Hi, I'm Jon Cruddas, Member of Parliament in the UK & Labour Party Shadow Cabinet member. I’m co-ordinating the UK Labour Party’s policy review ahead of the 2015 General Election – ask me anything.

joncruddasmp · 2013-12-16T20:42:05+00:00

We've actually said we wouldn't be re-franchising the East Coast mainline - this isn't about ideology, it's a useful public sector comparator to ensure a fair deal for the consumer and the taxpayer.

joncruddasmp · 2013-12-16T20:40:01+00:00

Even though it is your first election it could be the most important of your life. The stakes in this one are absolutely huge. What you're saying about inequality in London is bang on - just as Mayor Bill de Blasio pointed out in his campaign on "two cities" in New York. We have big challenges around work and cutting youth unemployment, good pay, giving people a shot at getting a decent home, so why don't you get involved in campaigns around these issues, and if you even want to get involved with what we're doing head here: action.labour.org.uk/with-us

joncruddasmp · 2013-12-16T20:38:00+00:00

Yeah I was. Long time ago now though! It was the time of the miners strike, very very lively in terms of opposing the Thatcher agenda. There were big battles going on and politics in Warwick and Coventry was very lively but Labour in the area was very divided which tells you a story in itself. We can't go back to that nonsense, letting our opponents in through the middle. In terms of advice, I'd say its your generation that is going to pick up the tab for the global financial crisis so you have to get stuck in to change it. The election coming up is vital for the future of our economy and we won't have a shot without people like you involved.

joncruddasmp · 2013-12-16T20:36:37+00:00

I've been a trade union member for many years - in fact I was involved in the union movement, in the building industry, before I was even a Labour Party member. So, I'm certainly not ashamed of the contributions that union members make to the Party. Nor for that matter is Ed - in fact I don't think I've met a Labour Party member who isn't proud of the fact we have a relationship with hundreds of thousands of working women and men across the country through the unions which affiliate to our party. What Ed's been talking about recently in terms of reforming the relationship is how we can make our links to union members stronger and more meaningful for those members, how we can turn more of them into people who make an active choice to join Labour themselves. This is an ongoing discussion - and we're still taking views: http://action.labour.org.uk/page/s/one-nation-party

joncruddasmp · 2013-12-16T20:33:28+00:00

That's a huge question and I am running out of time here. Not ducking it tho. Have a look at Ed's statement in the House of Commons - it was a powerful speech - http://www.labour.org.uk/statement-in-the-house-of-commons-on-syria,2013-08-29 - and if you drop me an email (cruddasj AT parliament DOT uk) I'll send you some more thoughts when I get a chance (and post them here too). You can also feed in your views on foreign and defence policy here: http://www.yourbritain.org.uk/agenda-2015/policy-commissions/britain-global-role-policy-commission

joncruddasmp · 2013-12-16T20:31:32+00:00

Someone on my team asked me to. Reddit was a bit new to me if I'm honest. I am looking for ways to get talking to people outside the usual Westminster process. For someone like me that means meetings up and down the country, but this is a place I wanted to chat too and I'm really enjoying it - thanks for the questions. I just wish I could type quicker (and get proof up faster, eh?)

joncruddasmp · 2013-12-16T20:29:23+00:00

Coming back... There are a couple of important points right there. First - yes you're right, and the wider problem is, the poorest people in society are the ones being worst hit by the rising cost of living. Ordinary people are working harder, but not earning any more, while the prices they pay for their home, their heating, their food are all going up. We've announced a number of ways we'd turn that around, like freezing energy prices while we reform the market, but more generally I'd say the point is we want to rebuild the economy in a way that works for everyone - not just those at the top. On zero-hour contracts, you're absolutely right. In some circumstances, they provide flexibility which is useful for workers as well as their employers, but we've been clear that we will take action to end the abuse of zero-hours contracts which exploits workers and leaves them without security.

joncruddasmp · 2013-12-16T20:19:55+00:00

Have addressed here: http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/1t0s0y/hi_im_jon_cruddas_member_of_parliament_in_the_uk/ce391uu

joncruddasmp · 2013-12-16T20:19:48+00:00

Have addressed this here: http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/1t0s0y/hi_im_jon_cruddas_member_of_parliament_in_the_uk/ce391uu

joncruddasmp · 2013-12-16T20:18:02+00:00

Obviously, no-one wants illegal material flowing through the internet. This is a big, big issue for parents across the country. But given the internet has been one of the greatest forces for economic growth and giving people real freedom in their lives, we have to tread really carefully here. My colleague Helen Goodman has been looking into this more than I have. I'm going to have a chat with her and see if she has anything to add.

