Caroline Spelman: You Ask The Questions

Even if it was "entirely within the rules", why did you think it reasonable to use my money to pay your nanny? Abigail Burton, Sutton, Surrey

The full report of the findings is available from Parliament and all I can do is ask people to read it before they form a judgement. Twelve years ago I paid the lady who was looking after my children a salary from the Fees Office for the work she did to help me in my constituency duties during the hours when my children were at school. After nine months of investigation, it was found that the employee did the work but on an hourly rate that was more akin to a London hourly rate than a West Midlands rate. The overpayment was found by the inquiry to be unintentional and I have apologised and repaid the money.

When the expenses saga broke and we realised how crooked many of your colleagues in Parliament are, did you feel you were vindicated? Will you confess to just a little schadenfreude? Merryl Jenning, Reading, BERKSHIRE

In all honesty there was no sense of schadenfreude – others have asked me the same question but I'm just not made that way. The public are absolutely right to expect the highest standards from their MPs, and MPs from all political parties have let them down, but I think it's also important to remember there are a good many MPs who were not involved in the expenses scandal and are simply trying to do a good job for the communities they represent. One of the saddest things for them and their families is that all MPs have been tarred with the same brush.

Is it the place of women in the modern Tory party that they are to be seen and not heard? Alison Sharpe, Frome, SOMERSET

Far from it. A fifth of the Shadow Cabinet are women and I can tell you they are both seen and heard! But I accept that historically our party has not been good enough at getting women into politics. I think it is also a problem with politics in the UK, to be honest: the Liberal Democrats have always struggled to get women MPs and the only way Labour could crack it was with women-only shortlists. However, under David Cameron the Tory party has become more appealing to women and just over one third of our candidates are women, and as people see more women coming to prominence in the party hopefully it will encourage them. Chloe Smith's election in Norwich North will have sent a powerful message about women wanting to help Mr Cameron make the changes our country needs. If we do form the next government, there will be a large intake of women MPs and that will change our Parliament and our country for the better.

Don't you think your party is seen too much as a one-man band? You might think the Shadow Cabinet are well known, but outside Westminster no one's heard of most of them! Geetan Patel, Middlesex

Well, the David Cameron brand is very strong, people listen to him and like him, and as he is the man that would be Prime Minister it makes sense that a lot of the country's attention is on him. The rest of the Shadow Cabinet work so hard getting out and meeting people all over the country and explaining the changes that we want to make, but it is difficult getting the name recognition. I think what people want to see is a Prime Minister who is honest, decisive and ready to take the tough decisions our country needs, but they also want to see a team supporting him that is united and focused. The Shadow Cabinet is clear about what needs to be done and we are all pulling together to rebuild our economy and to a large extent our society. It would be nice if people knew the Shadow Cabinet by name, but it's vital they see and hear a credible team who are fit and ready to start digging us out of recession.

All the polling suggests a hung parliament is quite likely. Rather than saying you want a majority (which is obvious), can you tell us that you will do deals with Liberal Democrats? Daniel Ramm, Walsall, WEST MIDLANDS

I don't think all the polling suggests that, and there is still a lot of work to do between now and the election. I know that a lot of people who have voted Liberal Democrat in the past now feel they want to support the Conservatives because of the leadership and direction David Cameron has given to the party. I welcome that, and I think it is a clear recognition that the choice for people at the next election will be another five years of Gordon Brown getting us deeper into debt or a bold, new start with David Cameron.

Do you think your party's opposition to proportional representation and support for fewer MPs has anything to do with the fact that you'd suffer electorally from the former but gain electorally from the latter? Sally Leverhulme, Corby, Northamptonshire

I think people like choosing their own MP rather than having the MP chosen for them by political parties under a list system, and I think people like the clear geographical link between where they live and who represents them – that's why I oppose PR. As for reducing the number of MPs, at a time when everyone is tightening their belts it's only right Parliament does the same.

I'm trying to work out from your age if you became a Conservative during the Thatcher years; maybe you did. Does that mean you support widening inequality, the desecration of poor communities in Wales and the North and a return to Victorian values? Thomas Broadbent, Hereford

I went into politics because I had seen at first hand the way in which European politics was obstructing economic growth in the developing countries. One day someone said, "Caroline, you'll never change it," and I decided I at least wanted to have a go. As for widening inequality and disadvantaging the poor, it is painfully ironic that after 12 years of Labour rule, the gap between rich and poor is wider than ever. We need to restore social mobility, and that's why I'm really excited about our bold new "Get Britain Working" programme, which will help to turn around the horrifying statistic that one in five young people cannot find work.

If the public hate politicians so much and you're not very well paid, why don't you go into another career? Rebecca Fielding, Northampton

I had a career before politics but I went into politics because I passionately wanted to help people. I certainly didn't go into it for fame or money. When I was younger I wanted to be a vet, but as I got older I found I was good at foreign languages and wanted to use them in my career. If things were to change I'm probably too old to retrain as a vet now, but at some stage it would be nice to dust down my language skills.