On feminism:
“Quite frankly I talk about the fact that I’m a feminist as often as I can, and every time I do it gets huge reaction and media reacts and the Twitterverse explodes and things like that because here I am saying I’m a feminist. I will keep saying that until there is no more reaction to that when I say it because that’s where we want to get to. If you’re a progressive, you really should be a feminist because it’s about equality, it’s about respect, it’s about making the best of the world that we have.
We [Sophie and I] were having a conversation at one point and I said, “I talk to our daughter, Ella. I talk to Ella all the time about how she can do anything she wants and she’s just as good as any man, and she’s better than any man because she’s brilliant and and everything.” Sophie is like, “Good. That’s great, but how are you saying that to our sons as well?” How are you training your sons to be focused on women’s rights and women’s opportunities the way you’re focused on telling your daughter that she can be anything. That for me was a really important wake-up, and that’s great for me.
On fatherhood:
“I just sort of remember, look, I’m in politics not in spite of the fact that I have kids, but because of the fact that I have kids, and they keep me really grounded in, “Well, am I doing things that are meaningful, or am I just sort of playing the game?” I never know whether I could have the perfect solution on that or the perfect answer, but just asking the question is the time I am away from them compensated by the fact that I’m busy making a better world for them, and am I getting that balance right, and then am I remembering to turn off my Blackberry.”
On turning off his Blackberry:
“I’m not supposed to anymore because I need to be accessible in case something happens, but do I put my work aside and do I focus on them when I’m with them, so I’m not sort of half, “Oh, yeah. That’s nice,” or working or reading. I take time to work and I take time to play with them. Similar with Sophie have time where I’m working and time where I’m just the goofy husband.”
