to think that the tories actually have nothing to offer families?

[lowrib]

I'm not a staunch Labour supporter by any means, and I certainly don't agree with all they've done - but if you look at what they've done for families, they've actually implemented a lot of things that make a real difference in practical terms, like

• professionalising the child minding profession
• increasing maternity leave pay from 6 months to 9
• introducing child tax credits & working tax credits
• providing more nursery school places
• putting in practical measures to make it easier for children to stay on at school post-16

And probably lots more things (anyone?)

The tories keep going on about helping families, and 'mending our broken society' but how exactly do they plan to do that?

We don't know where their promised cuts will hit, but personally I feel very uneasy. I really don't trust them to leave families alone, and think it will be absolutely disastrous to see all this unpicked. For some families these things are simply convenient, but for many children, it's what makes it possible for them to live a decent family life.

AIBU?

I'm a working single parent but I don't think the tax credit system is a good thing at all.

By topping up wages for those who earn under a certain amount the government is using tax payer money to subsidise big businesses who make a fortune for their owners and share holders, while they pay their staff a wage that isn't enough to live on. Why should we increase profits for them?

I also object to the government giving money for childcare that is withheld otherwise. What if the thing that would allow someone to work wasn't childcare fees but needing transport costs to be covered (or any of a million other possible things). The family getting the money should be the ones best placed to see where it should be spent.

I would like to see a tax credit system that was available to:
small employers who would apply as a business rather than the employees.
Self employed people for the first 3(maybe?) years of being self employed, which should be plenty of time to see if the business will work out - and with the option of applying if you run into difficulty but having to be approved rather than it being a given.
People moving into employment after being on benefits, but only for a limited period of time (a year perhaps?)

I don't think tax credits should be a long term solution.

There are lots of other reasons I wont be voting labour as well, even if it makes me poorer. The main one is that Labour have completely dismissed attempts to use the democratic system to influence policy on a number of recent Bills before parliment (most notably for me - the Children, Schools and Families Bill which includes the changes to legislation regarding home education) and used the whip system to force them through without proper debate. I'm not sure another party will be much better - but they really can't be worse.

'If you want to chose not to employ someone to look after your DCs who isn't following a curriculum (although I don't see what the problem is here) you can always choose to employ a nanny.'

So only people who can afford a nanny should be able to opt out of having childcare turned into more school?

I want my 2 year old daughter to be free to play in her own way when at CM. I don't follow a curriculum with her at home so I see bollocks all reason why she should be following one when someone else is looking after her.

When I want her to start education I'll send her to nursery school.

Luckily I don't live in England so I have the choice to send my DD to a childminder where the emphasis is on care very much like she'd receive at home, except with more children.

"By topping up wages for those who earn under a certain amount the government is using tax payer money to subsidise big businesses who make a fortune for their owners and share holders, while they pay their staff a wage that isn't enough to live on. Why should we increase profits for them?"

bingo

I hope most people would not vote with their pocket. I understand doing so but for someone like me to viote with their pocket is very selfish.

That's very sweet Twinset. Perhaps all those on benefits will vote Conservative, then, and all those with an income over say, sixty grand will vote Labour. Nice thought. Good luck with the door knocking.

I suppose i'm one of those "floating voters" they talk about. Not sure about how i feel yet about one side or the other. One things for sure, that Cameron really does my nut in.
This really made me laugh tho. About the only time he's ever made me crack a smile.

Perhaps we could all say what we would vote for.

I would vote for

radical reform of education, abolition of primary sats, radical overhaul of the national curriculum

abolition of, say at least 50pc of currently operating quangos

better support for the elderly, carers, ending of mixed sex wards in hospitals, funding for abused women refuges

state support for the Lifeboat service

stuff to support parents staying together

chastity belts for teenagers between the ages of thirteen and sixteen

@joecoolbeans {grin} but not nearly as funny as piccies of Gordo and his tight rictus grin at the mnet party he had to maintain it for a good hour must have had bad face ache when he got home.I wasn't ther btw just looked at all 200+ party photos on this site. YAWN

smileys???? imeant

i think the tax credit system is amazing - personally it has really helped me and others i know - i am self employed (have to be as disbaled child and two others too) and it has made things so much easier and has enable me to support myself and the children. When i was a sinlge parent it was a complete life saver - benefits it may be but it doesn't feel like that and i have always found the system pretty easy to negotiate - i have never filled in a form, only done things over the phone and although have had an over payment (actually the fault of the ex-h) i am paying it back at only £5 per week and they made that very simple too. I could not and would not ever ever vote Tory - not just about my pocket but no one seems to remember the mess they made last time of the nhs with all that quango business - that took years of dismantling and repair. Cameron is a wrong-un.

professionalising the childcare industry is great though isn't it? degree standards can only mean professionals being paid a much better salary for doing an important job. isn't it better that it's being recognised as important finally?

if the tories get in would hate for them to stop that

Actually yes many people don't vote with their pocket. I rather chop off my hand than vote for Tories.

i know nothing bout politics but couldnt vote tory quite simply because i think theyd overturn the hunting ban

this is an issue for me in our area

also on principle cos the muminlaw loves them and rekons married tax thingy will save the country!?!?!

sadly she believes unmarried mothers should be lined up or something.....yes shes a loon!

