually think in a way - though I dislike his rhetoric & not sure I trust him to run a country - I can imagine him living a more normal life compared to DC and others.

Sorry about being really late to this thread - I will start from the beginning....

Thinking about when you decide which party to vote for, how important is the leader of the party in that decision?
Why?

I think the leader of the party was very important in my decision. At that time, to me, he was the most credible one to be able to deal with the economic crisis, the one whose policies spoke the most to me, as a full-time working mother to two small kids.

What do you look for in a party leader? What makes a good party leader and what makes a bad one? What makes a good prime minister and what makes a bad one?

A party leader needs to be trustworthy. Whether he or she went to public school or not is quite irrelevant as it's more to do with how he/she relates to the general public. I hate it that in this country relating to the general public seems to equate 'relating to the poor'. I'm by no means rich at all, I identify myself as part of the sqeezed middle. I'm screwed both ways - too 'rich' to get any benefits, too 'poor' to not care.

A good party leader is someone who cares - who cares about every level. not just the poor, but the middle as well - the rich too to a certain extent as yes, they can afford to feed themselves but one would want them to contribute more to society as well. A bad party leader is someone who can't stand his ground. They need to be able to make decisions and stand by them - they need to be able to justify them at every level. So not just to the poor/rich but to everyone. People may not like the decision made, but they may think it's fair anyway - that's good. A bad one is someone who flips/flops... and can't decide.

Thinking about the party you voted for at the 2010 General Election and the party you would vote for now, has it changed?

I would probably vote for the same party - the doesn't seem to be any other feasible choice. One party is still flipping and flopping; the other party thinks spending is the way to go (even though even their great leader now thinks not).... there is a lack of good choice if anything....

1) So, these days how well or badly do you think the current main party leaders are doing on understanding the issues and concerned facing women like you.
First of all David Cameron?
And then Nick Clegg?
And then Ed Miliband?
What about another party leader you know of (or one you think should/ could be a party leader) - please name them and then say: how well or badly do they do on this aspect?

DC - I think he understands the issues and concerns facing women like me because he gets that educated women want to work. He also seems to be supporting the notion of marriage, so that's great from my pov. I just need these 'understandings' to translate into actions, be it tax breaks, or better laws re childcare etc. The recent announcement of £1200 per working parent per child possibly is a great thing to have, but it's for children under 5 starting 2015 - well guess what? my youngest will be 5 then... but if they roll it out quickly enough then that'll be great.

NC - not sure where he stands on women

EM - oh FGS!! don't think he has a clue.

Boris seems to know what he's talking about although he'd probably have to hire some makeover artist to give him some kind of 'new start'... !

2) and how well or badly do you think they make sure or take account of women being heard in their party and in politics generally?
First of all David Cameron?
And then Nick Clegg?
And then Ed Miliband?
What about another party leader you know of (or one you think should/ could be a party leader) - please name them and then say: how well or badly do they do on this aspect?

DC - he has hired some women ministers - I think he needs to make more of them, and perhaps hire much more... going up to the 40% or so would be great.

NC - don't know.

EM - don't know. Some like Harriet Harman, Yvette Cooper? they seem pretty good.

3) Finally for now - which party - if any - do you trust the most to look after the interests of women? Why? And which do you trust the least? And why?

I agree with the previous posters - I don't think there's particular 'interests of women' per se... are they supposed to be surrounding childcare and part time work????? I don't think so. I think they need to be family friendly policies... and not just the family of two parents and two kids, but also family friendly for children who need to look after the aged parents.

I don't know who I'd trust more, but I wouldn't trust UKIP or BNP!!!!

How well or badly do you think the party leaders could manage your household finances effectively?

Overall, I'm not sure any of them can, only because they are male..... but hey if they have to, they have to:

DC - I think he'll cope quite well... he'll be out there trying to balance the books, and then realise that £50 really can't get you very far, and therefore he'll have to shop at Aldi. He'll hopefully be thankful that his wife works too so that there's two incomes coming in.

NC - probably just as well - but not sure if he'll be able to make all the major decisions by himself.

EM - no idea... but if he's anything like his party, then perhaps he'll be spending it all first, and then worrying later.... except that that's what's happened to the country now... and he's still thinking about spending money...

magine the party leaders had to live on your family budget, which do you think would cope best/worst? Why? What problems would they encounter?

DC - my family budget is really quite limited.... I think he'd probably cope. but he'd be shocked, at how much money there isn't... he'll realise that to survive they'll have to eat lots of spag bol etc.

NC - he'll be shocked that the budget will not get him that posh hamburger......!

EM - no idea but he'll probably be whinging about why the middle classes don't get tax credits too...

actually if there's something I can add here:

immigration - it's such an emotive language no less a result of the media (including crap like the Daily Fail et al) mixing up legal immigrants with other things like asylum seekers, illegal immigrants, students et al. I am an immigrant - I came here almost half my life ago (I'm 40) and did my postgraduate degree here. I come from a developed country but am not 'white'. I then followed up with a PhD which got me a post-doc in another country.

I met my then dp now DH during my PhD years and my reason for coming back to UK was DH. DH and I are in professional jobs now and pretty happy with two young kids.

