May responds
Peter Hoskin 10:47am
Here are Theresa May's answers to the questions put forward by CoffeeHousers:
john miller
"Why have Government ministers been able to spout the most outrageous lies over the last few months, effectively unopposed by the Conservatives? The Tories seem to lack a short succinct rebuttal that gives a voice to the feelings of the public."
On the contrary, I think we have shown ourselves to be highly effective in opposition, continually questioning the government’s actions and putting forward a coherent alternative. There are people who have vowed to vote Conservative in the next election who would never even have considered us before. We still have a lot more to do and there is certainly no room for complacency, but the message I get on the doorstep is that our policies and ideas are really hitting home.
Rajesh
"There has been a lot of comment about the Damien Green case and how this relates to MP's specific rights as the opposition. I'm concerned that MP's are considering themselves a special case instead of considering the overall civil liberties perspective of such an overbroad law. Do you have any thoughts as to whether the law in general should be modified instead of MP's rights being clarified?"
MPs are not above the law and should definitely not be treated as a special case. But it is vital that we are able to do our job of representing our constituents effectively and holding the government to account. We must be able to speak out in Parliament on issues and must be able to treat our constituents’ affairs with confidentiality. What is called parliamentary privilege is really the people’s privilege. The Damian Green affair jeopardized this because suddenly the police were able to access his confidential files, and remove equipment from his office which made it difficult for him to do his job. Crucially it broke the trust of confidentiality between an MP and their constituents. That is why MPs have been so concerned about it.
But you are also right to say that we need to guard our civil liberties carefully as they have been under attack from this Government for example with their proposals for first 90 day then 42 day pre-charge detention, ID cards, and increased government ‘Big Brother’ style snooping. These all undermine the freedoms that our democracy was built to maintain. There are some serious issues at stake here and we need a government that understands the importance of defending our freedoms.
Sebastian Friedman
"Where do you stand on affirmative action?"
I believe that the primacy of hiring on merit should be protected but at the same time I think affirmative action is acceptable if it is universal. For example, if a head teacher of a primary school has an all female teaching staff and wants to hire a man, then I believe it is acceptable to offer a job to a male teacher over equally qualified female candidates. If employers feel the need to diversify their workforce, in any direction, then the law should allow that, assuming that the candidates are equally qualified to do the job.
Jack R
"Will the Tories reject Labour's Equalities Bill?"
No, we have clearly said that we welcome the bill. Having said that, the government has been vague on some of the detail and so we shall have to look carefully at certain provisions, say around age discrimination, the single equality duty and procurement. I’d also like them to go further and adopt our proposals to tighten up the law on equal pay and to extend flexible working. What’s essential is that we produce a clear and workable piece of legislation that promotes fairness and common sense. Simplifying all of the previous equalities legislation is an important step and I am pleased that the government has set this out as their primary aim with the bill. I look forward to working with them on it but will not shy away from pushing them where I believe the legislation can be improved.
Nicholas
"Do you agree with David Starkey that this Labour government has overwhelmed the democratic and independent traditions of parliament (traditions that should facilitate holding the government to account and protecting our freedoms) and transformed it into a legislative rubber stamp for its own political agenda? If so, what are the Conservatives going to do about it?"
I agree that the executive has gradually eroded the power of Parliament. For example we see this in the way ministers bring in important changes before Parliament has had a chance to debate them – such as the recent VAT change, in the way ministers so often make important announcements to the media before they do so to Parliament, and in the way that too often significant sections of bills aren’t debated in the House of Commons. This undermines the core of our democracy and is an issue that I believe needs to be addressed. As it happens, I am working on some proposals that I believe would really make a difference and seek to reverse some of the ‘power creep’ that has occurred under this Government.
Previous
Pete
December 18th, 2008 11:19am Report this commentI think the answer to the first question demonstrates why they are slipping in the polls.
I was going to vote for them but I am struggling to find a good reason apart from the fact they are not Labour!
I agree with the question and am surprised May had the arrogance to dissmiss it out of hand!
Aidan
December 18th, 2008 11:38am Report this commentI'm sorry she thinks that the Front Bench has been "highly effective" - that's certainly not the way it seems outside the Westminster bubble.
As regards announcing policy to the media before Parliament, I am afraid the rot set in long before Blair. I recall during the Falklands War that we got our news about developments from an MoD press officer, rather than from the Defence Secretary reporting to the House
David
December 18th, 2008 11:51am Report this commentrecall during the Falklands "War that we got our news about developments from an MoD press officer, rather than from the Defence Secretary reporting to the House"
Which is not policy, but news. So it's appropriate in that case.
Fergus Pickering
December 18th, 2008 11:57am Report this commentNot being Labour has always been a very good reason for voting Conservative. It has been enough for me for many years. Similarly, Cameron has two terrific advantages. He isn't Blair and he isn't Brown. And, on the distaff side, as it were, Teresa May isn't Harperson, Smith, Mrs Balls etc etc etc. I want to hug her for that.
Obnoxio The Clown
December 18th, 2008 12:02pm Report this commentSounds like Theresa May is another statist apologist for the supremacy of government then. Albeit that her jackboots are probably sexier.
Rhoda Klapp
December 18th, 2008 12:23pm Report this commentPathetic. The weak in westminster.
Self-deluding claptrap.
Gregory
December 18th, 2008 12:23pm Report this comment"If employers feel the need to diversify their workforce, in any direction, then the law should allow that..."
So, what if I had an all-female teaching staff and wanted to KEEP it that way? Could I justifiably choose female applicants over equally qualified males?
