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.
Comments