Britain is a textbook case of how growing inequality leads to economic crisis. The years before the crash were marked by a sharp rise in remortgaging and the growth of 0% balance transfer credit cards. By 2008 the UK had the highest ratio of household debt to GDP of any major economy.

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

The implication that women work for pin money and can manage on a worse pension, presumably by relying on husbands, riles. But even more galling for women is that few government ministers seem to even appreciate the value of the work they do.

You just wish sometimes that people would treat you like a human being rather than seeing your gender first and who you are second.

I am a feminist and I have no problems being called that.

I think being a mother helps keep your feet on the ground. There's very little dignity in parenthood. It's a great leveller.

As long as the number one worry for people, keeping them up at nights, is whether they're going to have a job in the morning, then they are less likely to resist unfair changes, or unfair treatment, or cuts in real pay at work.