Politician

London is a liberal city, in all senses of the word. It is a city built on the idea that the multitude of cultures that inhabit it are a benefit, not a curse, where communities from all over the globe live and work side by side, enriching each other's experiences.

Equalities issues are a key part of the Liberal Democrats and under my leadership we would push for them at every opportunity - whether in government or not.

As minister for business and minister for women and equalities, it is clear to me that promoting equality of opportunity simply makes good business sense.

We champion freedom - but Brexit will mean the next generation is less free to live, work and love across Europe.

There is, I think, far too much guilt generally in society around parenthood, about whether or not you breastfeed or whether or not you bottle feed. We know the evidence is very strong in favour of breastfeeding and the benefits of that, but it shouldn't mean we make people feel bad if they can't do that for some reason.

There is no form of Brexit that will be good for our country but a no-deal Brexit will be the most catastrophic of them all.

As Minister for Women and Equalities, I introduced shared parental leave, extended flexible working rights and won government support to bring in gender pay gap reporting. I'm not going to lie: it was a constant battle.

Since signing up to Think Act Report, the majority of members are taking more action and publishing more information on gender equality.

Politicians should be judged on their actions, rather than necessarily their views on scripture.

People in Scotland want to have Scotland in the UK and the UK in the EU, and that's what the Liberal Democrats are arguing for.

My mum used to send me cuttings from the local paper about people who'd got married as a kind of 'hint hint'. But then there was one cutting about my home seat's boundary changes, and how it might be good for the Liberal Democrats, and I knew this was an opportunity.

I am so glad that as a party the Liberal Democrats are united in our resolve to fight for staying in the EU - it means we don't need to waste time on internal infighting.

Much of the responsibility to get more women elected is down to political parties. I am proud that a third of Lib Dem MPs are women, and I know we must work harder still to spot and nurture talented women at all levels in our party.

Being an MP is quite a strange job, because you do it in two different places. Half the time I'm in Westminster and the other half I'm in my constituency and the job is different in both of them.

When I was pregnant during my time in Parliament, I was frequently asked by the media how I would manage being an MP and a mum, as if the two are somehow mutually exclusive.

Politics now is fractured. The rising tide of nationalism and populism threatens to consume our politics. Whether it is Trump or Putin abroad, or Boris Johnson and Nigel Farage at home, our political order is increasingly dominated by forces that seek to divide us.

If you look at the role models that are out there, the women that tend to be photographed tend to be actresses and models, whereas the men are often in the media because of what they do in terms of business and sport.

I want the UK to be a global leader in developing and deploying technology, but I also want us to ensure that the benefits are fairly shared across society.

We need to achieve a change in the media and in the way women are pressured to conform to a narrow image of beauty - it's a lofty ambition but it's important to make a start.

To take on the forces of nationalism and populism, we need to rally a liberal movement that offers a positive, alternative vision for the kind of country we want to be.