"I'd like to see childcare costs for everyone heavily subsidised as in many other European countries, "
This has been talked about for years, but there is not the political will.
In the early part of this century, childcare was subsidised, and childcare heavily invested in, though nothing like as much as in some European countries.
Training was high on the agenda, too: you may also note that, in those subsidised European countries, childcare workers are generally respected and well qualified.
These were some of the first things to go under the Austerity cuts.
There are now less than half the number of childminders that there were when I first started. Many of the independent nurseries have been swallowed up by big nursery chains. Funding is inadequate, yet parents still expect quality childcare, although the word was quietly removed from Government proposals several years ago - around the same time they removed the word "play".
UK Voters apparently have quite different priorities - at least, I assume so, since they keep voting the same Party back in.
A party that refuses to invest in childcare, or education itself.
Parents really can't complain: we warned them what would happen. "Champagne Nurseries for Lemonade Funding" is a campaign group set up a while ago.
The Conservative party has also clearly set out its plans right from the 2010 election. Again, the answer is "Well, you voted for it!".