I want a society that provides decent jobs for those who can work and decent security for those can't.

Voting to go on strike is not a decision working people take lightly and is always accompanied by a strong sense of injustice at work. The impact of losing a day's pay is significant, not least for those in the lowest paid jobs who are already on the tightest budgets.

The UK has a poor investment record. According to IMF data, we have come seventh out of the top seven industrialised countries since 1999.

Ordinary people who have lots of good ideas want more than a suggestion box, and they need a union to represent that thinking.

Although there's a lot of focus on the Lib Dems, we need to keep our eyes on the far right of the Tories, who I suspect will become increasingly impatient in their appetite for tax cuts, deregulation and shrinking the state even further.

I like independent films... European films. I do go and see popular films as well because my kids force me.

I do know what it's like to worry about bills, I do know what it's like to worry about even finding a child-minder, never mind paying them.