Ed Balls

Q: What's you biggest personal achievement to date?

A: Bringing up 3 great kids

Q: How would your closest friends describe you in 3 words?

A: Loyal, determined, late

Q: In 15 words or less why would you make the best leader for the Labour party?

A: I’m radical and credible – with an alternative to the coalition’s unfair and economically dangerous cuts

Q: What would you like the history books to say about you?

A: That I stood up for what was right – like not joining the European single currency and a national insurance rise to pay for a better NHS – even if it was unpopular with some of my own party at the time and meant being castigated by the right-wing press. And that, having spoken about my own stammer, I did my best to get proper support for all children who stammer wherever they live

Q: What needs to happen to get more women into prominent positions in politics?

A: As the only progressive party in Parliament, Labour must lead by example. I support the aim of half of Labour’s shadow cabinet being women. I went further than all the other Labour leadership contenders in voting for the most radical option on the table this month – women to have at least 40% of shadow cabinet positions straight away. But we need to go further with a goal that half our parliamentary party are women too. That means keeping all-women shortlists which have made an important difference, but it also needs a change in culture in our party and in Parliament too

Q: Chartered Management Institute data shows that there is a still a huge gender pay gap and equal pay isn’t likely until 2067. How would you tackle this as leader of the opposition?

A: Though Labour narrowed the pay gap it is still far too big and we must do more. That means defending Labour’s Equality Act from Tory back-sliding and extending the requirement to promote equality to the private sector, starting with those on government contracts and publishing every large company’s pay gap. We also need more union-negotiated collective settlements, pay audits and group legal actions. The National Minimum Wage did a lot to improve women’s pay and it should rise above £7 an hour. I also support the Living Wage and was the only Cabinet minister to implement the Living Wage for all my staff and contracted staff

Q: The National Childbirth Trust has found one in three women feels their promotion prospects have been affected by maternity leave. What will you do as leader of the opposition to address this issue?

A: Too many mums are forced to take a pay cut or go into lower skilled jobs after they return from maternity leave, often because they need to work part-time. So we need many more good part-time jobs and flexible working opportunities, plus good, flexible childcare. There are attitudinal issues to tackle too among some employers. More broadly, the more men share bringing up the children as well as earning the family income, the better women's career prospects will be - and the faster we'll close the gender pay gap too

Q: How do you deal with work stress?

A: I play choral music on my iPod in the office

Q: What or who is your biggest inspiration?

A: Margaret Thatcher - I grew up and studied economics at school in the shadow of 1980s monetarism and mass unemployment. I always wanted to show there could be a better way

Q: Finally, if you had to vote for one of the other leadership candidates?

A: They’re all great candidates - but I've decided my supporters should make their own minds up about who they put as their second preference without a steer from me

More about Ed Balls at edballs.co.uk

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