All the single mummies/daddies....Voting time!

[meltedchocolate]

Ok very simply.. who are you voting for in election? (or think you probably will vote for)

Please answer and then any reasons. This is NOT meant to be a debate so please don't turn it into one!! More of a poll Thanks. I am curious about who the single parents will go towards. That makes me sound like a journalist, haha, but I aint

[anastaisia]

whoever will beat Labour; which for my area is the Lib Dems.

I want Labour out more than I care who gets in (apart from the BNP, they would be worse by a tiny margin!) because of the whole home education and the Children Schools and Families Bill thing - if they stay in power Balls has said they will bring the thrown out legislation right back

[meltedchocolate]

Thats what I am doing too. Whoever will beat them so Lib Dems here too, or SNP who I don't really want to vote for

[SingleMum01]

Labour, definitely don't want conservatives in

[meltedchocolate]

Really SM? why Labour?

[smokinaces]

I think Labour. I work for SureStart, I rely on them with 2 under 4s, and I heavily rely on my tax credits working 16hours a week. I am worried about rocking the boat at the moment, and think Better The Devil You Know.

[SingleMum01]

Melted chocolate, I believe conservatives are okay if you've got money but labour are for the working people. As a single parent I rely on tax credits to be able to work and afford childcare. I'm quite worried if conservatives get in (which I think they probably will) how it will affect my standard of living. I manage okay at the mo (not great, just about get by) so am concerned what changes will happen and affect me and my DS if conservatives get in.

[smokinaces]

SM, snap. I couldnt cope without childcare help, tax credits and working part time. I worry so much that the conservatives will take this away. I remember how hard being a single parent was in the 80's/90's before Labour came in and worry we could go back to that.

[BellsaRinging]

Lib dem. I find the Conservative proposals re: the marriage tax break insulting and unfair. Labour have not impressed me with their manifesto today-I had hoped it might be more radical. tbh there's not that much difference between them and the Conservatives. Lib dems seem more able to "think outside the box" and seem more honest, in so far as you can actually trust any politicians...

[misterbump]

Labour.

A vote for the conservatives is a vote for yourself.

A vote for labour is a vote for society.

Liberals. Wonderful in theory.

[BertieBotts]

I really have no idea. I will probably vote Lib Dem. I really don't want sure start to be cut, though I think I live in a "deprived" enough area for funding to continue here anyway

On a purely selfish level I am not too worried about benefits etc being cut - I could cope on slightly less than I am on now because I don't have a mortgage or debts to pay. It would take a lot of careful budgeting but I'd be ok with that. I think that benefit cuts could affect other single parents though.

I quite like the Lib Dem policy of subsidised (or was it free?) childcare from 18 months, though I hope that doesn't mean that I'd suddenly be forced into work, because I want to decide when I think DS is ready for nursery, and at the moment I think he would cope but I'd need more notice to get him in somewhere good anyway, I think. Though I suppose it would take a while to bring these kinds of changes in.

[gillybean2]

Labour.

I really struggle to get by already and without wtc and childcare help for the holidays I simply could not afford to keep working.

Not all single parents get maintenance or divorce payments to top us up.

I live in a rural area and have a significant commute to work and no local childcare which means I am limited to working school hours only (4.5 hours a day after travel). And I have to work one hour a day simply to pay for my petrol, never mind the car running costs!

The hike in petrol prices is killing me already and I have had to cut out all but travel to/from work. No outings this holiday at all, not even with my tesco vouchers as can't afford to get anywhere.

I am trying to do the best for my son in difficult financial circumstances and with very little support from family. Labour offer me the best deal in my circumstances, a deal where I can just about afford to live and pay my bills.

Any cut in wtc and/or child care costs and I will be worse off continuing to work, as I suspect a lot of working single parents would be. So I would be significantly worse off under conservatives.

Simple as that.

