Yvette Cooper, live webchat, Tuesday 10 July, 1-2pm

Hello. Sorry to be a little late. Really good to be here at Gransnet and thank you Geraldine and everyone for the crisps and tea waiting for me. I'll try to answer as many questions as fast as possible, but forgive the pace of my typing. Yvette

Grandnessa

How I agree with those previous gransnetters.
It can be difficult to be " in the middle"
Elderly parents to care for my parents
Both had dementia. We kept them at home
As long as possible with very little help. We
Also had to help with grandchildren when the
Sibling became very ill all when we are getting
Old ourselves. All this with very little help from
The state. It strikes me this can only get worse
As the population lives longer and parents
Both have to work to pay ridiculous mortgages. It's all a
Matter of priorities and this government seems
To have completely the wrong priorities.

I agree. People talk about a squeezed middle, but there's also a stretched middle - a middle generation of women in their fifties and sixties who are now looking after the younger generation and their elderly relatives at the same time. Which makes it even more troubling that women in their fifties have also seen a 40% increase in unemployment -- the steepest of any group -- in the last two years, and face the biggest hit to their pensions too.

Gally

How do you manage to give your children enough time? I chose to stay at home and raise my own children - I don't think they or I suffered; the only suffering I am doing now is living on half of my late husband's Private Pension which, considering what he did, is a pittance - how I wish he had worked in the Public sector!! Perhaps you could also tell me the whereabouts of my MP Mr Gordon Brown - he seems to have disappeared since he lost office?
We are told we Baby Boomers have it all - I don't think so, although I don't think I would like to be starting all over again right now. I have absolutely no faith in any Politician of any persuasion - how sad is that?

I wouldn't cope without my Mum. Ed and I take turns to do the school run each morning and we've always taken our children to and fro with us between Yorkshire and London each week, and we work hard to protect family time at weekends and in the evenings. But my Mum is the fourth emergency service in our family - if we suddenly have to work late she's brilliant at coming round and putting the kids to bed.

GadaboutGran

Like Mamie, I too would like to hear your views on the demonisation of 'baby-boomers' (as if they are an homogenous group) and the repeated suggestion that there is an inter-generational war & those of us born in the post-war period are to blame for current problems we were somehow meant to predict (and presumably should have refused our free University education etc).

Gally and others raised this one too.

I strongly disagree with David Willetts, the Conservative Minister who has argued that the baby boom generation have had it too easy at the expense of everyone else. My impression is that particularly women in their fifties and sixties are doing more than anyone else to hold families and communities together - and are at the same time paying a heavier price than many other people from the double dip recession and coalition government policies. When child care tax credit is cut, it is often grandparents who take the strain, and when social care support is cut its the same generation that has to do more to look after their elderly relatives too.

dopehed

What is the answer to the stretched middle? Is it more state intervention? or are there other ways of supporting women at this time in our lives?

I think we have to start by giving older women in particular a stronger voice in politics. My view is that the coalition government really isn't listening and just doesn't get the damage they are doing with things like changes to the pension age for women in their fifties which mean they will lose thousands of pounds with very little time to plan. We have campaigned against that. But there are challenges to all politicians. For too long politicians and journalists have talked about young people, families with children and pensioners. That misses out a vital generation who are often still working or in active retirement, supporting their families too and I think the pressures on women in their fifties and sixties are often completely overlooked. That's why Labour is keen to set up an Older Women's Commission to give the stretched middle more of a voice - and yes, to look at issues like jobs, ageism, pensions, social care etc

DavidH22

There is much cynicism surrounding politicians of all parties after the expenses scandal, links with big business, a feeling that policies favour a chosen few and that politicians have generally lost touch with, for want of a better phrase, the common man. How do you think Labour should try to get back to being a party of and for the people and clean up the image of politicians?
Second question if allowed: Are you and Ed able to leave politics outside once you shut your front door?

Second question first, David: we certainly talk about lots other than politics, we'd go mad if we didn't. And anyway three growing children make sure of it. Ed has just taken up piano lessons! Meanwhile I am trying and failing to grow vegetables. Even worse than last year, mice and pigeons are getting at the peas and lack of sun means I think the tomatoes will stay green for ever.

First question: Labour lost the election heavily - so we all know we have a lot of work to do, listening to people and making sure we are championing the things people really care about. There are still big differences in politics - I really don't think all politicians and all political parties are the same. For example I think the Coalition government is deeply wrong to give £40,000 as a tax cut for the richest people in the country, at the same time as taking away £3,000 from a working family on the minimum wage. We've been campaigning on this in the Labour party, but we know we still have a lot more to do.