Harriet Harman Question and Answer at Southampton
[Below are the Questions and Answers transcript, pretty much as I was able to type it. With only the merest of post production before I published.]
The rankles old-media get their grubby paws on her first. I'm new media dammit.
This is a very low turnout meeting, even counting the labour society who invited the woman there must be only 20 people here. Compared with when Rt. Hon. Hain visited some months back whereby the entire staff club was brimming with people wanting to hear his bid for the deputy leadership.
HH is here to extol the virtues of the labour party. 80% of the room is registered to vote here in Soton. She notes that only half of that 80% raise their hands are going to vote. Then amusingly asks who everyone is voting for - 5L, 1T, 1LD
She asks if "You" were Gordon Brown what are the challenges for the next 10 years ? She believes one of the challenges is peoples thinking of politicians and politics. The right to vote is the power to remove government and make change. Politicians like her cast herself in front of the electorate and that is the best system, we all think, yet that system and the people in it are so low regarded. Such low voter registration and low turn out. There is cynicism and a downward trend in those registered to vote.
"If you are a white middle aged person owning your own home living in a none metro area there is a 98% to be on the register. If you are young, black etc. there is only 70% chance of being on the reg. If you look at actual voting and those stats are the same, meaning that the people from these areas, renters, black people, poor etc. You are unlikely to vote. We have this creeping institutionalisation that we care about white, well off home owners and is is them who are making the decisions. Like in the US who don't care about New Orleans. Our democracy shouldn't be the exclusive domain of white middle class home owners." (Author's note... It was a Conservative Leader, BD, who actually instituted that change)
"What should we do to make young people get the voting habit ?"
"A huge issue is and what makes a society peaceful and at ease with itself is questions about equality, the gap between the top and the bottom is a big issue."
We've been good a tackling absolute poverty and moving the bottom up, but what about this gap between top and bottom ?
Uses a holiday as an example. Travelling through poor areas on the way to your opulent hotel should make an upstanding person feel less good.. Says the huge bonus in the City financial sector against a background of people actually struggling to buy food is a concern. The success of the super rich (What about David Beckham she asks is that any more OK than the City fat cats). Thatcher abolished the Royal commission of distribution on wealth. Should we bring it back ? Is the only issue where "You" are in society ?
HH is very concerned about these issues. Inequality of women or those of ethnic divides.
Q & A
Q: One of the ways of solving participation is mandated voting what do you think of that ?
A: Are we on the record ? Because of what I've said about what's happening in voluntary voting, the compulsory voting systems has a lot to recommend them. In AUS it is compulsory. If you are a government brining this in, its difficult because people won't like being made to do things. It's about getting to B, but getting from A to B is hard. Make the rights and responsibilities argument. Right to decent income, healthcare, schools etc. protection. Your responsibility is to VOTE. And it would be nice if would could force them.
Q: Question about investigation of SFO into BAE... Stopped in Saudi, but not stopped in SA... Why is that so ? Are there different standards between western against third world.
A: When it come SFO deciding whether to mount an investigation, run and prosecute. That is an independent decision, made by the agency responsible. Decision has two elements to it, 1) Is there enough evidence 2) Whether it is in the public interest
What I understand, there is a thing a procedure whereby when the decision is being made about whether its in the public interest. Ministers will be asked their views. They give the views back, they don't make the decision but the views are taken into account. That is appropriate procedure. Prime wrote back its not in the public interest. Because it will have national security implications.
In relation to SA then the same process would apply and you've got to look at the uses on a case by case basis. SFO made the decision.
Governments don't decide.
Q: Alan Johnson expressed a concern that Labour is losing women's votes ?
A: Having a women deputy is a good start (me) When I joined in 1982 there were 10 women now we're at 82 ? The Tories don't care about equality. In 1982 Tories had 13 now they have 17. We would be daft if we masked what we believed in behind an all male leadership team. All the things we've done that effect women, sure start, domestic violence is masked behind an al male leadership. Women want to be feet under that cabinet table. Women see that and feel that the labour women deputy alongside Gordon is one way to do that.
Q: One of the 13 was the prime minister. My Question is about Lords reform. I believe in a wholly appointed second chamber... what do you think. Will is cause deadlock ?
A: What is important is legitimacy. Legitimacy comes from the votes of the people. WHy should we say, you the people can't appoint a second chamber. We are beyond that age of deference. We must have an elected second chamber. The relationship makes an issue. the first chamber has primacy. The second chamber would be elected. Would is cause deadlock ? When electing it, we must carefully define the role and make it understood the role is different. you must have primacy in the first chamber. As for Thatcher. I have to say she argued that it was fine for her to be PM despite being a women and was as good as any-man. We believe we should be in power not despite, but because we are women. Women's voices must be heard alongside men's. It is about being a women who believe in equal representation.
Q: Is it in the national interest to have an immediate election after becoming leader ?
A: Its up to Gordon...
Q: Hear your view in need to change general elections ?
