Live online chat with The Rt Hon Beverley Hughes MP, Minister for Children, on Thursday 24th May 1-2pm

[carriemumsnet]

Hi all

Ok this is your chance to have your say about what, in an ideal world, you'd like to happen to childcare, nurseries and pre-schools (as well as debate what's happening in the sometimes non ideal world). The Rt Hon Beverley Hughes, Minister for Children and mum of three, will be joining us for a lunchtime chat on Thursday 24th May, so bring your sarnies, get your questions ready and join us then. For those of you who have unavoidable lunchtime commitments (and letters from your mum to prove it) we'll let you post your questions in advance here. For the rest of you, we'll see you on the 24th.

jools, i won't hear a word said against her, she was brilliant. it was a virtuoso performance.

PMSL at "The Minister For Obtuse Answers" Jools - there's too much competition for that post in this Government!

Is morechoc Beverely Hughes? Perhaps the dropped Gs are a cunning ruse.

Tinymum, reference your post about not feeling guilty if something is out of your control.
If only motherly guilt were that rational.

I feel gulity as a mother about zillions of things that are out of my control.......

i can confirm that the Minister For Obfuscation And Not Breastfeeding, No Sirree, Can't Think Where You Got That From (to give her full title) is very au fait with the language of 'da street' and does drop her Gs when speaking to you plebs.

I decided not to get involved with this thread so I am definitely not standing around sniggering at it

no indeedy

When's Gordon Brown coming on?

The unelected Prime Minister (with good taste in names?)?

Im coming a bit late to this, but isnnt Hunker suggesting bf support and counselling. If MW's were properly trained, not just in getting nipple into mouth, but in actually supporting and helping new mums they would also be able to help us make decisions about when ff might actually be best and therefore alleviate some of the guilt. this would be vastly different to a HV advocating ff as a first course of action without any other support and help first. If women choose not to bf at all then that is their choice and no one should be pressured into it, but all the facts and help should be available to those that do (even if they find they are unable to)

No, NewLabia. Please no.

Whoa ladies, stable those high horses please.

In fighting distracts us from our purpose (as any Labour government minister knows).

"Bev" should have just said it wasn't her field and that she'd pass the message on.

Me thinks she is poor at thinking clearly when put on the spot, indeed she had to resign as Immigration Minister some years back when she mislead MPs about a UK visa issue due to not checking her facts before speaking on an hot issue.

Labour are so green and pro -recycling that they even recycle ministers like Beverley back into post after they have been quietly de-toxed somewhere over a period of several years.

eeew. new dangia.

Oops, sorry, thought my ealier post had been lost when I hit the wrong key !

Gordon aka 'creepy' Brown?

I once compared him to Uriah Heep and bugger me if he wasn't 'truly humbled' in his selection speech

i wish i'd asked her why all the middle schools here were shut down to make way for pokey new housing estates and one 2.5 million new children's centre.

the council's have to get in their government quota to what cost

KezzaG, thank you for actually reading my posts

Yes, I specifically said training in counselling skills for midwives and HVs because of the "every baby deserves to be breastfed so feel guilty if you don't want to or can't" and the "oh ffs why on earth are you bothering with that bf ridiculousness, just give him a bottle" attitudes that are SO prevalent these days (the latter more than the former, IME, but I do appreciate that not every HCP is gets the message across re bfing being best in an ideal way...).

Grrr, I'm able to debate this on this thread AND do things off-board re getting higher profile and better publicity for bf support and training

hunker with all this new funding for children's services surely they'll be a job for you at your new nearest children's centre? are you getting one?

No idea - as I said, I've never heard of them! Will research though

eh?

Re this bit of your post, Grrr:

Whoa ladies, stable those high horses please.

In fighting distracts us from our purpose (as any Labour government minister knows).

Hunker, the point was that it detracts from the loudness of the message coming across if we are shouting each other down over whether or not a poster is being militant on an issue.

You're right, it does.

I know I'm right, so will leave this thread be now.

Except to say "See you soon, Ivan"

btw Barefoot Dancer i was supporting your opinion on the Iraqi children, not disagreeing, sorry if it didn't come across well.