to think we should put our suggestions for vote-winning policies to the policians HERE...?

[StuartLidl]

They love a bit of MN, don't they?

Do we have a place for suggestions?

Here's mine (bit of a hackneyed one I'm afraid): Get rid of the term time holiday fines. They are unpopular, especially, I imagine, with the kinds of people who vote. An informal vote on MN last year indicated that well over half of people thought they were a bad idea.

So, what are your suggestions?

they're only doing it on their own terms now. see the Clegg question and answer session.

Make child maintenance a legal requirement, punishable by large fines and prison terms.

I won't hold my breath.

they're only doing it on their own terms now

Bet they're all on AIBU in their lunch breaks.

reinstate EMA
let councils raise council tax without sanction OR stop the massive cuts to their budgets
Make careers advice in school the responsibility of the LEA again
Stop selling council houses
invest in young people

Start being serious about using up resources our grandchildren will need. Start quantifying how much things really cost to make and integrate that in the economy.

We're overspending our resources in much more spectacular way than we ever did to make the financial deficit before the recession.

An ecological recession never recovers

Protect the NHS and stop selling bits of it off. UK % of GDP used for healthcare - 9.4. Germany - 11.3, France, 11.7, USA 17.9!!! If we increased spending by a small amount to bring us in line with Germany and France i.e. areas which we think have good healthcare, we would have an incredible NHS. Stop slating it!!

Girl - I agree. Unfortunately, we're all going to hell in a hand cart. It's too late now. World population in 1800 = 1 billion. It was 7 billion by 2012. We've wiped out hundreds of species, we've used up precious resources. Because we keep procreating at the rate we do. Sadly, no one is going to vote for a party that would cancel child benefit and promote lack of procreation because it's everyone's human right to have a baby or nine if they so wish, regardless of the consequences of bringing children into a world that will be buggered.

Change the way maternity allowance works for self employed people to allow them to work more whilst on maternity leave without it affecting their MA payments. This would level the playing field between those who are employed and those who work for themselves, and given that the majority of those choosing self employment are women, it would be particularly beneficial to the independent workforce who are currently propping up the economy.

Stop pretending that even though we are one of the richest countries in the world we should make sure the poor are punished for being poor and the rich should be rewarded for being rich.
I don't suppose they'll do that so I'll endorse the poster who said that failure to pay child maintenance should attract heavy punishments which are enforced.
Abolish university tuition fees.

Make amendments to the "bedroom tax" so that it isn't punishing those who genuinely cannot move.

But don't scrap it.The idea isn't unfair- just the blanket, heavy-handed ness of it.

Yep I'm with Saucy. In principle it makes sense - but the idea wasn't fully thought through before implementation.

And I'd add they need to support businesses to build more housing to bring costs of housing down. By support I mean let them - relax planning laws if needed to allow local development of brownfield sites.

Housing costs must be a top top priority for the next parliament.

How about making firms give paid sabbaticals to all staff who have worked there for 5 years and not taken any maternity of paternity leave? And making it compulsory for firms to employ temps to cover maternity and paternity leave, rather than fielding all the work out to existing staff who get no additional thanks or salary for it?

But, in the real world, better payments and support for carers and the disabled.

I've worked for more than 20 years non-stop for the same firm with no maternity leave - I'd be happy with an unpaid sabbatical - no chance there either ;-)

stop targeting the disabled. being disabled is not a life style choice. so more support is needed not less.

and stop with making children go to school so young.

Thing is, we don't all agree on what will win votes.

I think term time holiday fines are perfectly fair, although I'd have the money go directly to the school, and I definitely don't want a rise in council tax.

I think we need to do more to make people pay for their children by making the CSA have powers similar to HMRC, and any maintenance collected should go to the government if the RP is claiming any benefits for the child other than what should be universal CB. I'd make that apply to both RPs and NRPs and enable RPs to work to pay for their children themselves by providing free childcare.

JSA and disability related benefits including carers should be raised, and child tax credits should be scrapped completely.

I'm with Saucy too.

Make first degrees free, but add 1p to the income tax a graduate pays. If you finish in the top 10% of your year at your university, you don't have to pay your student loan for living costs back.

Stop closing libraries/reducing opening hours etc

Ensure that there is a presumption that any new development must take place on brown field land with green field development only being permitted in very limited circumstances.

Tax relief for season tickets and at the very least introduce part-time season tickets and allow family members to share a season ticket if they both work part-time.

Merge NI and income tax and increase income tax by 2% in each band (ie stop cutting services and get people to pay a bit more)

Abolish child benefit altogether, but give tax relief on childcare costs. If you are a SAHP you should be able to give your tax allowance to the working partner.

No abolition of inheritance tax.

Don't abolish the term-time holiday fines, but reintroduce the ability for headteachers to take a view.

DrSeth
Saying we're going to hell in a handcart won't get us anywhere. Being draconian or having a one child policy won't either.

Beng realistic about the true environmental cost of things and being a leader across the world on this might.

Never mind telling us how much fat is in our
Prawns (in an outdated model of nutrition - there's another issue that needs dealing with) - let's see how much water was used and how many food miles.

Girl - sorry, but people don't CARE about how much water and food miles. Humans collectively are a selfish lot who generally are "as long as I'm all right Jack". Yes, they'll give to a good cause but that's as far as it goes for the most part.

I know DrSeth but just as we might slowly get into our subconscious that the oatcakes are better for us than the Ritz Crackers, we might start to have an awareness that the Prawns from Madagascar have a bigger impact than the Mackerel from Cornwall.

One could argue that the 'real' price should be paid by us financially. I don't see any politicians engaging with that. That would involve international agreements and hearts and minds; something the UK leads on and should with this too. Its going to be slow, too slow you may say.

What to do though?

The bedroom tax is a ridiculous piece of legislation designed to cut the benfits bill. It hasn't just 'not been thought through properly', it hasn't been thought through at all. It's totally incoherent and badly targeted. If they want to tackle under occupation in the social rented sector they could give social landlords the power to force tenants to downsize. Anyway, bring in rent control and use the money saved on HB to build council houses. Improve security of tenure across the PRS and abolish the right to buy

Abolish inheritance tax.
Cap child benefit at 2 children.
No benefit payments without proof of long term contraception.
Cut fuel duty.
Increase tax on tobacco and alcohol.
Increase the tobacco sales age by one year each year.
Increase motorway speed limits and introduce autobahn style no limits on certain sections.

richthegreat - I agree with most of that. Not totally sold on totally doing away altogether with speed limits on certain sections. I do think, though, that there is a sensible argument for increasing the limit at night when there are far fewer drivers on the roads, but I would still have a limit.

Scrap HS2
what a total waste of money. Sadly the only party round here who are against it are UKIP

Invest heavily in the railways. Last week I had to get a taxi to work as all the trains were cancelled until at least midday. And I am expected to pay above inflation every year for this 'service.'

Put inheritance tax on a sliding scale up to a maximum 80% (sorry Richthegreat, but it's un-earned and undeserved wealth) and use the revenue to take the poorest out of income tax altogether, thereby enabling the abolition of tax credits (a subsidy to employers, anyway).

This would reward talent and incentivise hard-work, while preventing the stagnation and consolidation of wealth with the same privileged minority.

Then build social housing and do away with housing benefit (a subsidy to landlords), and see house-prices drop.