Labour Uncut is interviewing David Miliband about his leadership bid.
What should we ask him? What would your vote depend on? Here’s a chance to have your say.
Add your questions to this thread as a comment, by 12 noon on Sunday 11 July.
Tags: crowdsourcing the leadership, David Miliband, interview, Labour leadership
Referring to William Hague’s statement last Thursday about there being no timetable for our troops in Afghanistan, what would your government do to fight the Taliban whilst minimising the number of deaths and injuries of our soldiers?
Which system of electoral reform do you favour, or do you support “first past the post”?
Assuming you’ve seen Shaun of the Dead, imagine yourself in Shaun’s position when he finds the two zombies in his back garden – all you have to throw at them is your record collection. Which 5 records would you throw first, and which 5 would you leave until last?
Given the rise in crowdsourcing opinion, and social media in general, is it time to re-think the convention that MPs do not interfere in issues raised by the constituents of other MPs?
In the UK Ron Davies said “devolution is a process not an event”. Do you agree? If so what are the next big steps you propose that go beyond the current debate? Some ideas to consider – more powers to councils/ UAs; more decision making power to European parliament; what composition do you prefer to see in the Lords- is there a role in it for Channel Islands, Isle of Man, Monserrat etc; what about the British-Irish Council; and any other thoughts? It’s a multiple part question and a big one but so is the role!
Ken Clarke said last week that in the past politicians have talked tough on crime without taking the tough decisions. Although dominating the headlines and stimulating much debate, I heard no comment on the issue from any of the Labour leadership contenders. What approach do you think is the most effective route to offender rehabilitation, which ultimately creates fewer victims and less crime?
How do you think we can get back the supporters we lost in the election so we can succeed in winning the election in 2015.
How will you go about ensuring that scientific research conducted in the UK is able to maintain its world-leading status amid economic uncertainty? Are you capable of making policy decisions based on empirical evidence, rather than simply ‘gut instinct’ and political ideology (c.f. “Nutt Sack”)?
Hi David, your campaign leaflet refers to a ‘nationwide energy efficiency drive’. The 2006 Review of the Sustainability of Existing Buildings said that 6.1 million homes lacked an adequate thickness of loft insulation and 8.5 million homes had uninsulated cavity walls. Space heating accounts for 60% of domestic energy use and energy prices continue to rise so sorting this out would save people a considerable amount of money. How to you propose to go about getting this done?
It bothers me that the only party that’s really progressive with taxation is really, really bad at civil liberties. So here’s my question: Will the Labour Party renounce such obscenities against civil liberties as 28 days detention without trial, retention of the DNA of innocent people and the abject misuse of terrorism legislation to infringe rights held in common since the English Civil War…?
How do you feel about equal marriage rights – that is opening up of marriage to gay people and allowing religious bodies that support gay marriage (Quakers) to celebrate them.
Will you make the excellent Yvette Cooper your Shadow Chancellor if you win?
hi
my question is what does David miliband make of questions that he has been asked at hustings about concerns about labour future and those of people that he has met who want to know where he stands on issues that worry them in labour party as members and people who are not labour but who he is trying to get through house meetings to join labour. Does he stick to the same line for members or does he try to widen his support base to those who attend the house meetings?
This is question that will probably be asked by people voting for him or those thinking about voting for him? What i am saying do people hear other things at house meetings they would not thought of finding out from him when they go to these hustings.
Also does he see wonder whether he as leader of labour (if he becomes leader) that he is stopped himself in terms of his own ability to do what he wants as opposed what he has pledged to as leader.
What i mean he wrote a winning manifesto in 1997 according his own website and he would probably like to have the ability to write something himself which gives him and labour that chance again what he is pledging leave him less chance of having labour winning.
salman
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In the New Statesman you wrote ‘An “English Parliament” is not the answer’ but you gave no indication as to why it was not the answer.
An English parliament seems like a very good answer to many people, so could you tell me why you think an EP is not the answer and whether or not you support a referendum on the issue so that the people of England can decide (as did Scotland and Wales)?
Many thanks,
Gareth
Is it true that your father was a communist Polish immigrant who hated the UK’s political system?
Since the demise of the Left-wing in British politics (and globally as well) why is Labour not taking a volte-face back to its socialist roots? If it does not act soon then left-wing politics will soon be extinct as traditional bastions of the Left adapt to the demands of the markets and banks. Sooner or later we will have no choice but to vote for a right-wing government if trends continue. What is your view on this matter?
Hi David,
I’m a Japanese woman who is thinking of marrying a British man.
I’m very concerned about the immigration cap which is not fair to
those who want to migrate to the UK outside the EU countries.
Could you give us some advices for the future?
Thanks, Good luck!
Do you believe it is the job of a political party to educate the public as well as listen to the public? For example, creating policies based core party values and expertise rather than results of polls and focus groups.
