Gordon Brown on Mumsnet this Friday (16th October) lunchtime between 1-2 pm

[JustineMumsnet]

We're delighted to announce that the Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, will be logging on to Mumsnet for a live webchat on Friday (tomorrow) lunchtime from 1 to 2. The PM is ready to answer Mumsnetters' questions on a wide-range of policy issues from the economy to education and from childcare to climate change.

As you know we're not great ones for rule books here at MNHQ, but we'd like this to be as useful and enlightening an event as it can be, for all involved. We aren't going to pre-moderate or pre-select questions - the format will be as per usual - but given the likely popularity of this webchat, the sheer number of you all and our past experience of trying to fit everything in, we've come up with a few ground rules which we'd be very grateful if you'd follow.

Guidelines for MN webchat with PM

1. To allow as many folks as possible to be involved, please restrict your questions to one per member plus a follow up question if appropriate, i.e. once you've had a response. (NB don't even think about name changing to ask another, we'll be watching!).

1. Please keep your question reasonably brief (we'll not doing a word count but it will increase your chance of getting an answer, we suspect, if you don't bang on for paragraphs)

1. It's highly unlikely he'll be able to answer everyone's question but we'll make every effort to bring common themes to his attention. Please don't be too disappointed if your specific question doesn't get answered and do try not to keep posting "What about me?". He can't answer them all and he is the PM after all - so has a quite few time constraints.

1. Obviously you're free to voice your opinion but do be civil/polite - the PM is our guest on Mumsnet so, whatever your politics, please afford him the same cordiality you would if he stopped by your own house.

Many thanks - feel free to put your question up in advance if you can't make the live chat on Friday lunchtime.

Oooh, I echo cleanedandclothed's post about definining income brackets.

not exactly a question but a request

can you please pull yourselves together and focus, don't worry about upsetting some people and be brave

Mr Brown,
Depending on answer regardng favourite biscuit - do you dunk?

Thank you.

If I'm honest I have no time, whatsoever, for MPs. They are all on major money, claim for everything whether that be allowable or not and have absolutely no idea what it is like to live in the 'real' life - to be faced with debts, juggling kids and work-life and wondering where the next £ is coming from. This country is a mess and it is no wonder more and more are leaving it to live elsewhere. We need to shut the gates to anymore immigrants unless they can prove they can work and contribute something to this country rather than simply 'take', get more people out to work, cut back on benefits, sort out the NHS waiting lists, help those who work who are skint and help stop increasing all those charges that 'some' of us have to pay for...council tax, prescriptions, fuel, utility bills etc etc....

Mr Brown...have you ever been in a position where you haven't been able to pay for something because you have nothing left in the pot? Somehow I think not.

Hello Gordon

My question is can you please answer RnB question .

By RnB on Thu 15-Oct-09 14:59:40
Dear Gordon,

As the mother of an 8 yr old autistic boy, I would like to alert you to the plight of many families. We endure a seemingly never-ending battle to get suitable help and eduction for our children. This includes things like diagnosis, appropriate early intervention, obtaining DLA and, of course, schooling. Autism, is an 'invisible' condition which has a huge impact of the lives of families, and such battles are cruel and unfair.

What do you plan to do to improve this situation for autistic children and their families?

Lol at TanteRose. I think I read someone where that one of the Brown boys wasn't a great sleeper. Welcome to our world PM.

Good afternoon Prime Minister. My question is:

In July, when Goldman Sachs repaid the bail out loan they were given last year, was there a huge interest payment on top of it to thank the taxpayers for their generosity? And given that GS has just announced huge profits and potentially huge bonuses for their staff, how does the government propose to remove banks' incentives to make risky investments since it seems that when they fail, they will be rescued and when they make all the money, they get to keep it?

To VulpusinaWilfsuit,

There are ten thousand more students at uni this year. Today there are more than a million students studying in our universities, an all time record. But we want to do more to help people get to college and uni. More people are receiving grants now than ever before, but we want to break down any other barriers that exist and we are happy to listen to your proposals.

Dear Mr Brown

As well as hoping fervently that you answer my question with regard to the home education legislation consultation, I also would like to ask a follow-up question about the age at which children start education. I have read a lot about children and education, as a home educator, and really find it very difficult to believe that there is evidence to suggest that starting children in education at age 2 can be a good thing at all! Where is the evidence for this?

Hi Gordon

Firstly, I think the labour Government has achieved a great deal for Children and Families in the last 5 years.
Given that we will have a total of 3,500 Sure Start Children's Centres by April 2010, and considering the fact that public spending is going to be cut from 2011 exactly how safe will all these fantastic new centres be? I am aware that Children's Centres are being written into legislation soon- to what extent will the new legislation protect us? How prescriptive is the guidance on the number of Children's Centres likely to be?

Is it not the case that we will see some of these centres closing in 2011?

With thanks

A group of Children's Centre Managers

Prime Minister,

On Wednesday, in answer to a particularly waggish question from a Conservative backbencher on whether you would 'soldier on till the bitter end'(there's always one), you said that you had a 'plan for Government'.

I am just interested in how the current public antipathy towards politicians and Westminster in general, fed mainly by the expenses scandals but also by Labour's long time in power, fits into this plan, and what you intend to do to fix it?

It's all very well talking about the Legg report, and the Kelly report, but until MPs actually start to live in the real world for a moment and realise that moaning about retrospective caps etc. makes them look like idiots, nothing is going to change. I would hate to see MPs going the same way as the bankers in terms of public opinion...

MmW

SOCIAL MOBILITY

Hello Gordon - v good to have you here.

Social mobility in Britain is much lower than in other advanced countries, and is declining.

If this government's policies are not to blame, then what is?

I second the biccie question!

wrt WFTC, I can, hand on heart say it has made an enormous difference in my life as a single parent, and enabled me to go back to work even though I had to take a much lower paid job after redundancy.

I would like to know whether there would be some advantage if parties would acknowledge that boom and bust is part of a much larger economic cycle which is a function of the capitalist system, stop taking credit for when times are good, and being prudent with an eye to a future bust to minimise the effects?

At the moment, most folk think its the fault of individuals, rather than individuals and individuals working within particular organisations, when in fact it is a much bigger force at work.

Dear Mr Brown, could you persuade Sarah to come and talk to us as well at some point ?

No, BecauseImworthit, you are not the only person to have perceived that. At the moment I feel like I have that thought almost every day. Particularly about swine flu and the recession.

I'd also be interested in the Prime Minister's views on this.

I've already posted my question, but just coming on to say hello, I really admire you.

[fellow Edinburgh graduate].

Dear Gordon

What is your position on electoral reform, specifically proportional representation? I live in a staunchly conservative constituency and I feel like my labour vote is somehow wasted (I can't bring myself to vote for the Lib Dems or the Greens!).

How can we make sure that every vote cast in the UK counts?

Holly

p.s. keep up the good work

"Our reports suggest that it's better to start earlier than six."

Other European countries have better reading and writing rates than we do, but start schooling later than we do. Why don't we follow in their steps? I think a lot of studies have shown that it's better for children, in the the long run, to start schooling later and not force them into it even earlier. Why are we asking children to start school so early? Is it about getting people working again? Even if that is to the detriment of future societies?

Why won't you intervene in the postal strike which is crippling people like me who run small online retail businesses?

Oh and another one here who wants to know what biscuit you favour!

It's almost like 'all the evidence says A but our one report says B so we're going with that'! Same as with the home education review, Jodie