YouSaid · the spoken record

Jo Swinson

lines on the record: 41
first: 2018-04-13
most recent: 2018-04-13
sittings or episodes: 1
sources: podcast

Every line below is reproduced as it was said and linked to the record it came from. Nothing here is summarised or generated. Directory · Search · Corrections

“Well, do you know what? When I was 25 and elected as an MP, I would probably have said that we would never have been in government if I had imagined the future not in a month of Sundays, would I have thought that five years later we'd have been in government and I'd be a minister at the age of 32. So, you know, predictions are not, I've found in my only 38 years my sense of being able to make accurate predictions is not great.”
2018-04-13 · Political Thinking with Nick Robinson · The Jo Swinson One · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“Well, I think there's a combination. I mean, we've got Libdam MPs taking up issues. You've got Vera Hobouse taking up the issue of upskirting. It's not a criminal offence to take pictures up women's skirts. You've got Layla Moran leading the way on homelessness. People running campaigns in their own constituencies, not just MPs, but actually local councillors as well. And LibDems have always had that sort of community politics grassroots, which I think is so incredibly important. But of course, we've got a lot to say on the wider national and international issues of the day too.”
2018-04-13 · Political Thinking with Nick Robinson · The Jo Swinson One · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“Poultry, yes. But yeah, I mean, it was an environmental issue, and I had lots of constituents really frustrated with how much packaging was ending up in their bins. We've now got the issue of plastic and oceans, and this is still a relevant issue 10 years on.”
2018-04-13 · Political Thinking with Nick Robinson · The Jo Swinson One · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“I mean, the thing is, you do love chocolate, right? And it's a bit disappointing when you've got this massive box and then you open it up and there's a poultry little egg inside. So it's not a great consumer issue in terms of people feeling a bit ripped off.”
2018-04-13 · Political Thinking with Nick Robinson · The Jo Swinson One · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“Well, okay. I mean, just to explain while you're doing this. Well, I did so. There was a bit of a pause when I was a minister, to be honest. Yeah, I mean, so, I mean, actually what prompted it was changes in...”
2018-04-13 · Political Thinking with Nick Robinson · The Jo Swinson One · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“So you've got quite a small chocolate egg and you've got loads of excess packaging and you've got lots of plastic that's difficult for people to recycle.”
2018-04-13 · Political Thinking with Nick Robinson · The Jo Swinson One · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“Halted in Parliament. I think, yeah, I think it can be stopped. Ultimately, this is down to the British public, right? If the British public come to the view that they would like a say on the final Brexit deal, then that will feed through ultimately, you know, politicians do listen to their electorates. And if there is a vote, then people can choose to not have Brexit.”
2018-04-13 · Political Thinking with Nick Robinson · The Jo Swinson One · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“The answer. You know, I think there's lots of people sort of armchair politicians that think this is some kind of magic answer, and I think those who are involved in realities of politics recognize that there's very good reasons why this does not come to anything. But when you talk about cross-party working, that is a very different question, because of course we need to do that, particularly because of the arithmetic of the House of Commons. The government doesn't have a majority, and we can influence what happens by getting our act together and working across party on a range of different issues.”
2018-04-13 · Political Thinking with Nick Robinson · The Jo Swinson One · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“So, what I think is really interesting is there are definitely people with liberal views in lots of different parties. And, I mean, I've never been the most tribal of politicians. If I can work with somebody on issues that we agree with, and I vehemently disagree with the SNP on the issue of independence, but can I work with Stephen Gethins on Brexit? Can I applaud the work that the First Minister does on feminism? Absolutely.”
2018-04-13 · Political Thinking with Nick Robinson · The Jo Swinson One · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“Well, except that, I mean, this has been mooted, I don't know how many times in the last couple of years, and there's lots of reasons why that doesn't happen and why that's not the right way forward. I mean, you know, the Liberal Democrats.”
2018-04-13 · Political Thinking with Nick Robinson · The Jo Swinson One · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“He was speaking to the Liberal Democrat Party conference, Nick. I think we do need to reach out. And I think we need to do that, frankly, whatever happens.”
2018-04-13 · Political Thinking with Nick Robinson · The Jo Swinson One · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“I mean, there are those. There are those. Well, he didn't say that actually. He said too many people voted for those reasons, and that's probably true. But not everybody is voted.”