A: The power commission had a great deal of important and relevant information in it. If the suggestion is that if you change the voting system, with PR, that will increase turn out. There is no evidence for that. We have PR in x, y z and that hasn't' increased turn out. The downside of PR, it might produce a fairer result, its more complex. Play acting about EU resign.. list system.
Q: An awesome amount of energy has been expended in reform. Can you gimme an example where this has effected normal people.
A: Human rights act is important. FOIA. Devolution is hugely important. Stopped Lord Chancellor appointing high court judges. What about you ?
Q: Its is difficult to see a quantifiable one. Do you have an example where you'd do things differently ?
A: errrrrrrrrr.........
Q: In 2005 for the first time EVER a European election monitoring mission monitored a UK election. This May we are again set to have more external election monitoring for fraud and tampering. I posted my ballot yesterday and I could see with my own eyes how woefully inadequate the security of my "confidential" vote was. Given that your government has failed woefully in nearly every large scale IT project, the CRB, Libra, the Patient records, now ensuring scandal over the junior doctors IT system how will your government ever garner trust in an IT project again especially if you roll out nation-wide the trailed online voting system ?
A: it is important that if people think that the vote is rigged its a disincentive to vote. There is a trade off in security and turn out. To gain 100% security you'd crush the turn out. With absolute access you risk fraud. You must get the balance write. There isn't that big a problem with electoral fraud,
Q: Three of your councilors went to court about it.
A: Well local people are elected by people crossing the ballot
Q: WE HOPE
A: Small episodes of vote rigging. Its hard to rig a vote in a national. The numbers are big to rig. Fraud is important but not work ourselves up into a panic. The IT its all piloted - it might cause a delay in counts from Thursday to Friday, well just wait and that is no cause for hysteria.
Q: There has been a trend, in indiscipline, immorality. the govt does recognise this. What is the really root. What are you gonna do about it.. What are your thoughts.
A: Gang culture is wide spread. The age of participation is lower. The community must have confidence in the police. Intelligence based policing is important. Uses football violence is big example. Get hold on disaffectedness. and young people with not enough to do at holidays, evenings and weekends. A bigger youth service in inner cities. How many of you do think you have problems like this in your areas ?
Q2: There seems to be a collation of young black people involved in this what do you think
A: This is those people who feel like the bottom of the pile. They feel they're not represented in the police and don't feel confident using those services. We've got to ensure these people feel represented. Who else
Q:: Swansea
A: If you're concerned about inequality then, join the Labour party. Speak to Hannah.
[To be fair she had a decent exit on that last note]
The rankles old-media get their grubby paws on her first. I'm new media dammit.
This is a very low turnout meeting, even counting the labour society who invited the woman there must be only 20 people here. Compared with when Rt. Hon. Hain visited some months back whereby the entire staff club was brimming with people wanting to hear his bid for the deputy leadership.HH is here to extol the virtues of the labour party. 80% of the room is registered to vote here in Soton. She notes that only half of that 80% raise their hands are going to vote. Then amusingly asks who everyone is voting for - 5L, 1T, 1LD
She asks if "You" were Gordon Brown what are the challenges for the next 10 years ? She believes one of the challenges is peoples thinking of politicians and politics. The right to vote is the power to remove government and make change. Politicians like her cast herself in front of the electorate and that is the best system, we all think, yet that system and the people in it are so low regarded. Such low voter registration and low turn out. There is cynicism and a downward trend in those registered to vote.
"If you are a white middle aged person owning your own home living in a none metro area there is a 98% to be on the register. If you are young, black etc. there is only 70% chance of being on the reg. If you look at actual voting and those stats are the same, meaning that the people from these areas, renters, black people, poor etc. You are unlikely to vote. We have this creeping institutionalisation that we care about white, well off home owners and is is them who are making the decisions. Like in the US who don't care about New Orleans. Our democracy shouldn't be the exclusive domain of white middle class home owners." (Author's note... It was a Conservative Leader, BD, who actually instituted that change)
"What should we do to make young people get the voting habit ?"
"A huge issue is and what makes a society peaceful and at ease with itself is questions about equality, the gap between the top and the bottom is a big issue."
We've been good a tackling absolute poverty and moving the bottom up, but what about this gap between top and bottom ?
Uses a holiday as an example. Travelling through poor areas on the way to your opulent hotel should make an upstanding person feel less good.. Says the huge bonus in the City financial sector against a background of people actually struggling to buy food is a concern. The success of the super rich (What about David Beckham she asks is that any more OK than the City fat cats). Thatcher abolished the Royal commission of distribution on wealth. Should we bring it back ? Is the only issue where "You" are in society ?
HH is very concerned about these issues. Inequality of women or those of ethnic divides.
Q & A
Q: One of the ways of solving participation is mandated voting what do you think of that ?
