Mumsnet campaigns and alliances

[JustineMumsnet]

Morning Mumsnetters,
Following on from something someone suggested a while back, we want to think about how we might use our MN muscle to campaign on things that matter to us - like miscarriage, breastfeeding support, premature sexualisation of children (toddler thongs) etc and also how we go about building links with voluntary sector organisations to increase that muscle. Policywonk and Onebat, dynamic duo that they are - have rashly agreed to collect our thoughts/help out a bit with organisation - so we'd be very grateful if you could let us have your two penneth worth on any and all of this stuff.
Many thanks.

Nah childcare vouchers are unfair and not universal

they need to be got rid of TBH

(is that right?)

WHY did I post that

I'm terribly sorry

oh dear I've ruined the thread completely

what a mess

ANYWAY

What happened with the miscarriage campaign? How far did it get and what stage is it at? How can we take it forward?

I knew you'd do this. Make a big sexual mess all over the serious thread.

It's alright MP, I'm sure PW understood you were after a cheerful Citizen Smith effect, rather than the full Lamont.

lol

my last question was sensible

hold on MP

Isn't it all filed carefully under 'M'?

Great idea! Will put my thinking cap on and see if I can think of anything to add.

Would also like to offer my services to Policywonk and Onebat - I'm currently between internships so if you need an extra pair of hands at any point just shout. (politics student, recruit for the media industry and quite happy to do anything ).

Thank you Ewe!

Thanks Ewe.(Thank Ewe?) V good to know.

Really good idea about SN organisations - would it be worth starting a thread under SN on here to catch the people with the knowledge?

Gd idea Zeph

Don't know about the census results, that's an MNHQ matter, comrade

i don't have a SN child, so don't understand lots of the issues, but I see some of the horror stories on here about how parents have to fight and fight and fight to get even tiny little things for their DCs, and then fight and fight and fight some more, and i am just full of horror at how badly wrong our system is and wish there was something i/we could do. i think it would be really good if mn could focus on that as i think we could be a particularly powerful voice - we'd be not just a group of parents with sn kids, but we'd be a group of parents of all kids (sn or nt) saying the system is wrong and that it needs to be changed.

i also like the idea of focusing on small incremental changes that we might have more chance of fixing than big picture ideas.

rofling at MP

If I can be of any assistance pol and oneb and ewe, ya know my email and wot I do...

MP - leaving aside the issue that childcare vouchers aren't available for everyone for a moment (I assume this includes you from the snarfy tone) - their removal is still a big deal for a hell of a lot of working parents and in many cases will make continuing to work untenable. That's not to say that childcare relief shouldn't be available to everyone, but why not fight to keep the limited assistance already available?

Beucase Childcare vouchers are madly unfair (Yes I do benefit but they are still stupidly unfair) - and a silly way around the fact that the childcare is taxable. It is a mad system that requires additional companies to make money from it, acting as totally unecessary administration hubs for what is basically a system that is a perk that benefits higher-rate tax payers more than lower-income tax payers. It's UNJUST.

It would be easier and fairer to allow childcare to be tax-deductable at the basic rate against a second salary or a single-parent salary. If anyone can tell me why childcare vouchers should NOT be replaced by that system, I would be v. interested.

I agree with you in principle but my issue is that the government is not proposing to replace childcare vouchers with tax-deductible childcare, they are just removing them altogether. The 'money saved' will be going into sure-start related schemes to provide up to 12 hours childcare a week for v low income single parents...even though I don't know of that many jobs that require 12 hours a week or believe for an instant that this money will be more or even as effective than it is at present. So whilst I agree that strategically the entire system is flawed and requires an overhaul my slightly cynical eminently practical approach is to fight to retain what is there until something better is in flight/motion, rather than support its withdrawal and be left with bugger all....