DH was made redundant a couple of years ago and promptly set up his own practice - he was not entitled to jobseekers. If not for his foreigner wife here working in my professional job bringing in the money, our family would have been totally majorly screwed. We would have had to relocate to one of those deadend seaside towns (as described in a recent article in the news) or had to move 300 miles up north to my inlaws - who would probably been able to house us, but there would not have been any jobs for either of us (but they could have just about fed all of us on iceland goodies).

I absolutely HATE this obsession with 'immigrants', lumping all immigrants in the same bloody category. In many other civilised countries, immigrants who have indefinite leave to remain (permanent residents) are allowed to go through airport security as 'citizens' so there's no faffing around with white pieces of paper that no one seems to read or care about; permanent residents get 'welcomed home' as opposed to being grilled about 'why are you here? what are you working as? how long have you been here?'... and so on.

ok, rant over.

Sorry, have only just been able to log in so have some catching up to do...

Thinking about when you decide which party to vote for, how important is the leader of the party in that decision?

Very important. Because they are the 'face' of the party and steer the direction it takes.

What do you look for in a party leader? What makes a good party leader and what makes a bad one? What makes a good prime minister and what makes a bad one?

Trustworthiness (haha I wish). A gut feeling that they are a good person. Someone who can walk the tightrope between being strong but able to listen and change when needed. Someone who, however different from me they are, that I feel could have some insight into the lives of ordinary people. Someone who cares about the NHS and keeps it safe. Someone who is brave, considered, honest,and has balls (whether male or female).

Thinking about the party you voted for at the 2010 General Election and the party you would vote for now, has it changed?

No because all parties seem to occupy such similar ground, there is nothing to make me want to change.

1. So, these days how well or badly do you think the current main party leaders are doing on understanding the issues and concerned facing women like you. First of all David Cameron? In a small way

And then Nick Clegg?
Again in a small way

And then Ed Miliband?
Not in the slightest
Sorry, you did ask!

What about another party leader you know of (or one you think should/ could be a party leader) - please name them and then say: how well or badly do they do on this aspect?

I cant think of many others apart from Alex Salmond and Farage. They are a pair of agenda driven fools so 'not at all' again really.

2. and how well or badly do you think they make sure or take account of women being heard in their party and in politics generally?
   First of all David Cameron?
   And then Nick Clegg?
   And then Ed Miliband?
   What about another party leader you know of (or one you think should/ could be a party leader) - please name them and then say: how well or badly do they do on this aspect?
   To be honest I dont take any notice. Its about how they take account of people like me, not just women. I dont think about politics in a gender based way.

3. Finally for now - which party - if any - do you trust the most to look after the interests of women? Why? And which do you trust the least? And why?

Again, I's struggling with the premise of the question. 'The interests of women' isnt how I think about politics. My interests might be quite different from another woman, but very similar to another man's. Its not a question I can answer.

How well or badly do you think the party leaders could manage your household finances effectively?

First of all David Cameron?
He'd probably make a reasonable fist of it.

And then Nick Clegg?
Its hard to know - he has become so blurred as a leader that I just couldnt say.

And then Ed Miliband?
I should think he would put it on a credit card that he couldnt afford. Isnt that what GB did to the whole country?

What about another party leader you know of (or one you think should/ could be a party leader) - please name them and then say: how well or badly do they do on this aspect?
Nigel Farage - now that doesnt even bear thinking about. It would probably all be gone on booze and fags within a couple of days.

Imagine the party leaders had to live on your family budget, which do you think would cope best/worst? Why? What problems would they encounter?

First of all David Cameron?
Think he would do OK as we have a reasonable family income. He would budget in a focused way, making tough decisions.

And then Nick Clegg?
I dont know, as above, I dont really have a clue who he is any more.

And then Ed Miliband?
He would probably shop in a cheap supermarket then sneak off to waitrose when he thought no-one was looking.

What about another party leader you know of (or one you think should/ could be a party leader) - please name them and then say: how well or badly do they do on this aspect?

Absoloutely no idea.

Thanks for asking me to take part. I havent read anyone else's responses so apologies if I've repeated what others have said.

1. So, these days how well or badly do you think the current main party leaders are doing on understanding the issues and concerned facing women like you.
   First of all David Cameron? Ithink DC does understand issues ithat i have. the help with childcare that is being brought in will be very helpful for me and my DP like all people he can get things wrong
   And then Nick Clegg? I have not really got much experience of NC and the values he holds
   And then Ed Miliband? i do have a very low opinion of EM and have no faith that he would help people like myself
   What about another party leader you know of (or one you think should/ could be a party leader) - please name them and then say: how well or badly do they do on this aspect?

2. and how well or badly do you think they make sure or take account of women being heard in their party and in politics generally?
   First of all David Cameron? I think that DC is a very modern man and after following leaders such as Margret Thatcher the conservative party on the whole are very considerate when it comes to listening and considering women and make sure they are heard and represented fully.
   And then Nick Clegg? i think the lib dems as well are very considerate when it comes to taking into account the values of women.
   And then Ed Miliband?I think that EM and labour are still considerateof women however they do still fall behind IMO when it comes to womens values or it does seem that way.

What about another party leader you know of (or one you think should/ could be a party leader) - please name them and then say: how well or badly do they do on this aspect?

3. Finally for now - which party - if any - do you trust the most to look after the interests of women? Why? And which do you trust the least? And why? I will still trust Conservative the most,they just seem so much more trustworthy, especially with DC leading them, the previous 2 leaders of labour to EM and including him just seem slimy and really untrustworthy