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.

Good afternoon Mr Brown,

I'd just like to thank you for a difficult job well done.
Can you slip the word "NORKS" into your next speech - only then will I believe that Gordon is on the other side of my PC screen.

Thank you!

Hello Mr Brown

My question is; will you scrap car parking charges in hospitals for cancer patients who are out patients? (I know that you have done this for inpatients already).

(and for what it's worth, I am another one whose autistic child has been completely let down by the health and education system in this country)

Dear Gordon

Will you promise to give up the government's love of large IT databases and obsessive monitoring of/interference in the private lives of citizens?

I'm talking about ID cards (waste of money inherently insecure), the NHS electronic database (ditto), Ofsted interfering in private arrangements between families, councils using the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act to snoop in our dustbins or when we apply for school places. There has been a drift towards Big Brother in many aspects of public life. Please stop it.

I got told by a health visitor (who was clearly just out of her straitjacket) that I should make a burger out of my nipple. work that one out.

A few days later and bleeding I had to give up. Some of these women are showing us very difficult ways of doing something which should be natural, and I crucified myself for ages that I just couldn't do it!

Oh yes MichKit. As an immigrant who has NEVER claimed benefit, barely uses the NHS and has paid thousands and thousands in taxes, I'm fed up with being called lazy and a benefit scrounger in the stupid press, and blamed for society's ills.

What are you going to do about the shortage of health visitors? In my area only families on the at risk register get visits.

What counts as middle or modest though? We have a household income of 25,000 and get virtually no tax credits

Yes, but Mr Brown, those things are also available to people who are not self-employed, aren't they, in addition (currently) to the voucher system.

Dear Prime Minister

Please, please. Not 'middle and modest incomes' it is a term designed for us to feel it applies to us when it probably doesn't. Please use 'People who earn less than' or 'couples who earn less than'

Have confidence in the levels you set and be clear!

Thank you

Cammelia and all those who have asked about a married couples tax allowance,

the problem with the Married Couples Tax allowance was that it actually went to married, seperated and divorced couples, when most people want to help children. So we thought the best help we could give to children was to replace it with the Children?s Tax Credit. Together with other measures we?ve introduced, this has helped to lift some 500 000 children out of poverty - and make 7 million families with 12 million children better off.

We believe this is a fairer system.

Good question edam, when will the surveillance state be considered built Mr Brown??

Dear Gordon

I am sure I could find this out if I read more pages of the better papers, but I always prefer to ask an expert..

We hear a lot about the country borrowing all this money. Who exactly are we borrowing the money from? It's not Goldman Sachs, I hope..

Thanks!

Dear Gordon, thank you very much for answering my question

I think that means I'm allowed a follow up now.

Do you think the sacrifices made by herbietea, jcscot, their families and partners are being made in a good cause in Afghanistan given the corrupt and inhumane regime in power there?

Am very pleased with how this is going, and more hopeful that Cameron and Osborne won't be in charge any time soon!

Thank you again for coming to talk to us.

Hello Gordon,

Can I ask what your long term proposals are regarding the pension crisis ??

Leaving aside the fortunate few with final salary pensions, most of us face the unattractive prospect of working for as long as we possibly can (easier said than done, for various reasons) and/or existing, not living, in poverty in old age.

We know the principle behind saving for your old age but this is literally impossible for many working people whose whole income is needed to live now (and that's for basic day to day necessities like food, utilities and housing costs - not holidays !)

Many of today's pensioners already live exist in penury, despite much of the previous generation, arguably, benefitting from final salary pensions, cheaper property and so on, which this generation (generally speaking) do not. Is our future going to be even worse ?

Old age truly terrifies me - and many millions more. Why is such little emphasis seemingly given to such an explosive time bomb ? ...... whilst billions are spent on warfare (that's not a dig at individual soldiers BTW, but a question of priorities) .....

Thank you Bleh, glad there are more people like me who are feeling completely marginalised and ignored and being made to pay through the nose for the privilege.

I'm with you Michkit and bleh - legal immigrant here for 13 years, and some of the comments I've had

Hello

I would like to ask whether you think that the relationship between the Scottish Parliament and Westminster has worsened since you have been PM? I am very concerned that with various Westminster decisions and MPs getting bad press etc that support for SNP and independence will increase - something I don't want!!

Thanks

edam totally agree with you - this gov't is the worst at wasting huge amounts on excessive projects and schemes that don't pay. Lets focus on issues nad improvements that really matter e.g. OFSTED focus on schools and local care and less so on childminders and too much red tape they go through.

(Btw, Treedelivery is right, you can train all the midwives you want but the important thing is MAKING trusts employ enough midwives to meet patient needs.)

I have a query about the inequality in adoption pay for self employed people.

If you have a baby, and you are an employed person (and meet certain criteria) you are entitled to Maternity Pay.
If you are self employed and have paid class 2 NI, you are entitled to Maternity Allowance.

If you adopt a child, and you are an employed person,(and meet certain criteria) you are entitled to Adoption Pay.
If you are self employed and have paid class 2 NI, you are NOT ENTITLED TO ANYTHING.

Please explain why this discriminatory situation exists.

Duffy and others, thanks for your interest in my health. I'm fine, run a lot, keep fit, have had one problem; I lost my sight in one eye playing rugby but the sight in the other eye was saved by brilliant NHS staff, and there's been no deterioration in my sight since. So I'm fighting fit - thanks for asking.

Dear Mr Brown

My son would like to ask why you couldn't accept his kind invitation to tea at our house in Leeds when only a few weeks after we got your rejection letter apologies, you came to Leeds anyway for the Cabinet on Tour. Would it have helped if he'd mentioned that his mum went to your old school? like I wanted him to

We think you missed a fantastic PR opportunity!

My DH works in defence at a desk job, they are very overstretched and underpaid - what about the essential support services for the forces what will happen to them over the next few years? When you see the amount spend on contractors working in the MOD to fill those essential roles once filled by people made redundant due to cost cutting exercises you realise where the money is going. Why not cut out contractors and bring staff in-house, cheaper and more money available for the the people on the front line?

Prime Minster

I don?t understand how we can sustain public sector final salary pensions - do you? How are the younger generation going to afford a decent pension?

Thank you
JD