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.

Mr Brown, I just thought you'd like to know that whenever I see you I sing 'Gordon Brown, texture like sun'.

I also agree with lovemygirls please cut down paperwork for childminders.
There is only one childminder who has to do everything from changing nappies, cooking meals to insuring every child has their folder updated with observations and planning.
It's hard work for one person.
The paperwork takes away the time spent with the mindees which defeats the point really

Thank you so much for coming onto mumsnet Prime Minister. It is hugely reassuring to know that our politicians are spending time on places like this where people's real concerns are discussed.

Too much of politics seems to me to be dictated by what the tabloids claim people are concerned about.

I think the UK has an electorate that is both more compassionate and more intelligent than our tabloid newspapers would have you believe.

To everyone asking why they should vote Labour:

At the next election the country faces a big choice - the biggest of a generation. Last month at Labour Party conference I laid out Labour's ambitions for Britain - building a new economy that tames the old excesses of a risky bonus culture, meeting and mastering the challenge of an ageing society with a National Care Service as a partner to the National Health Service, beating cancer in this generation, transforming politics with a right for you to recall your MP and a referendum on a new voting system and the house of Lords.
The election to come will not be about my future ? it?s about your future. Your job. Your home. Your children's school. Your hospital. Your community. Your country. The opposition talk about change - but the question isn't whether the country needs to change - it's how. So when they say they represent change, ask yourself this - is that change that will benefit my family, or only a privileged few?
If you?re a family that?s feeling the pinch ? don?t take it from me ? just ask them the question. How can you say "we're all in this together" when you would scrap tax credits for middle income families at the same time as giving a 200 thousand pound tax giveaway to each of the 3,000 wealthiest estates?
If you want to help your kids save for their future, just ask the question. If you care about us, why would you make a family on just over £16,000 a year, with two kids, miss out on £1,000 in Child Trust Fund payments to their children?

And if you?re one of the millions of Britons who loves our NHS? don?t take it from me ? just ask them the question. If you care about us, why would you scrap the right to see a cancer specialist within two weeks?

And if you?re worried about crime ? don?t take it from me ? just ask them the question. Why would you cut the Home Office budget by the equivalent of 3,500 police officers this year alone and then make it harder for them to catch the most violent criminals using DNA evidence?

And if you care about a proud Britain ? don?t take it from me ? just ask them the question. Why would you put this country?s prosperity and power at risk by placing Britain at the fringe of Europe rather than at its heart?

Ask them; how can you deliver change when you so clearly haven?t even changed your own party?

natfrank- THANKYOU so much- I never knew CM's did that- you have probably saved my career

I'm thinking it'll be like when you sign up to a no 10 downing street petition - and Mr B is going to reply to everyone individually c/o their mumsnet nominated email address.

right Gordon?

Why am not surprised that you are not answering my question about the home education review?

Because

a) you know there is no evidence, so you can't come out with a lie saying there is

and

b) therefore you would have to admit that really you just want to know what every parent is up to and to make sure they're teaching children what you want them to learn

You know that by not providing an adequate response to this question you will be losing an awful lot of votes - the number of home educating families is rising and will continue to do so unless (until?) you make it illegal to do.

Dear PM,

You may have got the number of schools failing to meet the 30% passmark to 270, but we have slipped as a nation to something like 17th in overall educational achievement.

Why does the measurement of your Govts apparent success in Education have to actually come at the expense of our children?

Real Education, Really, Now. (Please)

I do too Bambi..

I'm sorry to see that your answers are so patronising and cynical. Perhaps you need to spend even more of our money on yet another spin doctor who could help you to sound more genuine.

PS I'm biting my nails re: biscuit question and only 4 minutes left!

My money is on something substantial yet plain, like a rich tea or digestive.

Mr PM - can you please agree to take some of these questions away and come back to MNHQ with some detailed answers. Obviously its difficult to do it now but it would be good to get indepth answers. Or take up policywonks suggestion of a focus group

When are you coming back to mumsnet? Can this be a regular slot. Maybe it can be in the Daily Mail column

Thanks for coming Mr Brown and thank you so much for giving me the waflle about how proud and grateful you are to my husband and other serving personnel.

I'd have preferred a few answers rather than a soundbite, though. There goes my vote...

Another who agrees with Vulpus...
Denmark has a 65% of the population who are graduates... and as undergraduates you can spend many years doing your degree, not cram it into 3 years as we do here, making allowances for those who need to work to support their study, or need to take maternity or caring breaks etc.
Oh yes- and they start formal education at 7 too.

Of course their tax rates start at 50% for the lowest paid.

Child Trust fund is a complete red herring. As you were

Yup, need to know re biscuit question

LOL a tthe quickly typed party political broadcast at the end

Cmotdibbler and others - would you allow me to come back and answer some of the other questions, and hear your views on some of the big issues we've got to address in the coming months and years? I'd love to come back! It's been great to hear from you. Some asked whether Sarah would come with me (or in preference to me!) - she's coming in soon.

harrumph. That'll be why the country is going to the dogs...politicians munching girly cakes

I'm not sure I asked why should i vote labour

Tosser journalist from the Telegraph Tweeting that PM is being pressed on the biscuit question:

DESIST now people and let him get back to the policy questions...