[MitchyInge]

ummm usually conservative, would be v surprised if anyone else got in here - but am not all that enamoured of cameron these days

couldn't bring myself to vote labour, perhaps would feel differently if depended on tax credits but have never got it together to claim them (am not supported by ex husband either, not ever, either financially or any other way) - anyway, are conservatives definitely going to stop them?

just feel more in tune with the right wing approach of encouraging people to help themselves and generate wealth and create jobs for others etc as opposed to fostering dependency on the state, especially this horrible current state

lib dem is just a joke isn't it? I might as well vote for the green party but they don't share my love of land rovers

so I really don't know

what if I just don't vote at all?

[notevenamousie]

Labour.

For a lot of the reasons said above (wouldn't be brave enough to have said what misterbump did though!). Some of the Lib Dem ideas and people are great, but realistically, I would rather have Labour running the country.

[SingleMum01]

does anyone know if conservatives have said they'll cut tax credits?

[SingleMum01]

PS - it'd be interesting to see what the married/partnered people will be voting to get a true picture - melted choc do you want to start another thread?

[gillybean2]

SingleMum01 - yes they have. Very quick google search came up with this. I'm sure I can find you more when I have time later...

www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article6812269.ece

[SingleMum01]

Thanks Gillybean - I've had a look at that, it looks like they will but unsurprisingly there are no details of how or when. I believe the manifesto is out soon so hopefully that will contain more details. I'm all for cutting down on benefit fraud, incapacity fraud, but if tax credits are cut I wouldn't be able to afford my mortgage etc. I don't receive any maintenance. And wouldn't afford to work as I pay for childcare - a mad situation. I truly hope conservatives don't get in.

[SingleMum01]

Having had a look at the conservative manifesto it states tax credit will be cut for high earners although can't find any more details.

[anastaisia]

The tories have only released a draft manifesto so far (I think it might be today)

If what I've heard/read is right the tories plan to lower the maximum income you can have and still qualify for a small amount of tax credit help. I think that at the moment you still get the full child element if you earn up to £50,000 and after that it starts reducing. I think the tories plan to cap it at £50,000 instead of give lower amounts for higher wages. But I could be wrong about that so check don't take my word for it.

[MitchyInge]

I always feel more concerned about people not getting their full entitlement than those who commit benefit fraud - probably because I probably would qualify for help some years but am too rubbish with forms and things, also fear of being overpaid and having to pay it all back etc

[anastaisia]

Mitchy, think Lib Dems is a serious option in some areas of the country - it is in ours. In the last election the tory candidate only got 7% of the Lab/Lib/Cons split of votes. I'd be incredibly suprised if they beat the Lab PPC this time. The lib dem candidate was only about 7000 votes behind the Labour winner - so she may do.

[MitchyInge]

anyone thinking of voting for an independent?

[anastaisia]

If I lived in Cambridge I'd vote for this guy

[ElizabethWakefield]

I'll be voting Labour, for all of the reasons listed above. I live in fear of tax credits being stopped/reduced.

[Niceguy2]

Conservatives. Let's be frank, by any measure, Labour have been an abject failure.

As the party of the working class & champion's of the poor, they've managed to actually increase the gap between rich & poor.

They are once again ran by the unions.

They've presided over one of the greatest recessions in modern times and spent all the money during the good times and got nothing in return. NHS are still in dire straits, dentists? You try & find a NHS one. Law & Order, don't make me laugh. I rarely even see a real copper nowadays.

They've managed to put a whole chunk of society on benefits in the guise of tax credits. A family earning £50k does not need tax credits!!!! And now ofc they are relying on the fear of someone taking them away to get your vote. Doesn't matter that the Tories have no plans to replace TC's and only to withdraw them (rightly so) for high earners. Some will vote Labour just in case.....

Oh and we're one step away from national bankruptcy thanks to this government's borrow & spend policies.

But hey, I'm also realistic. I understand that a lot of people will vote Labour not because they believe in their policies. Most won't even understand what their policies mean. Most will vote because they see that the Tories are the party of the rich and they are not so therefore they should vote Labour.