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.

Hello PM!

I've not read all of this yet, but can I just say that re the solar panels and ensuing hilarity at the idea of sun in fife - it is wall to wall sunshine here today so hopefully those solar panels will be sooking it all in for the occasional day when it is not .... (jings, did I really just wink at the PM?)

"With the greatest respect the fact that you need to take your children to see UP won't make me wat to vote for you, but to know how you plan to treat my DH and his colleagues in the future might. "

Ditto.

Well said, herbietea.

theagedparent, I see Ben on his bike all the time. Always very smiley

Swedes. Surely Shezza Goldsmith must be bottom of the league?

Dear Mr Brown,

You announced a new 50% top tax band to pay for the fallout from the credit crunch.

Is such a high rate something that you also agree with ideologically, or would you like to see this fall again when the economy is back on its feet a few years from now?

Thanks

Good afternoon PM, thanks for chatting with us, you are a braver man than most

my irritation is packaging.......I'd like to see all foods that can be washed, to arrive in our eco-friendly shopping bags just the way nature made them - gorgeously naked!

Can we do more? Can we just be a bit bold and stick our necks out and lead the world? Can we just say no and outlaw needless packaging? Let's make a LAW!

(And it would be great family entertainment to have public peltings with old squishy tomatoes for those who break the law )

Thank you!

when is any politician oing to answer a question on premature children starting school. Mine and other questions have been resolutely ignored by Ed Balls and you and vague answers are coming back about 6 being too late to start etc etc. What about the specific question of premature children starting earlier than their peers?

Dear Mr Brown
I have recently bought a cochlear implant upgrade for my daughter, without it she is profoundly deaf. Why did I have to pay almost a £1000 for the VAT on a medical device ? Its hardly what I would describe as non-essential

Agree NewShoesonMonday.

NewShoes excellent point about need for health professionals involved with breastfeeding support to sing from the same hymn sheet.

It's all very well educating mothers, but unless they get educated support in those first days..

Oh I'd like the answer to the tax question, but most of all I want to know about the typing speed thing? Are you a hunter and a pecker or a bona fide touch typist?

Hello Gordon

This is a question from my son {kangaboy}

Which is your favourite STAR WARS film?

Do you like the original ones or the new ones?

hatchypom- that is abominable.

Hmm, £3 million divided by 32 over how long?

do you realise that at the moment the NHS spends £0.16 per year per mother on supporting breastfeeding while formula companies spend $20 per year per mother on promoting their products to new mothers?

Breastfeeding doesn't stand a chance, does it.

hatchypom, that is outrageous - without sounding trite, I thought VAT on tampons was bad. Mr Brown, you MUST answer HATCHYPOM's question and ensure she's recompensed!

What about issues about immigration Mr Brown?

When is illegal immigration going to be addressed, so that legal immigrants can live in peace and not be shouted at on the street, pilloried in newspapers and treated like outsiders, just because they look different and maybe ocasionally have a different accent?

Flibertyjibbet,
I know that ESC is not available for the self-employed, however self-employed parents can benefit from a number of other Government childcare schemes such as the free part-time nursery places for three and four year olds, and this provision has been extended to many more two year olds. The childcare element of the Working Tax Credit also offers help with childcare costs for working families on middle and modest incomes.

Quite Virginia. It is a tiny amount.

I thought so - apparently the hospitals pay it as well, as is the case (as i understand) with hearing aids (robbing peter paying paul) classic sign of introducing inefficiencies in government.

"Can you please thank your partners, and all our forces, for the amazing work they do. "

I'll pass that on but it's cold comfort when they're away on repeated op tours and we families are living in substandard accomodation.

You haven't answered my questions - what are your defence budget plans in light of the cuts that will have to be made in govt spending? Will you stop breaching the Harmony Guidelines?

Fully equip? Well, it's better than it was but there are still things that we had to pay for out of our own pocket.