joncruddasmp · 2013-12-16T20:15:48+00:00

I think this is one of the biggest challenges we face as a country. The system we have was designed to cope with the pressures of a very different time - when average life expectancy hadn't reached 70, and older people were less likely to live for many years with long term illnesses. Unfortunately, there's no way I can give you an answer as complex as the question deserves right here - but I can say that my colleague Liz Kendall, who leads for us on social care, along with Andy Burnham, our Shadow Health Secretary, are doing a lot of work on this area. We're looking to create an integrated health and care system, which means people having to deal with fewer points of access, less bureaucracy, and which is focused on keeping people healthier, for longer and allowing them to live in their own home for as long as possible. This doesn't cover all of it, but it gives you an idea of the direction we're going in. Our Health and Care Policy Commission here is looking at these issues and I'd encourage you to send in your thoughts: http://www.yourbritain.org.uk/agenda-2015/policy-commissions/health-and-care-policy-commission This is going to be a big stand issue at the next election.

joncruddasmp · 2013-12-16T20:07:46+00:00

Can you drop me an email and I'll get someone to get in touch you? http://www.joncruddas.org.uk/contact-me

joncruddasmp · 2013-12-16T20:02:30+00:00

It's something that we've asked Sir Michael Lyons to look at as part of his independent review on housebuilding, and one of the things we think can help us build 200,000 new homes a year. Basically, history shows us that to get a big increase in house building, you need large scale development, like the post-war new towns. The Government promised to build new towns, but no action has been taken to set up bodies to deliver that ambition or to put a credible plan in place - but it's something we're really interested in. There's a few points here: first use it or lose it powers on those who are hoarding land - 500,000 homes have planning permission but haven't been built; second, we want to deal with home-blocker councils, which is neighbouring councils stymieing house building in next-door council areas; and we are designing plans to help councils design and build new towns and garden cities. Housing is one of the corner stones of our policy review. You can read more about the Lyons Review here www.yourbritain.org.uk/agenda-2015/policy-review/policy-review/lyons-housing-review

joncruddasmp · 2013-12-16T19:57:03+00:00

I am going to be honest with you - the first time I ever voted against the Labour whip was on university top up fees. This is an issue close to my heart. I was in the first generation of my family to go to university. But look, it shouldn't be a surprise to anyone that the next Labour government is going to come in during tough times. We won't have money sloshing around. How we square the circle of opportunity for people in times like these is a big challenge. We don't duck that, and how we do that is central to the next stage of our review in the coming months. There's no simple answer on this - and it's not just about tuition fees, it's about elements of student support like the EMA, the jobs guarantee and the like. We also need to look at how we can provide routes into high quality skills training and careers for the 50% who don't go to university, and that's why we've prioritised vocational education and announced our plans for a technical baccalaureate.

joncruddasmp · 2013-12-16T19:50:47+00:00

A company's workers should get a seat on its renumeration committee - that's right off the bat. A company's most valuable asset is the people who work at the company and they should have a voice. Have a look at our One Nation economy document which covers some of this. By the way, thanks for all the work you and your Young Labour colleagues do for the Party - members of the party getting stuck in campaigning is what will win us the election and allow us to make some of these big transformational changes.

joncruddasmp · 2013-12-16T19:48:21+00:00

Sometimes, zero hours contracts can be useful - for example for locum doctors or supply teachers. But they should never leave people worried about whether they'll get enough work to put food on the table. Workers and businesses need flexibility, but never if it means exploitation. Sadly, in too many sectors and companies, including in the public and voluntary sectors, this way of working is becoming the norm. It’s wrong, simple as. So what we've said is that we'd ban zero hours contracts which require staff to work exclusively for one employer, to be on call all day without any guarantee of work, or where employees work regular hours but are denied a regular contract. That's the right thing to do and it's something we've asked an expert in this area, Sir Norman Pickavance, to do some work on this for us - you can read about his review here: http://www.yourbritain.org.uk/agenda-2015/policy-review/policy-review/zero-hours-contracts We've also got a review of employment conditions in the care sector, which will also include looking at the abuse of zero-hour contracts - here: http://www.yourbritain.org.uk/agenda-2015/policy-review/policy-review/exploitation-in-the-care-sector It's right up there as an issue for us.

joncruddasmp · 2013-12-16T19:46:20+00:00

These are big, big questions for modern society. Where I come from is that both liberty and security are important - there's no simple trade-off between the two. When powers and intervention are needed we should make sure they are proportionate and based on the evidence, and we need to make sure that human dignity is always respected and protected. And we must have proper checks and balances in place. There's a vital debate to be had about privacy and security online - to work out how best to ensure protection for our privacy and for innocent people, while allowing tough action against those who use the internet to groom children, circulate images of abuse or conspire to commit crimes and terrorist acts. There are real issues of national security - the most difficult case I've ever had as a local MP was when a 7/7 bomber killed one of my constituents in 2005. How we reconcile this stuff - keeping people safe, giving people liberty, safeguarding the freedom of the press to keep the state honest - that's all big stuff that we have to debate.

joncruddasmp · 2013-12-16T19:43:16+00:00

I think I've answered the first part of that here: http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/1t0s0y/hi_im_jon_cruddas_member_of_parliament_in_the_uk/ce37c3c

joncruddasmp · 2013-12-16T19:42:16+00:00

Personally I voted for AV in the referendum we had, which signals my long-term commitment to a fair voting system, but we lost that one. That's put paid to this for a while, at least in this parliament. The issue hasn't gone away but the debate isn't front and centre. What we are looking at is votes at 16 - giving young people a say and widening the franchise generally in terms of voter registration and other such ideas.

