to vote Tory for £2000?

[Solopower1]

The government is going to give you lucky working parents £2000 for each child for childcare while you go out and earn a living - if you vote for them.

Will you?

'The support package – one of the coalition's central election offers to middle-class working parents – will be available, when launched, for anyone with children up to the age of 12 instead of the previous cut-off age of five.

The £2,000 maximum is to cover 20% of the costs of childcare up to an annual maximum of £10,000 a year. No extra support is available for people with more expensive provision.'

www.theguardian.com/money/2014/mar/18/pm-pitches-families-childcare-cash

[UriGeller]

Fallon, would you really want to be part of a country who doesn't look after its children, Is that really civilised?

And yes, it's future workers should surely be educated and healthy don't you think ?

[NotNewButNameChanged]

Floating voter here.

Millipede has been leader for years but STILL hasn't come out and given us Labour's policy on pretty much anything and won't do for another few months until the election really starts to loom. Which suggests that they will just chuck anything out there to win voters rather than properly establish their position on which they can be properly judged. As it is, I'm afraid no matter what other policies they may have, experience and history suggests they are completely untrustworthy economically.

The Coalition HAS done some good things to try and curb the deficit but I cannot agree with some of their policies, particularly surrounding disability support. I can't speak about education because it doesn't directly affect me, but clearly a lot of people are very angry about that. I would find it difficult therefore to back either Tory or LibDem.

I disagree with UKIP.

When the time comes, I will vote SOLELY on which candidate I feel will do the best LOCALLY. I think that is the only option.

[Dawndonnaagain]

Unfortunately Notnew whilst that policy is great in local elections, it only aids the party nationally, in national elections. I too, do not know where I am going, I used to be a Labour Councillor, but that was when there was a Labour Party with socialist mores. I may have to go Green, like you, I will not go Tory, Lib Dems have lost any respect they may once have had from me and UKIP are the respectable face of the BNP.
Decisions, decisions...

[NotNewButNameChanged]

Dawn - nationally, they are all a mess but there are some very good on-the-ground MPs who work their socks off, don't claim hideous expenses and don't necessarily always stick to the party line. Sometimes I think even in national elections, you have to think locally.

[Owllady]

They are discussing this on daily politics.
Something struck me though. Prior to the election Dave said he wanted to promote traditional families, yet it's quite clear they think being a sahm is a choice, in my case I don't feel it is an active one and I imagine a lot of parents who have children with disabilities find themselves in the same situation as me. Nevertheless, they have targeted the families they were apparently encouraging to exist and they swore blind the cuts would not affect those with children with disabilities. It hasn't been the case and I feel really quite angry about it.

[IceBeing]

There are so many people with no options left vote wise....there are no parties that come anywhere near close to expressing my views on how society should work....

Maybe the only choice is to start a new party?!?!

[TheGreatHunt]

No I will not vote Tory.

Because I care about how our society treats those who are unable to help themselves not just me.

The Tories have done fuck all to raise minimum wages until recently when they see a general election looming so they can whistle for my vote.

[chicaguapa]

Haha! Tory voters would vote Tory for an extra 2,000 in their pocket. That's what makes them a Tory voter surely? If they voted for 2,000 in someone else's pocket, they'd not be Tories.

[wimblehorse]

This will benefit me & my family.

But I still won't be voting Tory & would prefer them to be ousted. Please let them be kicked so far out they won't make it back in my lifetime...

[SelectAUserName]

I wouldn't vote Tory if you offered me £2,000,000 on David Tennant's naked torso.

[teaandthorazine]

I would not vote Tory if my life depended on it.

I've always been a Labour voter but lately am more inclined towards Green Party policy...sadly I live in a safe Tory seat so wherever I put my X is ultimately fairly irrelevant.

However I would still always vote and simply don't understand those who don't. Not voting isn't principle, it's apathy.

[TheGreatHunt]

I wouldn't vote Tory if you offered me £2,000,000 on David Tennant's naked torso

This might change my mind.

[Arohaitis]

No

This actually makes me less likely to vote for them

I am an intelligent person

[SelectAUserName]

Agreed teaandthorazine I'd rather spoil my ballot paper in protest than shrug and not bother.

Another who will be voting Green next time around.

[Inertia]

The Tory mantra in action - take from the poor to give to the bribeable.

goblinchild you are spot on.

[missfliss]

i think Katie Hopkins is on this thread - whineaholic

[KitZacJak]

Not sure if it will help as nurseries/childcare settings seem to put their prices up every 2 minutes anyway.

The afterschool club at my children's school put their price up from £8 a day per child to £10 a day last year, no doubt if this comes in they will just put it up to £12 a day!

[Solopower1]

KitZacJak, they might, but maybe that's OK if it means more nursery staff or higher wages for them? After all, there aren't many more important jobs imo.

If the government have cash to splash, I just wish they would divvy it out more fairly. I really think that we need to start from the bottom and work up, not from the middle and work up.

[pointythings]

I've just realised something - and yes, I'm slow on the uptake.

When they decided to axe child benefit for high earners, they made a whole hoo-hah about how it was too difficult to do it on household income and so it had to be done on highest earner income only...

Now with this childcare tax break they can suddenly do it on household income? Someone is telling so many pork pies they could feed every starving family in the UK for a year, methinks.

[foxinsocks]

I'm pleased for everyone who will get this and not at all bitter that I have paid vast amounts in childcare for almost 14 years with sweet fa assistance AND I will have finished paying for it by the time it comes in

I could have bought another house with the amount I paid out!

[expatinscotland]

No fucking way.

[OhYouBadBadKitten]

I really hope we get a green candidate in my area (betrayed lib dem supporter)

[WooWooOwl]

Giving some help to those in the middle is divvying it out more fairly.

At the moment, pretty much everything goes to those at the bottom money wise, it's as if only those at the very top and very bottom are worthy of any form of consideration from their government.

[pointythings]

I won't get a penny either, fox. And DH and I really struggled when the DDs were little and both in nursery.

WooWoo I do think people in the middle have it hard too - I think they deserve help. This is why I think the cut-off should sit at about £80k household income - that way you would catch the vast majority of the squeezed middle without helping people on £megabucks. I'm sorry, but if you are on £300k between you, you do not need government handouts.