"Secret" government plans to "win back women"...

[HelenMumsnet]

Hello.

Apparently, the Coalition has "secret plans to win back women" by, among other things, cutting school summer holidays, overhauling child benefit and banning advertising to under-16s.

What do you think?

Would plans like this win you back - if, indeed, you ever went away?

Sorry, my fault: I did mean Tory MPs.
How many non-Tory MPs use state schools?

If summer holidays are cut, I'm going to be so pissed off. Don't they remember how wonderful school holidays used to be? All that time stretching out in front of you - the possibilities used to seem endless. I still love the summer holidays, I love planning what we're all going to do (not that we ever do it all, but the dreaming is fun), and I love watching the kids make their own entertainment.

But it would be great if they banned advertising to kids. I'm trying to teach my kids that adverts are basically big fat lies, but it would be one less thing to worry about if they just banned them. Surely they're just immoral?

I also feel like shouting

Women does NOT equal mothers with young children.

What about all the other women? Anything in there for them?

No?

I got to talk about this on LBC this morning (because of my old job I'm in their contacts book). Was great fun, managed to use a lot of the points on this thread inc. the ending of legal aid for victims of violence.

btw, what might win me over, possibly, would be some women in the cabinet. It's disgraceful that we have, what, two women out of 23 cabinet ministers - plus one 'also-ran' who attends meetings but isn't a member. Is the best person for the job really a man, 21 times out of 23?

It's no wonder they don't have a clue about policies that attack women when there aren't any women round the table.

Link edam????

I haven't listened to LBC since Clive Bull left. Nick 'slapable face' Ferrari lives down the road from me. I'm always tempted to ring in and point out he doesn't actually live in Blackheath as he claims, but the much lower class Lewisham.

Did anyone see the tory on Newsnight last night going on about what a dreadful thing feminism was? I think she was there to launch the charm offensive... No, seriously, I think that was it! It's on i player about half way through.
It's like they think we're toddlers with no concept of object permanence - we're only upset because of what is "seen to have" happened, apparently. And if they wave something new and shiny at us we'll forget all about it and wander off to bake something. DC's unguarded sexist comments in the House of Commons (Calm down dear... god that annoyed me...) make me think 'ah, that's what he really thinks of women, then.' Bit different to when he was on the MN live chat many moons ago before the election... The whole idea of 'women friendly' policies being all about kids annoys me. As if DH doesn't give a hoot what happens to his kids, but that's all my fluffy little head is full of. Bah.

As if summer school holidays were not short enough..
Children AND parents want to spend more time. It's as if they are telling working mothers that school is for dumping your children! Why do they cut off their benefits, tax credits, give them longer holidays etc??

I second MilaMae's 1st post (in case she did a 2nd which I haven't seen). You are so right!!

Also, I'd rather have the option to exclude the 1 hours lunch break, start a bit earlier in the morning so they can come home between 13:30 and 14:00 and have lunch at home with the family.

JLK absolutely: i'm not a party politiocs person at all.

This thread is about tory policies though, no? I would be quite as scathing about all the others somewhat sadly. Obviously I vote (always refuse to say who for and review the recipient each time) but unfortuantely on a least worse basis.

Which MP was it Becstarsky? There's a male one called Dominic Raab who writes extraordinarily ill-informed antifeminist rants containing gems such as him thinking 'Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus' is an example of a feminist book . I didn't know they had female antifeminists too (apart from Nadine Dorries.)

She was a tory candidate at last election who didn't get a seat, and now does one of those 'think tank' type things. Can't remember her name though...

thanks. Glad she hasn't got a seat....!

Fawcett Society has declared Saturday 19th November Day of Action on 'Cutting out Women' by the Coalition. www.fawcettsociety.org