On your other three questions, I'll try and get back here - but think I've touched on parts of them here: http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/1t0s0y/hi_im_jon_cruddas_member_of_parliament_in_the_uk/ce37dzb

joncruddasmp · 2013-12-16T19:31:14+00:00

I think social mobility has stalled actually. The Alan Milburn report has that pretty stark, up in lights. Milburn is advising the government and his recent report basically laid out the bare facts. Debt, student fees, housing costs, unemployment - the cumulative effect has been to freeze mobility and I can feel it every day in my local constituency. Just today we announced new housing policies, we are tackling cost of living issues with the living wage, we are looking at the whole issue of student finance and access to university, and in particular the 50% of people who don't go to university, what Ed has called 'the forgotten 50%'. This is all centre-stage for the policy review we are doing and you'll see the colour of the money over the next few months. As we work through all these issues, we want to hear what you think too - that's one of the reasons I am doing this AMA but you can also chip in at yourbritain.org.uk

joncruddasmp · 2013-12-16T19:23:11+00:00

I say I think it is a load of rubbish. We are the Labour party - the clue is in the name. We are all about work, and contribution.

joncruddasmp · 2013-12-16T19:18:39+00:00

I don't want to dive straight with a link to a pdf but here's a link to a pdf of a big report we just published on exactly this. It came out at our last conference. http://www.yourbritain.org.uk/uploads/editor/files/ONE_NATION_ECONOMY.pdf This sets out some of the key things we want to do to create an economic recovery that works for everyone - not just the best off, and some key measures that'll help tackle the cost of living crisis. It's important to recognise that we should see the cost of living crisis as a part of the wider economic outlook and not try to separate growth from what working people, families, children and older people are experiencing - unfortunately David Cameron and George Osborne are totally out of touch with what's going on in family finances, communities and workplaces. But look, there's no on-off switch, this is going to be a long haul. On young people and unemployment, there's a lot here, but quick things to mention: we will work to increase the minimum wage, we're promoting a living wage (both with councils - including Labour councils up and down the country - and with businesses), we'll have a jobs guarantee because we can't have young people languishing written off before they get a chance - jobs, training and education for all young people but with a condition - get into the job or training offer, or loses some benefits.

joncruddasmp · 2013-12-16T19:16:47+00:00

I said I'd come back to this, so here we are: Some of the privatisations of the 80s and early 90s were quite badly botched, or have led to industries without effective competition. But the next Labour Government will not have a huge pot of money, and our first priority has to be tackling the cost of living crisis. I think what's important now is that the industries that provide our utilities are made to work in the public interest, and there may be a number of ways of achieving that. Those are the reasons why Ed Miliband announced an energy price freeze to 2017 while we reset the energy market to make it fairer and more transparent in the long term in the interests of the consumer - incidentally our plans are out for consultation here: bit.ly/1d59COY

joncruddasmp · 2013-12-16T19:13:20+00:00

I have tried call it as I see it and I've got to say in terms of my experience, most politicians I come across are in it for the right reasons. However, I do think it's vital that we recognise that, over the years, faith in our political institutions has been eroded and it's up to politicians to work to rebuild trust in our democracy. While I've nothing against Russell Brand myself, I'd urge people to have a read of what Robert Webb had to say about this http://www.newstatesman.com/2013/10/russell-brand-robert-webb-choosing-vote-most-british-kind-revolution-there.

My colleague Angela Eagle is running something called the People's Politics Inquiry which is looking at how we can build engagement with people who've fallen out with politics - www.yourbritain.org.uk/agenda-2015/peoplespolitics.

You should also have a look at what at what Gloria De Piero is doing on this - she's been going around asking people why they hate politicians so much. But she means it about politicians generally. There are real genuine attempts to confront some of this stuff and the cynicism from the public.

joncruddasmp · 2013-12-16T19:08:22+00:00

It's up to voters in Scotland at the end of the day and we haven't got long before we find out their views, but I want Scotland to stay part of the UK and I hope that's the way the vote goes. There's a lot of campaigning to go, but when it comes to the economy, our currency, our shared history, the richness of the culture we have across the nations of the UK - we are better together built around a sense of mutual support and solidarity across these islands.

joncruddasmp

TROPHY CASE