All the single mummies/daddies....Voting time!

[meltedchocolate]

Ok very simply.. who are you voting for in election? (or think you probably will vote for)

Please answer and then any reasons. This is NOT meant to be a debate so please don't turn it into one!! More of a poll Thanks. I am curious about who the single parents will go towards. That makes me sound like a journalist, haha, but I aint

Lib Dems say they will cut tax credits by lowering the limit you can claim them up to, but raise the tax threshold - so if you earn over 30K you'll be paying less tax on your wages to start with without having to go through the money back and forth tax credit system - that makes lots of sense to me.

Yes true Anastaisa just watching a lib dem broadcast and have heard that.

I honestly don't know who I'll vote for but I will definitely not be voting Conservative. I ought to... I work full time and earn too much to receive any benefits other than child benefit that everyone gets. I probably won't lose out if they're in power but I do think that their attitude towards marriage being the be all, end all etc is insulting and typical of the old Tory party and their ridiculous 1950s hypocrisy.

I've never been married and have no plans to change that any time soon. Shudder...

That's not the only reason, of course. I just think the Tories will hurt the people who are already suffering. I can't forget Mrs Thatcher's "Care in the Community" nonsense and some of the soundbites I've heard from Cameron seem to be pushing some things this way again. It's abdication of responsibility in my opinion.

abouteve. I don't know why you think I am patronising you. I am merely pointing out that some people are completely clueless about policies of each respective party. I did not name you nor did I quote something you said.

I also remember the last Tory govt although I am flattered you think I am young enough not to!

The CSA is not an evil dept. Their remit was to collect child maintenance from absent parents. It's just they were and remain completely incompetent at their job.

Herbeatitude, I honestly don't see what the fuss is about giving a small tax break to married couples because couples in most other advanced countries can transfer tax allowances. I don't see the German's or even the strikeaholic French demonstrating against their tax break. Remember, this is not some magical new tax break. This used to be called the married couples tax allowance.

Besides which, lets turn the table around one moment. At the moment we have a system which actively encourages parents to break up. Is that right?

Sincitylover. Yes ofc living in London & SE is more expensive but I still maintain that a family income of £50k is still comfortable enough to live off. It won't be as well as say the NE but you can't be suggesting that we give people more tax credits based on where they live?

It's funny. I seem to be getting a lot of flak because I think marriage is a good idea and that high earning couples should not get benefits. What a bastard I am eh?

Niceguy-I dont think anybody is saying ur points arent valid but you implied that a lot of people who have commented dont know what they are talking about. In reality even if we do listen fully to each and every manifesto a lot of the time it comes down to trust, who do we put our trust in and believe will do what they say?! It's very hard to trust any party at the moment!

I'm not objecting to a transferable tax allowance for married couples, as long as that is not at the expense of children (of all families). And let's face it, it will be. Because the conservatives have not made any mention of what tax allowance they will give lone parents, to make up for the fact that they have only one income and therefore nothing to transfer. I still confess myself ignorant of any policy the tories have to support the families of lone parents.

The original poster said they didn't want this to be a debate, and asked for it not to be turned into one. However it seems to be going that way fast...

Niceguy up until today the only thing I heard (yes I have read about it) about surestart and conservatives is that they planned to cut their funding. So don't be yelling at people for being ignorant when this is a u-turn policy in many respects.

If you google conservative and sure start you will see a mixture of their brand new manifesto pledge AND articles on their promise to cut sure start funding. His own party were telling Cameron to change his policy on Surestart and it looks like he has come up with some spin just in time for the election...

I don't believe the consevatives have ruled out closing some already operating surestart centres (they would have to shut some to pay for the health visitors they want to have instead of sure start workers) and they certainly haven't ruled out cutting surestart's budget.

So why exactly would I trust the conservatives on this issue...?

The married couples allowance originally went to 'married couples' and to single parents called 'higher rate allowance' or something like that, then they scrapped it and ignored it for a year, didn't pay it to anyone, brought it back as the tax credits we know now. The basic rate of £10 per week replaced this 'married couples allowance' but only for people with children and earning under the 50Kish limit.

sorry Have I missed somehting are the conservatives definately cutting WFTC and CTC? if so I will definatey NOT vote for them - I usually out two crosses on my form because all parties spout a load of rubbish promise the earth and never deliver ( funny how all th eleaders of said parties are men isnt it!) I belive in my right to vote but not necessarily that my vote actually makes a difference but maybe this time around it will as it does seem to be close...

'I usually out two crosses on my form because all parties spout a load of rubbish promise the earth and never deliver'

Then that's partly your fault. Why should they deliver if they know people won't be even bothered to vote them out? What incentive is there?

Labour. Also for financial reasons. Single parent with a disabled child. Don't think life would be that great under a tory government.

Cutting tax credits is not the same as stopping them

Tories say they will cut the tax credits of families earning over £50k. But those families may well benefit in other ways through no NIC increase, or the higher limit on inheritence taxes etc.

The Lib Dems say they will cut tax credits but also make the tax credit threshold higher. So some families will no longer get tax credits but they will be paying less income tax; none at all on the first £10k they earn.

Labour say they will increase tax credit support and extend free chidcare to 2 year olds. Sounds great, except the country has no money. How can we afford to keep up this amount of spending?

We basically have a country wide debt of £950.4 billion and are overspending by £159.2 billion a year. (2009 figures NOS)

So don't think that a vote to keep public spending so high is doing the country and the people in the country any huge favours in the long term.

Sorry
The Lib Dems say they will cut tax credits but also make the tax threshold higher. So some families will no longer get tax credits but they will be paying less income tax; none at all on the first £10k they earn.

I too rely heavily on tax credits. In my part of the world voting labour is a wasted vote, so will be voting for the Lib Dems.