A: Are we on the record ? Because of what I've said about what's happening in voluntary voting, the compulsory voting systems has a lot to recommend them. In AUS it is compulsory. If you are a government brining this in, its difficult because people won't like being made to do things. It's about getting to B, but getting from A to B is hard. Make the rights and responsibilities argument. Right to decent income, healthcare, schools etc. protection. Your responsibility is to VOTE. And it would be nice if would could force them.
Q: Question about investigation of SFO into BAE... Stopped in Saudi, but not stopped in SA... Why is that so ? Are there different standards between western against third world.
A: When it come SFO deciding whether to mount an investigation, run and prosecute. That is an independent decision, made by the agency responsible. Decision has two elements to it, 1) Is there enough evidence 2) Whether it is in the public interest
What I understand, there is a thing a procedure whereby when the decision is being made about whether its in the public interest. Ministers will be asked their views. They give the views back, they don't make the decision but the views are taken into account. That is appropriate procedure. Prime wrote back its not in the public interest. Because it will have national security implications.
In relation to SA then the same process would apply and you've got to look at the uses on a case by case basis. SFO made the decision.
Governments don't decide.
Q: Alan Johnson expressed a concern that Labour is losing women's votes ?
A: Having a women deputy is a good start (me) When I joined in 1982 there were 10 women now we're at 82 ? The Tories don't care about equality. In 1982 Tories had 13 now they have 17. We would be daft if we masked what we believed in behind an all male leadership team. All the things we've done that effect women, sure start, domestic violence is masked behind an al male leadership. Women want to be feet under that cabinet table. Women see that and feel that the labour women deputy alongside Gordon is one way to do that.
Q: One of the 13 was the prime minister. My Question is about Lords reform. I believe in a wholly appointed second chamber... what do you think. Will is cause deadlock ?
A: What is important is legitimacy. Legitimacy comes from the votes of the people. WHy should we say, you the people can't appoint a second chamber. We are beyond that age of deference. We must have an elected second chamber. The relationship makes an issue. the first chamber has primacy. The second chamber would be elected. Would is cause deadlock ? When electing it, we must carefully define the role and make it understood the role is different. you must have primacy in the first chamber. As for Thatcher. I have to say she argued that it was fine for her to be PM despite being a women and was as good as any-man. We believe we should be in power not despite, but because we are women. Women's voices must be heard alongside men's. It is about being a women who believe in equal representation.
Q: Is it in the national interest to have an immediate election after becoming leader ?
A: Its up to Gordon...
Q: Hear your view in need to change general elections ?
A: The power commission had a great deal of important and relevant information in it. If the suggestion is that if you change the voting system, with PR, that will increase turn out. There is no evidence for that. We have PR in x, y z and that hasn't' increased turn out. The downside of PR, it might produce a fairer result, its more complex. Play acting about EU resign.. list system.
Q: An awesome amount of energy has been expended in reform. Can you gimme an example where this has effected normal people.
A: Human rights act is important. FOIA. Devolution is hugely important. Stopped Lord Chancellor appointing high court judges. What about you ?
Q: Its is difficult to see a quantifiable one. Do you have an example where you'd do things differently ?
A: errrrrrrrrr.........
Q: In 2005 for the first time EVER a European election monitoring mission monitored a UK election. This May we are again set to have more external election monitoring for fraud and tampering. I posted my ballot yesterday and I could see with my own eyes how woefully inadequate the security of my "confidential" vote was. Given that your government has failed woefully in nearly every large scale IT project, the CRB, Libra, the Patient records, now ensuring scandal over the junior doctors IT system how will your government ever garner trust in an IT project again especially if you roll out nation-wide the trailed online voting system ?
A: it is important that if people think that the vote is rigged its a disincentive to vote. There is a trade off in security and turn out. To gain 100% security you'd crush the turn out. With absolute access you risk fraud. You must get the balance write. There isn't that big a problem with electoral fraud,
Q: Three of your councilors went to court about it.
A: Well local people are elected by people crossing the ballot
Q: WE HOPE
A: Small episodes of vote rigging. Its hard to rig a vote in a national. The numbers are big to rig. Fraud is important but not work ourselves up into a panic. The IT its all piloted - it might cause a delay in counts from Thursday to Friday, well just wait and that is no cause for hysteria.
Q: There has been a trend, in indiscipline, immorality. the govt does recognise this. What is the really root. What are you gonna do about it.. What are your thoughts.
A: Gang culture is wide spread. The age of participation is lower. The community must have confidence in the police. Intelligence based policing is important. Uses football violence is big example. Get hold on disaffectedness. and young people with not enough to do at holidays, evenings and weekends. A bigger youth service in inner cities. How many of you do think you have problems like this in your areas ?
Q2: There seems to be a collation of young black people involved in this what do you think
A: This is those people who feel like the bottom of the pile. They feel they're not represented in the police and don't feel confident using those services. We've got to ensure these people feel represented. Who else
Q:: Swansea
A: If you're concerned about inequality then, join the Labour party. Speak to Hannah.
[To be fair she had a decent exit on that last note]
posted by M at 7:07 PM
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