On 30 June 2014 I attended a reception in parliament held by the Institute of Directors, in my capacity as a Labour parliamentary candidate.
I asked the directors present about their thoughts on:
the minimum and living wage;
apprenticeships;
welfare/benefits for low income families, people with disabilities and the elderly;
housing;
energy; and
the vital importance of education.
The attendees came from an extremely diverse range of industries and political orientations. Despite the large range of characters, some reoccurring themes came up again and again:
1. Paying a fair wage to employees must be a priority. It is only right that they are paid, at the very least, the amount they need to live on. Further, most agreed that employees felt much more valued when paid fairer wages, and they performed their jobs far better as a result. This is why Labour will raise the minimum wage more than a Tory government and bring in tax incentives for businesses that strongly promote the living wage.
2. With soaring rents and growing poverty, the country needs more housing; urgently. That's why Labour commits to building 200,000 homes per year until 2020 if it wins at the next general election.
3. Some I spoke to felt the welfare system needs reform. In some respects Labour agrees, as it's not necessarily right for example that someone who has retired on a large pension gets a winter fuel allowance. However most seemed to accept that cutting benefits for people in poverty was not an adequate solution to the country's problems. That's why Labour will reverse the Bedroom Tax (which hits disabled people the hardest) and will treat Universal Credit with caution so that people aren't caused undue hardship - most people on benefits are already in work and so cutting their welfare does nothing but harm many families and individuals who are doing their best.
4. It seemed to be acknowledged that the energy markets in the UK are far from perfect and there was discussion regarding alternative energy supplies. Whatever people's views, I stressed that Labour believes we need short term and long term solutions. We need a cap on bills to stop companies making gigantic profits when many people can't afford to pay the bills or skip meals for themselves and their children to keep their homes warm. I also talked of Labour's will to improve competition in energy markets as well as my own desire to see a bold movement towards renewable energy for a sustainable cost and environment.
5. Many asked me what my personal political ambitions were. I said that as a Labour member and parliamentary candidate, my goal would always be to see a fairer education system - we should prioritise providing the best education for everyone, because better education means:
fairer opportunity (not just opportunities for the rich);
job creation and economic power (better educated people create more ideas and new industries);
more productive business (better educated people can perform their jobs to the best of their ability);
lower welfare (educated people are more likely to be in work without needing benefits to survive);
less crime (educated people can contribute and be part of society and are less likely to be pushed into desperation and commit crimes);
better health (people in work are likely be have better mental health and lifestyles); and
happier people (people in work can feel happy that they contribute to society and can be self sustaining).
