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.

Gordon Brown is really here on Mumsnet

Welcome! Weclcome!

To Justinemumsnet,

I know so many people who have suffered miscarriages and it's terrible, so hard for them and their partners. More help needs to be available, so I'm looking at the code of practice and will come back to you.

Good afternoon, Mr Brown.

I want to ask you about the rationale behind stopping the TA from training (and therefore being paid) and how you are going to help these soldiers.

Given that the TA only use a tiny percentage of the Army's budget but make up huge numbers of this country's soldier power, why is it that the TA has to stop training. Surely there are other areas that would be far more prudent to make cuts rather than stopping essential training for soldiers who will still be expected to turn up at Chilwell six weeks after the envelope lands on their doormat to report for a tour of duty in Afghanistan? I fully understand TA soldiers will still complete 'beat up' training before deploying with a regular unit but the calibre of soldier will surely decline when regular training is not completed thus endangering their life and that of their comrades.

Furthermore, due to the announcement of the money saving measures being via the press before it was communicated down the chain of command, there are thousands of soldiers and their families who still do not know what is going to happen to a vital income. There is yet to be clarification about who will qualify for bounty this year. The official briefing note states that soldiers will be able to qualify for their bounty but how is that to happen? Are they expected to do this as C1 training? Are you expecting my husband (his battery's only PTI) to help other soldiers qualify for their bounty without being paid himself? I also fail to see how he will be able to qualify for his bounty when his annual camp has just been cancelled.

I would like to think that our tax credits would increase due to our reduced income but this won't be worked out until April so until then we are hugely financially compromised. Not the sort of thanks that I expected from the Army after 'borrowing' him for a 7 month tour of duty in Iraq

do you or sarah usually mumsnet,you know come on here for parenting advice/chat? under different names of course!

excellent hilariously cheesetastic response to Morningpaper

Assuming your Right Honourable tongue was firmly in your cheek?

I am SO up for a Mumsnet focus group.

That has to be the cringiest thing I have ever read. With respect.

We save, we only buy what we can afford or we do without, we bring up our children to be polite and respectful of others (adult/child) but why? All our children see is no incentive/reward for living this way in the big wide world of school or on the streets.

Why can't your government be the one to really turn things around for real instead of token gestures or changes which show how little understanding you have for the real world and the people who are ruining this country?

MadameDefarge -

Gordon - do you truly think that PFI for hospitals has been a good thing ?

The amount of money being made by the PFI providers is obscene, and the choice in high tech equipment for imaging and cancer therapy is being limited by the provider, rather than being appropriate to clinical need

what biscuits are on that plate!!!

hob nobs? chocolate? custard creams??

Agree with NewShoesonMonday

Lulumama,

Firstly, can I assure you that maternity services are a top priority for the NHS. Our aim is to recruit around 4000 more midwives by 2012. We've recently introduced a new choice guarantee for women which includes having a named midwife. Every SHA now has plans in place to ensure care is provided by a named midwife.

The latest figures show a 38% rise in the number of students entering training since 1997.

Gordon - you MUST do a Mumsnet focus group. It is you chance to save the country. I'm not joking.

I would second Jaja's question. I live and teach in Kent. What ever is going to be done about the grammar system? Working class children don't get in because of the tutoring circus and the 11+ here covers Maths which isn't even part of the KS2 curriculum e.g. algebra.

Sagan - What bit?

Gordon, what do you think of David Beckhams new beard?!

ILoveTIFFANY Cupcakes natch!

Lilyloooohhh,

I promise you Sure Start is here to stay! In fact we are on track to reach our target of 3,500 Children?s Centres by March 2010 ? that?s one for every community.

I know how important they are for young families, especially in the current economic climate.

They are one of our success stories and something we are absolutely committed to continue investing in.

But I really want to know! It's a vital foreign policy question!

Damn my sticky keyboard.

Thank you for answering my question

I think it is deffo brill that you are on Mumsnet

Yes you are right about the power of Mumsnet and also Twitter ~ I am a follower of Sarah

I can cover the part-time struggling working civil servant angle

Hello Mr Brown.

Could you please outline any policy changes you have in mind to include in your manifestoc to benefit SMALL BUSINESS.

Particularly interested in higher VAT thresholds, and lower Employer NI contributions for businesses employing, say, less than 5 people, both of which have had a detrimental impact on our business this year.