Update: We’ve closed comments on this post as the Interview is now finished. See Nick’s Twitter stream for further responses to questions and this post for an account of how the event worked.
Video Feed
If you’ve got a question for Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg then now’s your chance: on Monday July 13th (1200 GMT). he’ll be joining the Reuters UK team to take your questions live. And no subject is off limits.
You’ll be able to see the live videostream here and you can ask questions ahead of the event or respond during it by using Twitter (#askclegg) the 12 Seconds video service (nickclegg) or use this post’s comment form below. (We’ll also feature the highlights on the reuters uk news twitterstream.) Nick introduces the event below and, to kick off the discussion, asks a couple of questions of his own.
On Monday we can change the way we do politics. Every week I travel around the country to meet people in their local town halls and listen to their views. Anyone can come along and ask me (just about) anything and in return I get a pretty good picture of how people across the UK feel about politics and how they are being affected by the recession.
Next week I am going to do another of my public Q&A meetings, but this time it is going to be live and online so that you can ask me your questions from home, your work or wherever you happen to be online. There will be no script and no special invitations - just get in touch and ask a question on subjects that concern you.
The one thing that keeps coming up again and again is the state of our politics and how we can clean it up. Many people say they would like to see action taken against MPs who seriously abuse the system. But currently voters have no power to sack those MPs who have been found guilty of serious wrong-doing. I want to change this and make politicians more accountable and politics more transparent. I am keen to hear your ideas.
This has never been done before so, on Monday 13th July post your questions and let’s discuss how we can clean up politics and fix the British economy.
Nick Clegg
This is a great idea, and we should see more of this sort of thing.
2 reforms to the voting system could make our politics much more responsive, and give us much more power:
1) Why not introduce a system of Delegated Voting, whereby MPs' votes in the Commons depend directly on how many people voted for them (votes cast for other parties in that constituency could be distributed to the elected MPs of that party)? In this way, every vote would count directly in the Commons, for every MP and for every party. Votes would matter in safe seats and in marginal seats; Labour votes would count in Tory constituencies, and so would Tory ones, because it would stop being just about who got the seat, and start being about the votes. Why don't you propose such a system, so that in future we can affect politics with our votes even where our MP retains their seat?
2) More ambitiously, could we have continuous voting, where we could change our vote online when we wanted (maybe with a restriction on doing it too often), so that Parliament would gradually change as opinion in the country changed, and MPs and governments would always be at the mercy of the people? Truly unpopular and massively important decisions might not then go through, as they can now.
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173 comments so far
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Nick,
I’m very concerned about the erosions of some basic human rights, such as an open trial by jury (flouted by the control orders issued against suspected terrorists or money launderers) and attempts by government to snoop on our everyday lives (by way of ID cards, databases of our communications etc.) I should like to know what LIBERAL Democrats will do in practical terms to make sure that this draconian legislation is rolled back, and the important checks and balances of Parliamentary power are reinstated.
How do we make politics sexy?
The last round of European and Local elections saw the number of people exercising their franchise and actually casting their vote either decline or remain the same. With the National turnout at less than half of the eligible population we must question what mandate that gives to our politicians to make decisions on our behalf?
Moreover the more important question is how we get people to vote let alone get people to involve themselves in some form of political activity. Whilst at grass roots level we continue to canvass people and instantly latch on to anyone who shows a glimmer of desire, to take their interest further and try to involve them as best we can.
Should we be taking our lessons from the evangelists or from the double glazing salesmen?
Its ok for some computer people but most ordinary folks can’t get to this. Better to have local ‘hustings’ where people can see and talk to local Lib Dems, i.e. real people.
Big question is about the war, why does Nick ask for more troops when it is the presence of foreign armies that are causing a huge upsurge in extremism and further hatred of ‘the west’.
Many Lib Dems are opposed to this war as they were the Iraq war, get the troops out now!
Nick,
why don’t you publicly challenge all the Tory and Labour MP’s to follow your lead and declare that they will hand back to the State any profit they make on their second home whenever they come to sell them.
I can assure you that statement went down very well with the voters I canvassed recently and helped us gain a seat from the Tories in a local Winsford Town council election here in Cheshire.
Regards.
Malcolm Gaskill
[the other one]
The widespread fraudulent expenses claims by MP gives serious cause for concern especially if no charges are brought against the wrong doers. viz a viz benefit cheats the MPs are on a different level of action (none for MPs)and retribution (none for MPs).
Further to the number of government MPs who suddenly become millionaires, do you not believe that all MPs assets should be investigated? eg MP gets £50,000 for lunch time talk to employees from a company undertaking government contracts. How is insider trading monitored in the government.
HELLO Nick, WE WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO TO ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS, ALSO WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO FOR US THE PENSIONER, WE HAVE ONLY THE STATE PENSION AND WE CANNOT MANAGE, I GET £89.50 PENSION I HAVE HAD breast cancer, I AM ALSO DIABETIC, OSTEOPOROSIS OF THE SPINE THROUGH CARING FOR OLD PEOPLE, WHY IS IMMIGRANTS GET OUR HOUSING, TAKING OVER COMPLETE HOSPITAL WARDS FOR TREATMENT AND OUR TREATMENTS CANCELED AND SETTLEMENT MONIES TO LIVE HERE WHEN US THE ENGLISH CANNOT GET A PENNY WHY IS IT THAT WE ARE CLASSED AS 2ND RATE CITIZENS IN OUR OWN COUNTRY
Ed Miliband has come out with a strong message on fighting climate change, following on from the G8 summit. How far apart are the Liberal Democrats and Labour now on this issue ?