Policy areas I am thinking about are crime, drugs, prostitution, asylum and immigration. I feel that too often politicians are afraid to say what they really believe (or what the experts tell them) on these areas through fear of a public or media backlash.
I know you agree with the message found on the Labour Party membership card, that “by the strength of our common endeavour we achieve more than we achieve alone” – so if you become Labour Party leader, what will you do to ensure that we finally play a constructive role in Europe and get rid of our age-old (yet well-deserved) label of the ‘bad European’?
In hindsight, do you think that if you had challenged Gordon Brown for the Labour leadership and won,that Labour would have won the last General Election ?
Hi.
Myself and my family live in Oldham Lancashire, my yougest daughter Emily is moving to her secondary school Counthill to join up with another school Breezehill which will be turned in to Waterhead Acedemcy, however since yesterday news reporting that the CONDEM goverment have now scrapped all the secondary school building.
My question to you will you and the Labour party undo all this penny pinching and reinstate a much needed building programme??
As my concerns are that while all this unrest of amuch needed building programe my daughter education will suffer and standards will slip!!!!!
And how long wuill it take to start the building work to begin????
Would you consider lowering the national voting age to 16? They are having a referendum on voting and the AV system, surely the younger people should be given that voice at 16 as well?
The co-operative sector is a growing part of the UK economy. What would you do as leader to promote the creation of more co-owned firms in the private sector?
Are there any plans, considering the mess the Con-Dem government have already made, to force a new election if we manage to take back or gain a lot of extra seats in the local elections next year and if we do and win do you intend to reverse some of the decisions from this budget e.g. bring back sure start maternity grant?
David, I’m worried the NHS is being dismantled under the guise of ‘trusting the professionals’. The proposal to hand over the bulk of the NHS budget to 30,000 self-employed businessmen (GPs) beggars belief, especially given that they are also providers of health care, have financial interests in other private providers and are routinely in receipt of sweeteners from drugs companies that would bring a blush to an MPs cheek if brought before IPSA. What do you think and how would you proceed with the way our NHS is run?
Will you make it a pledge for the next Labour government to reinstate the BSF programme and ensure that schools are rebuilt to the levels of excellence our children, teachers and communities deserve?
Also what are your views on university fees? Would you oppose a rise? Support their scrapping? or, as Ed Balls suggested, implement a graduate tax?
Thanks
How do you feel about the proposed Constituency reform and the potential implication of this which could result in different constituencies in Wales for Assembly and Parliament?
Considering the 18-25 age group is the lowest for turnout in elections, do you not think some form political education is needed, before the possibility of votes for sixteen year olds is considered. Is it true democracy is people who are able to vote, do not or people who are eligible to vote and wish to, do not do so sometimes simply because they feel they do not know anything about it?
Would you ever consider re-nationalising essential services such as railways and the utilities?
How to you feel about the Coalition’s plan, announced in the Telegraph on 10 July inst., to abolish carrying out the National Census, which may save money but will also mean an end to gathering detailed information on family life in Britain?
Do you agree that one of the problems Labour faces, as it opposes the current coalition’s cuts, is that the coalition’s ‘national debt’ narrative, which aligns itself to the concept of household debt, is actually quite strong, and that by setting out Labour’s policy of cutting the deficit later when growth has set in we merely fall into the trap of looking like Tories, but without their courage of conviction.
Shouldn’t we therefore be looking at developing a popular but distinctive vision of a (post-Keynesian) political economy which challenges the whole notion that bringing the deficit down is the biggest priority for government, setting out clearly that government debt is merely a mirror to private surplus, and that the main job of a (Labour) government is to use deficit spending where need be to promote full utilization of resources and employment?
David, thank you for the opportunity to be involved in today’s coference call. I wasn’t fortunate enough to have my question answered but it was great to listen to your views on a wide range of subjects.
The coallition government have announced some drastic and devastating cuts to the education system. These include: Cuts to BSF; Axing 50 000 Teaching Assistants; Scrapping the target to ensure 50% of young people enter higher education; Failure to support 1:1 tuition for pupils that are falling behind; the list goes on. I firmly believe that failure to invest in education is hugely damaging to the future economy. Without good investment where are our future engineers and scientists going to come from?
The conservatives are widening the gap between the classes by failing to prvide 21st Century education for ALL our children. We need to develop a Nation of learners, equiped with the skills to ask and answer those questions that life poses. We actually are educating children now that will eventually need to learn to use technologies that haven’t yet been invented!
Whilst in opposition and once in government will you work directly with educators and learners to address this lack of concensus of how we educate young people? Will you build on the great, recent developments in education and utilise the skills of those people best placed to direct and implement change. Too many directives come from ministers in government whose only experience of education is that of their own schooling.
Thank you
Claire Crichton-Allen (Rochdale)