Will the Tory's cut free nursery places?

[ShadeofViolet]

As in the 12.5 hours my DS gets a week? Is it true they will cut this?

[MrsLadywoman]

Cameron seems to simply repeatedly prefix every discussion of cuts with the line "I will do everything I can to prevent..." which is a meaningless statement and offers no reassurance whatsoever. Nothing is safe.

[mumutd]

Well he didn't say he wouldn't, does that answer your question?

I rely on those free hours, if I didn't get them for my dd then she wouldn't be going to pre-school.

[mumutd]

www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2010/apr/25/conservatives-charge-nursery-places

[mumutd]

www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2010/apr/25/conservatives-charge-nursery-places

[alysonpeaches]

I know b*gger all about politics but I did live through the last tory government as an adult. I wouldnt expect anything to be immune from cuts by torys. They may not actually cut them, but they will end up adding an additional charge or something for them. Lets be honest, the torys arent famous for increasing public spending are they? During the last tory government, child benefit was said to be left to "wither on the vine", they didnt want to cut it but they didnt increase it either so because of inflation it was worth nothing. They may leave nursery education so badly funded that everyone will want to pay extra for private nurseries.

Even if I dont think much of Brown I will be voting labour. Think of all the schools that have been rebuilt in recent years, hospital waiting lists cut, children's centres, child tax credits, etc Would you want to lose all that? I have brought two families up, and I remember how hard it was in the 1980s with little or no nursery education and the waiting lists in may areas for pre school playgroups that we had to pay for anyway. No one had extra money to spend on childcare as the mortgage rate had sky rocketed into double figures, and most mums simply had to go back to work (myself included) or we wouldnt have lost our home.

[GeorginaWorsley]

alyson
The trouble is,the country unfortunately cannot afford any of those things now,no matter who gets in on thursday.
If the new government,of whatever persuasion,has to go cap in hand th the IMF, many things that we have all taken for granted and enjoyed over the past years will have to go.
Sad,but inevitable imho.

[mrscynical]

Agree with you GW. Alyson - free or subsidised nursery places will be the least of your worries.

The main problem is the cost of essentials for most people i.e. mortgage/rent, council tax, electricity, gas, water. Couple these high costs with the fact that wages for most people are or will be going down and the living conditions for many people are going to be basic to say the least. This will take years to rectify. Our children (and possibly theirs) have been shafted.

The 'free' nursery places, tax credits, benefits, bank bailouts, personal debt and mega salaries/pensions in the public sector and related so called private sector organisations have bankrupted the UK.

The people of Greece in the main do not have mortgages and they do not have loans/credit card debt. If they are fucked, what are we?

[expatinscotland]

'The people of Greece in the main do not have mortgages and they do not have loans/credit card debt. If they are fucked, what are we? '

Should have thought of that when taking out those big mortgages and swiping that plastic then, eh?



We could have gotten a fat mortgage, too. But it didn't make good long-term financial sense, so we rent.

Didn't get into too great debt, either.

Now we're supposed to be penalised because others did and bail them out so Da Man can keep his property portfolio?

[mrscynical]

expatinscotland - agree. I too have been careful, no debt, no holidays for the last five years, live within my means. But I am still going to have to pay one way or another for those who did not. Actually not only me but my children and your children will be paying for a long time.

Why should I? I sometimes think I should have just taken the biggest mortgage possible, remortgaged to pay for exotic holidays, new car, house improvements etc. etc. I know people who have done this and they seem oblivious to what is coming. One person I know did all of this and is planning on going bankrupt in the next three months but has just booked a caribbean cruise! She hasn't paid her mortgage for 5 months and the government(i.e. taxpayer) is paying the interest. Why? How long can this go on for?

[expatinscotland]

'She hasn't paid her mortgage for 5 months and the government(i.e. taxpayer) is paying the interest. Why?'

The logic is that if she loses her home then she'll be on council waitlist/temp accommodation.

The reality is to keep house prices artificially high so that people can hang onto paper wealth that isn't really there and those who didn't buy or couldn't buy property can continue to foot the bill.

What is she going to do when that mortgage comes to the end of term, there's no way to extend it (because say, she's in retirement age) and she hasn't paid any of the principle?

I'm sure it will be time for more bailouts then.

God forbid anyone be personally repsonsible for themselves.

[Chil1234]

All public services will be fair game and there will be a lot of cuts regardless of who wins the election. The plans published by the Tories and the Lib Dems are closer to what the experts say is required than the Labour party.... but even then, they are a long way from the hard truth of the situation

By rights, the government should have done a Spending Review already... but they held off because, if we saw what it's going to mean in practice, we'd be on the streets like the Greeks.

If you want it explained really well by someone who isn't a politician then listen to the section from Radio 4's Tim Harford on Tuesday's edition of PM. It's extremely interesting.Explanation of Debt Crisis 19m 20s into the programme

[wubblybubbly]

Andrew Marr has put to DC this morning that around 80% of the cuts he wants to make/has to make haven't been yet been announced.

DC couldn't refute this.

I'm fucking scared.

[GeorginaWorsley]

wubbly just saw that too,but I repeat we should be scared whoever wins on thursday.
The debt is there whoever is in Downing Street,and needs addressing quickly.
I wish the Labour govt had agreed to a spending review prior to polling day,ie open the books so all is revealed.
Unfortunately,and rather tellingly imo,they haven't.

[wubblybubbly]

Of course GW, but it's the philosophy of the tories that scares me most. Why are they ploughing ahead with cutting IHT in this financial climate, really, what does this say about their priorities?

[Lonicera]

Free nursery places are a non-essential 'nice to have' and have only been around for 5 minutes.

They should be one of the first things to go.

[wubblybubbly]

So what is 'essential', other than water, air and the odd slice of bread?

[Katymac]

I am concerned about how this would affect (us) childminders

When the credit crunch 'happened' there was a lull in childminding (I had very low numbers) then it boomed and we have very high numbers as more women returned to work as their partners job was no longer secure

How will the childcare situation change with the next government

[skihorse]

Don't worry! If Labour get back in they can borrow more money (which your kids can pay off!) so that they can have childcare. Happy now?

[wubblybubbly]

Katymac, DC all but admitted this morning that the reduction in tax credits will affect those with incomes of less than £50k. Although they won't say precisely at what level, it is estimated that anyone with an income of over £31k will lose out.

I don't know what impact that will have on childminding, but it might mean that, for some women, working may no longer be economically viable.

[Katymac]

That's scary - I don't think we (the country) will be better off what ever happens

It just depends on who cuts what

[wubblybubbly]

I agree totally Riven. Our reasons for buying are different to yours, but we couldn't afford to rent.

We're very lucky that we're not in negative equity but that doesn't mean that if we lost our home we'd be debt free.

The charges that are applied during repossessions are horrendous and I really do fear that the Conservatives will do nothing to help ordinary people stay in their homes.

[expatinscotland]

'Some of us self fuckers were forced to buy and mortgage to the hilt though. Not to get a 'property portfolio' but because landlords will not allow ceiling hoists and adapted thingies etc etc. Or we would still be renting. '

Riven you know you are the exception to the rule because of having a severely disabled child.

Most people do not.