When I look at my daughter, who's 24, she is much more confident than I ever was and her expectations are higher. But I worry that there is a backlash brewing against progress on equality.

Each day more coalition MPs in seats outside the South East come out against George Osborne's regional pay cut plans, and Vince Cable now claims they are dead.

I cherish the creation of public space and services, especially health, housing and the comprehensive education system which dared to give so many of us ideas 'above our station.'

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

I suspect there are people in all walks of life who need to be dragged into the 21st century in terms of attitudes towards women.

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

I'd be happy to have regular face-to-face meetings at Downing Street with David Cameron to argue the case for alternative economic policies.

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

I came from a family where joining a union was the expected thing to do. I've always believed that the relationship between an employer and an individual worker is fundamentally unequal.

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

We too often hear about red tape but what they mean is the vital rights of workers.

Always regret the things you did do, never the things you didn't.

I was writing and developing software for alumnae to be able to connect and communicate.

Attention is a precious commodity.

Time is running out for the climate

My mom is this liberal, feminist, Mormon powerhouse. I just love her to death.

What good is religion if it collapses under calamity?

It is freezing fit to split a stone.

Art is the body's pronunciation of the soul.

I never base characters on real people - you can get into so much trouble that way!

Up here my eyes are green leaves, unseeing.