Er….. One BNP MP carrying about 900000 votes? Is
that a good idea?
Hello Nick,
If in power as government, how would you and the party reform laws relating to planning (unsuitable buildings still being allowed to be erected in conservation areas and green belt land etc.,) and infrastructure in this country (roads, railways, bus transport etc.
This is a question (sorry I suppose it is two questions!) for your online question time on Monday 13th July.
Bev Rolfe - Shepway Lib Dems
Dear Nick, What is the point of fining public bodies - who suffers from the payment?
Sheffield Teaching Hospitals was fined £18,000 for a serious episode in which a young man died in a suicide following lack of appropriate supervision. It was a horrible situation which everyone regretted but who pays the fie?
Should patients be deprived of breakfast on three mornings a week, or should a staff member be sacked to get the money?
Similarly the supervising organisations in the NHS threaten to dock 10% from income if targets are not achieved. Again, who pays - or does the service get even worse?
Dear Nick Clegg,
War is wrong, even when we believe that we are right in what we are doing. The Afghans will continue to rule and behave in a medeival way after we have left. We bemoan the loss of 170 service boys, for most of them are young men who have received indoctrination and have not got a lifes’ perspective on what they are doing.
The only time a war can be justified is in defence of our realm or people, and perhaps going to the aid of a fellow country. We are behaving in Afghanistan in the way that the Victorians behaved, and it no longer works. Every casualty on their side strengthens their resolve.
I have always considered the Liberal Democrats as a peaceful party, pursuing goals by peaceful means, and I stopped my vote in the time of Paddy Ashdown, preferring to support the Green Party.
Why are you making calls to greater arms? You do not do it in my name.
I thought that if we stop voting for a particular MP we are in effect sacking them? I don’t know how you can honestly sack an MP without a bi-election being called every time the media decide there is a scandal…?????
The greedy bankers are a vile product of the greed that we all work and aspire to in this country. As with the expenses scandal they couldn’t do it on their own, loads of people knew it was going on and ‘normal’ 9 to 5 workers are left hopeless and paying more tax to compensate. The banks that the government have bailed out should definately cap their bonus’ but the guilty have already got away with it.
I feel that the we have at present( and since 1997), the most un-democratic government since Cromwell!
Just last week we had two unelected Lords making Government Policy Statements to the unelected second chamber, a Government that is run by a unelected Prime Minister and yet no one pointed out these blatantly un-democratic events on any news channel.
I also feel that “WE” Liberal Democrats should be making far more inroads, in terms of membership and or at least picking more disgruntled voters!
In fact I joined the Liberal Democrats from Labour in 2005, and I am now begining to fear I am wasting my Vote!
“WE” need to get our message out there more forcefully more often and by more of our excellent team in my humble opinion?
[...] be live and online. There will be no script, no special invitations - just get in touch by clicking here, and ask a question on the subjects that concern you. To give you an idea, I’ve recorded 2 [...]
Why do you support the invasion and occupation of Afghanistan but not of Iraq?
Carers feel isolated and forgotten. Worn down with countless promises from the Government which do not materialize.
What would you do to help the millions of carers in this country that care for their loved ones either when they are still living at home, or if they have gone into residential care or hospital.
Remember that the ‘work’ carers do saves the country billions every year and if they decided to all give up then the National Health Service would collapse.
What will you do to help Carers?
This is a question for your live event.
Does more that politics need cleaning up?
Are carers charities there for carers or there for themselves? One will not reply to emails about a drive to seek to abolish child carers despite multiple emails and asking on it’s boards?
All parties seem content to exploit Carers (people who provide care for a relative/spouse etc and sometimes are eligible for Carers Allowance of a little over £50.00 a week) How about a firm commitment from the Lib Dems to abolish ‘Carer-poverty’? Or would the Lib Dems come out with the same old rhetoric the other 2 main parties use- IE “we can’t afford to pay Carers for the work they do”
I’ve been a Carer for over 15 years, my social life has gone to hell, I’ve not had a break (please don’t mention direct payments or respite as it will show how little you know about our situation) for years, my health is shot, I’ve no social life, cant’ afford one if I had the time, and I’ve to carry on till my wife or I die, should I die first I will go to my grave worrying what will happen to my wife when I’m gone.
Give Carers the commitment to improving their lives- YES OR NO?
The fact the Reuters are already censoring questions on here long before they even reach Clegg rather suggests his promise that this is independent & he will answer any questions is not entirely accurate.
Currently, we have two people on the cabinet who have never been elected to Parliament, but have been given House of Lords titles in on the say so of the Prime minister, so that he can have them there. One is Peter Mandalson who has a very checked history, and the other is a woman who as a European Commissioner had verious questions asked about her and her husbands expenses claims. This seems a very undemocratic method to me. What is your view.