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.

Hey Gordon, what d'you think of the Roman Polanski affair? What are you going to say to that Miterrand bloke who thinks it's OK to rape children if you make good films? Is it embarrassing to meet people like him as well? Is he a bigger or smaller embarrassment than Berlusconi?

OK that's probably too many questions.

I agree re married couples tax allowance - absurd to think that people with children should subsidise people just for being married.

Mr Brown, is there ever going to be a solution to the problem of illegal immigration? Only I would like my child to grow up in a society which does not stigmatise her as an immigrant with all its associations, in the press and otherwise.

Thanks Duende, Bleh and Win for adding to my question.

Prime Minister, you answered the quesion (mine and others) on the Married Couples Tax Allowance out of context - I asked what Labour were doing to encourage the family as I believe the breakdown of the family unit is at the heart of many of the country's woes.

(Qualified to ask as the daughter of a single parent who struggled to bring me up with no financial support as she wouldn't accept any benefit support!)

Sigh, have to go out and listen to reading at school - it's all glamour here I can tell you!

Dear PM

Where is the justice in the head of social services in Hackney wasting public money in seeking 'compensation' for losing her job, and the 'distress' caused to her following the Baby P scandal?

Why are there not checks and balances to prevent the scandalous waste of precious public money on individuals' greedy compensation chasing, be they 'disabled' benefit cheats or senior public servants? Its makes those of us who work hard and pay taxes

yes please answer FlamingBingo's question on the HE review.

Pippa251 - have you thought about using a childminder? Many will work in accordance with your shift pattern.

Child Tax Credits

Why does the process of obtaining CTCs need to be so convoluted? HMG already knows most of the details asked for (income, names/ages/dob of children, even Ofsted URN of childcare provider); so all you should need to provide is the number of hours worked and the weekly cost of childcare. Why make it so difficult? Is this 'joined up government'?

Haringay, Old, not Hackney....

Hello Mr Brown

Can you tell me your views on parents with children with special educational needs being forced to take their Local Authority to Tribunal in order to get those needs properly met?

As a follow-up, can you also give me your views on how parents who did not get the best education themselves (for whatever reason) and/or who do not have the cash up front to fund their appeal, can best manage to handle this costly and complicated procedure?

Mr Brown, thanks for joining us today and listening to our concerns.

I'm an Irish citizen too, but I used to canvas for Labour when I lived in England. And I don't have a child with SN either.

But can I ask you to spend 20 minutes at some stage reading the SN board here? Firstly it would offer you a very clear picture of how much carers contribute to the economy and our society. Secondly, it would demonstrate the extent to which joined-up solutions would contribute to their wellbeing and that of their children.

Your huge efforts to make Britain a fairer society are much appreciated.

Is anyone else disappointed with the quality of the answers so far ?

No different to pm's Q's in HoC. Statistics, achievements to date bluster and so on.

Can't stay on-line now, will return to see if things improved before 2.00pm.

Please engage with a little depth Gordon.

Radical changes in society's rights/responsibilities perceptiosn are necessary if we are to fix Britain.

Has he told us about his preferred biscuits yet?

oh don't get me on Sharon Shoosmith

GB, you could raise enough funds to singlehandledly resurrect the world economy if you put sharon shoosmith in the stocks and charged people £1 a visit

Mr Bwon if you answer the Polanski question, you need to answer the Berlusconi one as well.
Are you worried of the potential populist turn my government might make?
Because it'd be helpful to some Italians to know that our current political situation is actually monitored by foreign countries.

I do apologise for pushing this one again, but judging that the second daily discussion here on Mumsnet at the moment is "Swine flu jab - will you if you're pregnant" I do think a lot of mums to be like me would like to hear that the Government is taking their worries into account over the type of vaccine they will get at least.

Can we have more reassurance and advice from central agencies?

Sorry - I wanted to get my question out there before GB turned into a pumpkin and I didn't have time to check. Point remains the same though?

peaches....it is cupcakes they are eating according to MNHQ....

Brown, even.

No, not yet.

I think he should follow PW's suggestion and set up MN working groups to advise on various issues. I don't know what I'd advise on, (fashion choices?) but would love to be involved in something like that.