Watch with Mumsnet: live-streaming of PMQs with Anushka Asthana, WEDNESDAY at 12 midday

[RowanMumsnet]

You might recall that last month we conducted a survey on the UK's political culture, following on from our work with Mori on women and politics last year.

The results from the survey showed that 76% of respondents called Prime Minister's Questions "unprofessional and outdated" and 80% thought it "ineffective". As one Mumsnetter put it: "Might as well get some preschoolers to call each other poo-heads and be done with it."

Following on from this and our webchat last week, we launched a petition asking the PM to look at ways PMQs could be strengthened. So far, over 55k people have signed.

On Wednesday we'll be streaming PMQs live at 12pm. Come along and watch with us: we'll be joined by Sky News' political correspondent Anushka Asthana for a live webchat before and after to discuss the session.

Anushka wrote the Mumsnet/ Mori report on women voters last year. Before working for Sky News she was a columnist and chief political correspondent for The Times, and before that was at the Observer, where she worked for eight years. Her final role as the newspaper's policy editor saw her working from Westminster writing about politics and people. While there she covered the 2010 General Election and the formation of the Coalition.

Anushka wants to find out a bit more about what you think. What do you like about PMQs? What, if anything, do you feel needs changing? If you don't like, it why not? What could be improved?

Please join us at midday on Wednesday - and as ever, if you can't be there then please use this thread to post up any questions or comments in advance.

Thanks
MNHQ

Take note: both PM and Ed M have a nice little circle of female MPs seated around them. Wait for the camera to zoom out to see the sea of men

NOt sure I got the joke about Wednesday. Interesting (and right) that Commons has hushed for question about murdered women, surely that shows they recognise they're usually badly behaved?

I do agree about the political football point, really important issues are reduced to stupid slogans and 'my side is soooo better at government than your side' and meanwhile people are dying of cancer because of poor diagnosis rates.

Ooh get Bercow and his 'bastion of free speech'

Apologies for my first missive being a bit personal...will focus on the topic at hand, ie PMQs now. But Ed's bit often seems less about holding the govt to account or sorting out an issue and more about party-bashing.

Can I watch it on TV? BBC1 ?

Multi-tasking never my greatest strength!

It's on BBC2

Diane Abbott asks about Tory MP Richard Benyon's activities to do with driving up rents in Hackney. PM ignores questions and reels off what his party has done on housing...

Diane Abbott has received hardest time so far. Because she is a woman? Or because she was being partisan, attacking Tory MP?

I liked that question from Keith, but then the MP went on and spoilt it by being too party political.

I listen every week and I always notice the noise any female MP generates when she speaks. It's hard to infer if its support or intimidation.

It's interesting how perceptions differ. I know some people see Cameron as performing strongly with confidence, I perceive him as hectoring, bullying and willfully ignoring the point of opposition questions.

What was the murdered women question?

@Choccyjules

Apologies for my first missive being a bit personal...will focus on the topic at hand, ie PMQs now. But Ed's bit often seems less about holding the govt to account or sorting out an issue and more about party-bashing.

Choccyjules Certainly a lot of party-bashing going on.

Also, he always does that; accuses Milliband after his questions are done, not allowing him a come back.

@Jemimacrackpot

What was the murdered women question?

Jemimacrackpot The question was whether the police need more support to make Clare's Law work (right to know if your partner has any history of domestic violence) ...

A question about trains. Cameron will surely crowbar in HS2?

What the hell did that stats thing have to do with the question?

@bleedingheart

I listen every week and I always notice the noise any female MP generates when she speaks. It's hard to infer if its support or intimidation.

It's interesting how perceptions differ. I know some people see Cameron as performing strongly with confidence, I perceive him as hectoring, bullying and willfully ignoring the point of opposition questions.

bleedingheart Very interesting point that people will already have their views on the leaders and interpret their performances with that in mind.

@Choccyjules

A question about trains. Cameron will surely crowbar in HS2?

Choccyjules Not HS2 - which is actually quite sensitive for a lot of his MPs - but how much he loves going on holiday in Cornwall. (Just before he jets off abroad!)

The question on apprenticeships is a perfect eg of what's wrong. Good question, sensible proposal - 'should all public sector contracts include apprenticeships' but instead of answering, PM just lists lots of unrelated unemployment stats. Why couldn't he just say 'that sounds like a really interesting idea, let's look into it?'

He didn't answer that lady's specific question about the NHS Ombudsman...so that family who will have been watching and waiting got nothing.

Abbott always receives that response but then she is generally partisan and always female so who knows!

You see, lobbying is a very important point and it's going to get lost in nonsense about trades unions. Thought Cameron wanted to address the lobbying problem? Red Princes for god's sake. Talk about the issue!

If the answers aren't known at the time I can understand the constant diversion, bickering and "points scoring", but I find it very annoying when questions remain unanswered.

It's very disrespectful both to the MPs and the public they are representing IMO. Perhaps one improvement could be an update on the internet with some (attempt at?) answered questions after PMQs?

Part of the problem I believe is that things are seen as glossed over by the public - if the ministers in charge and indeed the PM himself has no interest in answering questions that in theory are raised by the electorate, how are people to have even a small amount of faith in, or interest in the system?

Though perhaps that is entirely the point of the whole exercise...

@Angeleno

Hi there Anushka,

I'm from the US and remember that in a comparative politics course at the University of Colorado a few years back, our professor showed us a clip of PMQs, which was meant as an intro to British politics. The first reaction was that everyone laughed and thought it looked like British politicians were having a brawl.

I think PMQs is a fantastic British institution, however, should it really be laughable? I'm not sure it works in the current format, with everyone screaming over each other. How do you think PMQs could be improved?

Thanks

Angeleno It is certainly entertaining and laughable - which probably makes more people watch it. But arguably not the point. I think if the PM doesn't answer the question the Speaker should pull him up on it. John Bercow never does that. They can demand a written answer but not enough.