I haven't heard the whole interview, just a clip in which Emma Barnett interrupted any attempt to respond by barking another question. I've heard her on Woman's Hour, a programme I generally find interesting, before, and she hasn't normally come across like that. I think it's very disappointing, and doing listeners a disservice.
I'm a Labour Party activist and I voted for Corbyn as leader of the Labour Party twice, and would do so again. But if all that wasn't the case, and even as it is, as a parent, and a primary school parent governor, I'd like to know what the policy is, and be able to compare it with other party policies.
The Tory policy is for 30 hours to depend on how many hours are worked and on income. I went to a briefing for governors in my area which included a bit on 30 hours, current government policy but not yet introduced, I don't think. It is underfunded for most settings, and another governor was shaking her head and saying that on those rates and for other reasons, it wouldn't work. Then if circumstances change, that has to be monitored and checked and reported. What happens to parents who are on zero hours contracts or temping? It will cause them, kids and childcare providers a lot of uncertainty and stress, and require a lot of admin for childcare providers and for any government agency or private contractor running the system. There will probably be little help from local authorities as they will have no role in education, even early years, under the Toiries' vision.
30 hours or at least 3 days will make part time work more doable, but also mean someone who needs 50 hours over 5 days can just pay for, say, 20 hours over 2 days. I say this as someone for whom 15 free hours at the school nursery saved no childcare money at all, as it was just mornings and 5.5 hours in the afternoon cost the same as a full day (and this is perfectably understandable as the childminder can't just fill that space from say 9.15 to 11.45!) A local children's centre nursery offered a reduction some years ago from £35 to £30 a day for 3 and 4 year olds.