2018-04-13 · Political Thinking with Nick Robinson · The Jo Swinson One · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“I think we need people who either voted remain but have not been as exercised about that recently or who voted leave but were perhaps not quite so certain about that and there may be with some doubt we need them to have the space to take the view that they want to have a say on the Brexit deal when it comes forward”
2018-04-13 · Political Thinking with Nick Robinson · The Jo Swinson One · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“Yeah, well, in the same way that if you were in the SNP and you were wanting to try and build the case for independence, which I wholeheartedly, I mean, it's one of the reasons I'm back in politics in frontline politics because, you know, the thought of the UK splitting up is devastating for me. But when the SNP talk to themselves and you see those echo chambers online and everybody's, in fact, it's now the Catalonian flag that you see on the avatars, they're not convincing anybody.”
2018-04-13 · Political Thinking with Nick Robinson · The Jo Swinson One · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“Well, I mean, for me, this is quite interesting comparing the various referendums I've experienced both in Scotland and obviously the European referendum. And Scotland is still incredibly divided. And it's one of the things that really preys on my mind, the division within society generally and the sort of polarised certainties that you get on each side of the debate. And you're right, complexity might not be popular, but most things are a bit more complicated than an easy sound bite or a quick tweet that condemns somebody or says somebody's a saint. And in Scotland we've had that. And the thing is, if you want to win people over to your viewpoint, you need to talk beyond the already incredibly committed.”
2018-04-13 · Political Thinking with Nick Robinson · The Jo Swinson One · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“Well, first of all, people have all sorts of different reasons for why they choose to cast the vote. But it's one of the reasons why we've launched our”
2018-04-13 · Political Thinking with Nick Robinson · The Jo Swinson One · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“And I have to say, the experience of being a government minister has been fascinating from the point of view of recognising how complex things are. I'm an opposition MP again, as I was in my first term. But I feel like I can't do it in the same way that I did when I was 25 and bluntly probably thought things were more simple than they actually are when it was quite easy to stand up in all genuine earnestness and say, well, of course the government should just do this as if that was going to solve everything without really having any appreciation of quite how complex some of these decisions are.”
2018-04-13 · Political Thinking with Nick Robinson · The Jo Swinson One · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“But we've got so much more to do, and part of that is because it just wasn't seen as quite important enough by people in leadership in the party.”
2018-04-13 · Political Thinking with Nick Robinson · The Jo Swinson One · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“So I've changed my view on what the party needs to do, but I'm quite depressed about having had to do that, if I'm honest. I still think it's better if you can achieve that change through encouragement and voluntary action and leadership on the issue. And I think that's possible. And I think if you look at, say, in government, what we did on the Women on Boards initiative, then it shows that that can work where you have dedicated enough significant resource and leadership to change. And the difficulty was, I think, at 21 when I made that speech at party conference, opposing a woman shortlist. I was naive in believing that the people who were so vehemently against a woman shortlist were going to put the same level of energy into actually getting more women elected through other mechanisms. And I then spent 15 years of my life working incredibly hard with, let's face it, dozens of other people across the Lib Dems who also put a huge amount of effort in and with some success.”
2018-04-13 · Political Thinking with Nick Robinson · The Jo Swinson One · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“Yeah, which I've been fairly critical of, which I tried to encourage that to be different. I really enjoyed the opportunity to serve as a minister and make a difference, as did many of my fellow women, Sarah Tether and Featherston, Susan Kramer.”
2018-04-13 · Political Thinking with Nick Robinson · The Jo Swinson One · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“I think it's more just about not being then involved in the conversations. I mean, I always remember around reshuffles some of my women fellow MPs and I would sort of have these discussions trying to work out how it actually works because you sort of start out thinking that like in a job, it's done on the basis of merit of who would be good at this job and it's only over time you realize that that is where there is a real boys club. It is who's going to have that conversation at what time and made that pitch and refused to move and you know there's a lot of that going on.”
2018-04-13 · Political Thinking with Nick Robinson · The Jo Swinson One · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“It's more about an analysis of it. I mean, when I was in government, the more senior the level that I've worked at in politics, the more I've become aware of it. And it's almost like when you're at the very beginning of your career, you're not really threatening to people. So they're totally fine with you getting on and doing a good job and so on. But when you get more influence, then suddenly you are potentially more of a threat to their power. And that's when the constraints become more obvious.”