Many don't but most do. Even if it's not financial it's services. What's in it for me and my family.

I wouldn't vote Labour if they were the last option. Those of us who held off having a family until we were educated, had our own homes, a decent job get absolutely jack in terms of help.
Too many people have children and see that those who work should pay more for them to stay at home and have benefits. Now I don't say everyone is like that before I get a roasting but I don't see what Labour have done to help me and the one time I needed help (when I was on mat leave) and I got in contact with HMRC they mucked up my claim and then it wasn't backdated to the start of my leave..... Fair I think not.
Who I am going to vote for I couldn't say but Gordon Brown is a liar and a charlatan imho. rant over!

I am a lifelong labour supporter yet won't vote for them or the tories because of the Iraq war.

Cameron is such a creepy man. he will say and do anything to get into a vote. He is so whimsical he seems to change opinion on lots of issues depending on public opinion.

I'm not sure who else I will vote for but will be writing to the tory and labour MP to let them know exactly why they won't get my vote.

clouddragon - your desciption of cameron sounds like most politicians to me. i disagree that labour have improved the childminding profession - in dorset the council do extra vetting for council employees - what does that tell you about their view on standard childminders? Post 16 my children will have to pay several hundred a year to catch a bus to school. They will be saddled with massive debt when they leave college.

labour have done nothing for us - ok we worked hard a school, got degrees and now do professional jobs - but why should my children be penalised so much - why should they end up with loads of debt when leaving college? why should they have to get a sat job while their mates get 30 a week from the gov.

this gov has encourage single mothers. And I'm having to pay for them.

this gove has produced vast amounts of debt and done nothing to discourage people taking on loads of debt.

Its not the labour gov that helps family's. Its mugs like my family that have slogged their guts out

I too waited to have a family- worked my ass off, saved up, didn't over stretch myself financially- what did I get for it?

Loosing 48k in savings in Labours credit crunch, hardly and 'help' from the government which means returning to work will leave me just slightly better off (while loads of others get their childcare paid for) and a pay freeze.

Is it wrong to want rewarding for keeping my finances in order?

"I wouldn't vote Labour if they were the last option. Those of us who held off having a family until we were educated, had our own homes, a decent job get absolutely jack in terms of help" Um, so did I do all of those things. What help do you need exactly? And why should how things just affect you determine how you vote?

We don't have a party with a radical agenda, sadly. I would abolish all tax credits and benefits, pay every adul £200 a week whether in work or not, increase the single person allowance up to about £10k or higher, have one rate of tax for all of about 20% which once you'vep aid say £100k in tax you don't pay more to and fund it by very very tough cut backs across all the public sector, privatisation of aspects of the NHS, privatisation of state education etc. I would also abolish many of the new dreadful laws Labour has brought in which take away many of our fundamental rights and liberties which is much much more important than what tax credits people have and I would hope mumsnetters might want to die to preserve some of our basic rights in the UK. But we have no real libertarian low tax state cut backs party in the UK at all. Labour only got in years ago when they stole conservative policies and tehre is precious little between them now.

What helps women most is ensuring they aren't given lots of extra benefits as women at work but more equalisation of male and female parental rights. That on a long term basis does more for women than giving them years on £112 a week. That really keeps them down and tied to the kitchen.

We all know who really had the rights thoughts and policies about the family and that was Margaret Thatcher but sadly we have no one around of her calibre at present.

look at it another way: why would she want to return to power a system that hasn't rewarded hard work?

she's brought herself to a place where she doesn't need as much help as others

so why would she pay for having done that? "What help do you need exactly?". She shouldn't have that thrown back in her face. Bloody good on her. She's brought herself to a position where she's able to pay to keep others afloat. Why would you want to spit that back at her?

It seems like all of the 'help' the lab gvt have been giving just encourages the reliance of benefits and takes it from those who really need it.

If I was a pensioner i wouldn't vote Labour. Treated like crap.

Xenia,

I don't agree with everything in your post but I absolutely agree about the erosion of civil liberties.

Labour seem to believe that they can legislate away risk by having everyone registered and monitored, and I am shocked at how many people fall for the 'nothing to hide, nothing to fear' soundbite.