What if I ran a company with an all-white-middle-aged-heterosexual-male managerial staff and wanted to keep it that way? Would this justify my choosing a white, middle-aged, heterosexual male over any other equally qualified candidate?
'Affirmative action' is ridiculous (and of course unfair) in whatever context it is applied to. The real problem is this notion of 'equal qualification'. In reality no two candidates are EVER equally qualified (I'm referring to ability, of course, not just worthless pieces of paper), and it is the prospective employer's job to do his very best to decide which is best suited to the position irrespective of all irrelevant factors.
Hysteria
December 18th, 2008 1:30pm Report this commentI thought the answer to the first question was extremely poor - to not even recognise there is a messaging problem is deeply worrying.
I hope there is a back-room somewhere with men in suits working on a grand plan which the current Tory "leadership" is following..........
Centaur
December 18th, 2008 1:40pm Report this comment"I think the answer to the first question demonstrates why they are slipping in the polls."
Indeed. People are trying to help you here Ms May, you don't have to play the politician game all the time. "Winning" an argument here will not win you the election. The frustration people are feeling is real and important, not to mention a gift to yourselves.
biggestaspidistra
December 18th, 2008 1:42pm Report this commentTM's first response is a worthy of the BBC's response to criticism.
Verity
December 18th, 2008 1:51pm Report this commentWell, Theresa May has kindly confirmed that the Tories are empty. Empty of principles and empty of ideas.
She doesn't agree with affirmative action (which is foul, sickening and inhuman), but on the other hand, if someone wants it, she could agree to it.
The answer to the first - very good - question was dismissive, smug and superior. It doesn't matter how their performance looks to the proles, she happens to know that the Tories are performing brilliantly.
Rhoda Klapp nails it succinctly. As does Gregory.
She has done the Tories quite a bit of damage with her insultingly empty, smug, dismissive answers.
I despair.
Verity
December 18th, 2008 1:54pm Report this commentBiggest Aspidistra - V good!
She's one of them. Smug, unaccountable, dismissive, lecturey, hectory.
Ms May - do the Conservatives of Britain a favour. Don't open your mouth in public any more.
HJ
December 18th, 2008 2:40pm Report this commentI have a lot of time for Theresa May (having met her twice).
However, I also found her response to the first question inadequate. Gordon Brown and other government ministers blatantly lie in parliament and they are never taken to task by the Tories. It used to be the case that lying to parliament was considered a serious offence, but now we just accept it.
Verity
December 18th, 2008 3:02pm Report this commentHJ - I've meet a lot of people twice, and I still don't like them.
Simon J
December 18th, 2008 3:27pm Report this commentI'm surprised by so many negative comments on this. I thought her answers were fair and although the past few weeks may been tricky on the whole Cameron's opposition have been pretty effective.
Verity
December 18th, 2008 4:49pm Report this commentSimon J - Anyone who thinks that affirmative action (also known, let us not forget, by the semi-oxymoronic phrase reverse discrimination)"is acceptable if it is universal" should cross the floor.
Maybe her shoes are too tight and are cutting off the blood supply to the brain.
Hysteria
December 18th, 2008 5:49pm Report this comment"the message I get on the doorstep is that our policies and ideas are really hitting home"
and the evidence in support of this assertion is - where exactly? Certainly not in the polls.....
John Miller
December 18th, 2008 5:57pm Report this commentOh, not worth asking the question then really.
You know that someone is in the shit when they are in denial. Why was my question picked as one of the five? Presumably, someone, somewhere, was interested in the answer. Is anyone actually interested in this answer?
Losing 18 points in the polls and having Cameron being regarded as a far worse leader in the current climate than (God help us) Brown would indicate to me that what Mrs May says has happened actually, err, hasn't. But keep up the denial love, perhaps there's far less pressure being in opposition than actually having to do something.
If this is the sort of response you as a party are giving to concerned Conservative Party members, you can kiss the next election goodbye.
Hysteria
December 18th, 2008 6:27pm Report this commentPeter - it might be worth a short Blog by way of feedback on all these "ask the Tory" efforts.
Does anyone actually care what is said? Do you provide the interviewees with the commentary post-facto?
I sense most of the Coffee House are pretty balanced, fair minded sorts (no - please - really !) and put a reasonable amount of effort into formulating questions, (not complaining when there's does not get picked !), then reading the answers and commenting on same.
But to what end? I think the whole "question and answer" thing is a good idea but without a bit more feedback from Central Office you might find dwindling support....
Dave Gould
December 19th, 2008 1:44pm Report this commentTo be fair, the only tool the opposition have is the media.
This week, the BBC employees were told not to attack the Govt. In previous months, Osbourne has been effectively silenced by Mandelson. The LibDems never get any media coverage anyway.
Theresa herself gave a good performance on Wednesday so I'm inclined to overlook her first answer.
Jack R
December 20th, 2008 3:36pm Report this commentI am disappointed in Ms.May's support for Harman's Equalities Bill; it is tacit support for positive discrimination for women and non-whites, and negative discrimination against men and whites (although May throws a Harman bone to men by reference to primary schools).
Melanie Phillips is more principled on this:
"Harriet Harman’s proposal that companies should positively discriminate in favour of women job candidates (ie discriminate against men) is yet another example of the way in which feminism got hijacked and turned from a campaign for fairness for women into an onslaught against men. Her proposal is not only totally unfair -- job candidates should be appointed on grounds of merit, not chromosomes – but is based on the false premise that the gender pay gap proves that women are the victims of systematic discrimination in the workplace."
(Melanie Phillips' Spectator blog, 'The Gender Bender Agenda', 26 June 2008.)
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