2018-04-13 · Political Thinking with Nick Robinson · The Jo Swinson One · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“Wasn't your experience? My experience, what I say is, I wouldn't have said at the time it was sexism. So it wasn't overt, but it was almost like an excess of chivalry, and therefore treating me differently because I was a woman. And I think the other thing is the longer I was involved, have been involved in politics, the more I've realized that it's not even just about who are the MPs, where the political power lies. It's a very different question to even who are the MPs, who's in the cabinet, the shadow cabinet. And those informal power structures are even more male dominated. So I think there is still a lot of sexism. What do you mean by that? Oh, there's sort of informal kitchen cabinets. Who do people with power and influence go to for their own advice and the quiet little conversations that happen? And some of those would happen in the smoking room in Parliament. But it just is likely to happen in late night chats in people's offices.”
2018-04-13 · Political Thinking with Nick Robinson · The Jo Swinson One · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“Well, I mean, it's a beautiful building to work in, and particularly when you have guests from the constituency or on occasions family members, and I was really fortunate, I was first elected. Three of my grandparents were still alive. And so actually taking them to Parliament was very special. I've still got a picture on my office of me and my granddad on the terrace having a cup of tea. So when you share that with other people, you're sort of reminded, well, this is an amazing building, an amazing place to work, even though it does feel a little bit like working in a museum. I mean, I think there was patronising sort of views of me. It didn't occur to me that it felt like outright sexism at the time necessarily, but there was a bit of kind of ageism that was probably worse because I was a woman.”
2018-04-13 · Political Thinking with Nick Robinson · The Jo Swinson One · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“Yeah, so rubbish title, that baby of the house. But on the plus side, I did, because I was the youngest MP, I did get to do a blue peter episode at the, I think the 400th anniversary of Guy Fox. Blue Peter, did you say no? No, of Guy Fox. And I got a Blue Peter badge. So, I mean, that was like coveted. The inner child in me was very excited about that”
2018-04-13 · Political Thinking with Nick Robinson · The Jo Swinson One · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“He's the answer to it. Love the space girls, you know. I mean, my friends and I would be down the dance floor at the disco, dancing to the space girls. There's a massive take that fan as well in the mid-1990s, you know, teenage girl. Oh, it's so difficult. I was a big Marcoan fan, so Babe was very good. But I think with hindsight, then never forget is much better. And then back for good. But that was kind of a little bit later. No singing. I don't really go beyond nursery rhymes with my sons.”
2018-04-13 · Political Thinking with Nick Robinson · The Jo Swinson One · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“I mean, I wasn't talking. I mean, you know, I was still a normal teenager. I worked in the McDonald's and Glasgow to save up money to go on holiday to Spain with my friends. We went out on a Friday night. I've just got this vision of...”
2018-04-13 · Political Thinking with Nick Robinson · The Jo Swinson One · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“No, it was STV. It was that sort of injustice. Voting should matter and some votes matter more than others, depending where you are in the country, and that's not fair.”
2018-04-13 · Political Thinking with Nick Robinson · The Jo Swinson One · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“All right, very geeky. Yeah. In Scotland, we've got this great subject called modern studies, which is a sort of mix of politics and sociology and economics. And one of the topics you do is different voting systems. And obviously you look at the benefits of first past the post and what the advantages of others. But I was growing up in what was a safe labour constituency, town called Mogai, just north of Glasgow, and the constituency was Clyde Bank and Mogai, and Clyde Bank very, very strongly labour area at the time. And it would always led to Labour MP.”
2018-04-13 · Political Thinking with Nick Robinson · The Jo Swinson One · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“Well, there were two things that really drew me to the Lib Demth, and I had to look at all the different manifestos when I was in the debating society because every year we did a parliamentary debate. And it was really the Lib Dem policy of a penny on income tax for education. That and also the slightly more geeky subject of proportional representation. But I did think the voting system was very unfair even then.”
2018-04-13 · Political Thinking with Nick Robinson · The Jo Swinson One · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“I didn't read Hans Art at the age of 11. And also, I didn't want to go into politics. I did want to change the world. As I say, Anita Roddick was my heroine of this. And so I wanted to go into business. And that's why I chose to study business at university. I really enjoyed doing young enterprise at school. So politics, to the extent that I did a bit of debating at school and even then joined the Lib Dems at University, it was only really a hobby. My aim was business.”
