Virtual Hustings – Stephen Kearney’s Response

Thank you to Stephen for responding to our questions. Stephen is the Lib Dem party candidate for Worcester.

1. A Caring Economy

What will you do to support carers – professional and family-based – and how will your social care policy understand their work as a vital social investment rather than as a financial drain? What will you do to build a caring economy?

The Liberal Democrats recognise the vital role of carers. We will develop personal care budgets designed around the care needs of the individual. We will implement a cap on social care and fund needs over and above the cap of £72,000. From our manifesto:

• We will fund vital services sustainably supporting and valuing health and care workers, joining up health and social care so people are able to live at home.
• Ensure those who work in the social care sector are properly trained, with accessible career pathways, and are suitable to practice by introducing a statutory code of conduct backed up by a care workers’ suitability register.
• Raise the amount people can earn before losing Carer’s Allowance from £110 to £150 a week, and reduce the number of hours’ care per week required to qualify.
• People on zero hour contracts will be be able to request a formal contract and be protected by law. We will stamp out abuse.

2: The Impact of Brexit

What will you do to ensure that the voices of women by which we mean all women – white women and women of colour, disabled women, migrant women, LGBTQ+ women, younger and older women – are heard and their rights and needs are protected?

We will protect the rights of EU and UK Citizens and defend the rights and equalities. We will defend the rights of woman to maternity and annual leave.

We will give people the opportunity to vote on the final deal. In my view Brexit will be a disaster for the rights of women and others. The Royal Prerogative will give the Government an opportunity to change current protective legislation without consulting with Parliament. People that actually care about human rights are about to get very busy.

3: Women & Migration

What will you do to restructure the migration system, so that it responds adequately to the gendered realities of migration, separation and multiple marginalization of women and girl refugees?

In Worcester I would like to see a Worcester Parliament that draws people together with expertise to discuss, debate and propose and brief the MP and then hold that person to account on the matter. Such a Parliament would integrate debate and lobbying with planning and proposing sustainable solutions to problems. Equality would be at the heart of this work.

 

4: Equal Pay

What actions will you take as Member of Parliament to close the gender pay & pensions gap?

I would work toward legislating to right this wrong and develop a programme of equality awareness. It’s simply wrong.

5: Equal Education

What will you do to ensure gender becomes irrelevant in our education system and ceases to influence the life chances of all our children?

Children need to be facilitated to help them decide what they want to explore during their time at school. They need to supported to gently find their vocation what ever that is.

I believe in a model of experiential learning – a teacher facilitates and does not dictate or influence because of their own stereotypical education. In my opinion colleges and universities have a duty to educate people about this.

6: Equal Parenting

How will you work with us to implement universal childcare and our other proposals to enable all families however constituted – and in employment or self-employment – to have a full and productive family and working life?

We will fund a programme of extensive childcare and support with a view to encouraging woman into the work place  and implement a policy of shared paternal leave.

We will provide 15 hours free childcare 9 months to two years.

30 hours free childcare 2-4 to help to afford work.

We will extend free childcare to all 2 year olds and children of working families to encourage fathers to take time off.

7: WE require an end to violence against women and girls.

What will you do to ensure that women are safe in their homes, at work, study and in public, that they are believed when they report violence and harassment? What will you do to stamp out the culture that blames the victim and to reinstate vital women’s services that protect and support women and girls fleeing abuse?

We will introduce a victims bill of rights and a woman’s justice board to advice on policy development. We need to work on the root causes of these problems and make proposals to tackle them. In my view this  would affect education, Health, Policing and judiciary policies.

Specifically we would:

• Conduct an urgent and comprehensive review  of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of offenders Act on access to justice,particularly funding for social welfare appeals, and domestic violence and exceptional cases.

 

8: Equal Representation

What will you do as an MP to ensure that women are elected, appointed and promoted at all levels in politics, business, arts, culture, sports, education/academia?

We will punish discrimination drive diversity in public office and business. Businesses must publish data on gender and Black and Minority Ethnic recruitment.

We positively discriminate in favour of women in winnable constituencies.

 

 

 

9: Equal Health 

 What are your proposals to create a health service that recognizes gender difference and offers equality of care and research for all?

I will resist creeping privatisation of the health service so that a strong NHS can implement equalities practices as guided by government. Healthcare companies would not be able to do this in a coordinated way. I would also encourage education on this point in medical schools.

10: Equality in the Media

How will you hold the media up to scrutiny and challenge the reductive gender stereotyping which it perpetuates? How will you act to end the attempts to suppress women’s and minority voices on social media?

Suppression of woman’s and minority voices needs to be challenged under law and the freedom of speech protected. Media select committee needs to develop its roll and scrutinise the actions of media outlets that harm people and hold them to account. That could involve bringing in legislation!

 

 

• GE2017