2018-04-13 · Political Thinking with Nick Robinson · The Jo Swinson One · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“What I did, well, that was at secondary school. I was on the school council and I campaigned because I thought girls should have the right to wear trousers as part of the school uniform. Interestingly, I didn't want to wear trousers. I had no interest in that at all myself. I just thought it was wrong in principle. I wasn't successful in that campaign while I was at school. But subsequently, subsequently girls got the right.”
2018-04-13 · Political Thinking with Nick Robinson · The Jo Swinson One · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“Puberty yourself is quite a thing. Well, I know. I mean, I think it was probably I thought it was pretty rubbish. I mean, I probably just had the period chat at school or something and thought, well, this is a bit. And you took on this.”
2018-04-13 · Political Thinking with Nick Robinson · The Jo Swinson One · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“Yeah, well, I was always wanting, there was always something that I thought should change, and then I was always just trying to do something about it.”
2018-04-13 · Political Thinking with Nick Robinson · The Jo Swinson One · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“Yeah, I'm pretty sure she did. And I always got a reply from my MP as well. And so, I mean, I've probably still got files in my parents' attic of correspondence like that. I think we should have them the next time you're on.”
2018-04-13 · Political Thinking with Nick Robinson · The Jo Swinson One · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“I also had a lock pen piles, you know, so I did a lot of writing letters. And so, you know, writing to my MP was an obvious extension given I wanted to change things. So I wrote to him. I remember writing to Gillian Shepherd, who I think was the education secretary at the time about the lack of proper sex and relationships education in schools. And I still vividly recall, obviously I drafted the letter in pencil first because that was, you know, what he did long before the days of computers and so on. And I remember writing it on World Wildlife Fund paper with little purple and orange triangles around the edge.”
2018-04-13 · Political Thinking with Nick Robinson · The Jo Swinson One · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“So, about when I was eight, I was signing these petitions. And then, if I think when I was 10, 11, I was then writing letters to politicians. I obviously wrote to my own MP, the Labour MP Tony Worthington. You say confidential.”
2018-04-13 · Political Thinking with Nick Robinson · The Jo Swinson One · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“Well, I think if I look back, I have always wanted to change the world. I remember when I was about eight years old going into the body shop, which in the 1980s, that was the thing you would go in and you would get a little wicker basket and you'd put your fruit shaped soaps in it and it would be a present for someone. But on the way out, you would sign a petition against animal testing on cosmetics or about fair trade. And I mean, I have to say, Anita Roddick is a real hero for me in the way in which she showed that business can be a force for good. And she was very influential when I was studying business in the 1990s.”
2018-04-13 · Political Thinking with Nick Robinson · The Jo Swinson One · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“Yes, so I mean, I come to things from the perspective of being an internationalist. You know, I think we all have responsibilities to one another in this country, but I think those responsibilities don't stop at our borders, and that's why, for example, support the 0.7% commitment on international aid. It's why I think we need international action on issues like climate change. And it's also why in wider issues of how people are protected, there is sometimes a role for the international community. Of course, any of that action, it's complicated because you have to think about is this going to make the situation better? What are the objectives? What is the exit strategy? How are you going to deal with the aftermath? These were questions, by the way, that Charles Kennedy asked repeatedly in the House of Commons in the run-up for the Iraq War and did not get proper answers. That's the type of structure within which I think you need to consider how we respond internationally.”
2018-04-13 · Political Thinking with Nick Robinson · The Jo Swinson One · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“I think in some ways, but I think this is different, and I think there's always a temptation to sort of judge a particular set of circumstances by what they were last time and the comparisons don't always work. In that case, we were being told without evidence that there were weapons of mass destruction, which of course were never found. In the case of Syria, then we've got pretty clear evidence that we can all see the graphic images on our screens of chemical weapons being used. And there's a reason, I mean, all war is horrible. Even in the horrors of a conflict situation, chemical weapons are not acceptable. And that's why it is so worrying to see that precedent, that consensus being broken and where there is a real difference with Iraq.”
2018-04-13 · Political Thinking with Nick Robinson · The Jo Swinson One · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“Think if I look back, I have always wanted to change the world. I remember when I was about eight years old going into the body shop, which in the 1980s, that was the thing you would go in and you would get a little wicker basket and you'd put your fruit shaped soaps in it and it would be a present for someone. But on the way out you would sign a petition against animal testing of cosmetics or about fair trade.”
2018-04-13 · Political Thinking with Nick Robinson · The Jo Swinson One · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source