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.

Dear Gordon,

As the mother of an 8 yr old autistic boy, I would like to alert you to the plight of many families. We endure a seemingly never-ending battle to get suitable help and eduction for our children. This includes things like diagnosis, appropriate early intervention, obtaining DLA and, of course, schooling.

Autism, is an 'invisible' condition which has a huge impact of the lives of families, and such battles are cruel and unfair.

What do you plan to do to improve this situation for autistic children and their families?

It would help Peachy we got into an awful mess when DP started his new job because we couldn't manage ct straight away.

I have no question yet, but wanted to say that I am

a) in awe that MN has pulled this off

b) a firm supporter of Gordon -I think he's been given a really unfair rollicking in the media for not playing their spinny spinny PR game, and he's actually one of the only politicians I trust to try and do the thing that is BEST for EVERYONE (him and Ed Miliband)

c) really worried about what will happen if that snake oil merchant Cameron gets in

Can't be here live, will read after with much interest.

Prime Minister, in light of the debt that we now have as a result of helping the country through the recession, where do you intend the money to come from to pay this off?

Tax rises seem inevitable, but are hugely unpopular with (most of) the electorate.

Spending cuts may be the obvious answer, but would seem to risk undoing a lot of the good work that has been done over the last few years.

So where do we get the money from?

Windfall taxes on many of our successful corporations must be something that you're considering? And not just the banks.

Dear Gordon,

First of all, I would like to say that I do admire you, voted for Labour last time as it was proposed that you'd come in to replace Tony Blair, and feel that the media has given you a really unfair deal.

My question is this:

• What proposals does your government have to encourage entrepreneurship, investment and ambition, that will aid the economic recovery? At the moment, a lot of the policies and proposals (50% income tax, excessive regulation) discourage it. What is the point of working hard if you're just going to get taxed more?

I have a question/comment for Gordon, which I'd love him to answer. It is this:

When are you going to let the house price bubble burst, so that prices become more realistic for any buyers (not just first-time).

It seems at the moment that you are doing everything you can to safeguard and protect current home owners from the fallout of the credit crunch. I understand that confidence with regard to house prices relates to confidence in the economy, yet the entire credit crunch itself has been partly based on over-inflated house prices and consumer spending based on debt, something that the Labour government actively encouraged.

Your government constantly talk about house price growth as positive, when in fact a more stable economy would be based on much less rapid house price inflation. Meanwhile, people like me who have been priced out of the housing market, are now doubly penalised as we can't borrow sufficient funds (and don't want to take ridicilous risks), whilst your propping up of the market has kept house prices well above their long-term average.

What's going to happen next?

Ridiculous. Not ridicilous. Bad having typos in a message to the PM!

Hi Gordon,

Just like to say you seem like a really nice bloke and your wife sarah seems lovely

anyway please answer fabs question
as this is my question too.

By FABIsInTraining Thu 15-Oct-09 14:41:28 Add a message | Report post | Contact poster

I accept it is my choice to stay at home and look after my husband and my children, but why is it we would be better off if we split up?

And if you feel that isn't the case (DH is a FD btw) why is there no tax breaks for full time mums from their husbands?

Not just the banks? That would be a general increase in corporation tax, in effect.

Will miss this live as I'll be in college tomorrow.

Here's my question.

Do you really think the NHS and free healthcare at point of delivery will ever work?

Thankyou

Well done MNHQ!!

My question is 'why should I bother to vote in the next election?' (please note the why not a who) It seems to me that all the parties and politicians are the same. One says one thing the other opposes it. It just goes round and round.
I will vote but only because I feel I HAVE to because in this country I have the opportunity and freedom to. But in all honesty I do not think my vote makes one bit of difference.

MNHQ - well done. You are forgiven for your recent Daily Mail dalliance. I won't be on the computer at lunchtime but will read thread in the evening.

Gordon,

I am a hard working Mother, currently on maternity leave. I am horrified that you are considering scraping Childcare vouchers.

I was hoping you would have increased the amount I could put into the scheme as both my husband and I both put in the top amount of £243 each but this just about covers half of my son's nursery fees. When I go back to work next year we will have to find nursery fees for my daughter. If you remove this tax break then we may have to look at whether it is worth me working at all.

I am sure a lot of families will be in a similar situation. Will you reconsider?

Thank you
Louise

I was wondering if you and Sarah co-slept with your children.

Did Sarah breastfeed and for how long?

I have much gratitude and admiration for all this labour government has done for young families. In this current climate of cuts most what is the future for longer paternity leave, child care vouchers and the sure start centres?

Thank you

i hope gordons on time, not like most folk we have on here for live web chats.

My question would be: why, when the country is so in debt, the gov't insists on wasting money on people who don't need it and denying those who do?

Me and my partner both work and struggle to pay mortgage etc each month yet get £43 per month tax/child credits, whereas friends of ours who have the same household income as us but no mortgage or rent and a stay at home dad are entitled to approx £600 per month?

I don't blame them for claiming it, but does the PM think its a fair system that leaves some struggling to keep their home and others who don't necessarily need it get more?

What does the PM think of the idea of state-owned and paid-for accommodation (perhaps flats) for sitting MPs in London? All other accommodation to be at the MPs' own expense, like the rest of us.

I hope that this accommodation would be kept in better nick than that supplied to our armed forces.

My question is does Sarah get irritated by how hard you work and (presumably) how little family time you get? Obviously you do an important job - it's not like you're off with your mates down the pub - but my husband is pretty high-powered and busy and I get hugely frustrated by how little time he has for us. (Especially as I also work full time)

Thanks so much for coming on Mumsnet!

Thank you for coming on. I would like to ask you what you feel has been your biggest success as PM and what has been your biggest mistake? (not failing, but mistake, ie not something you tried to do but didn't work but something you actually did that you regret)

Another who won't be able to be here live but always thought Gordon did always get a bit of a raw deal being blamed for the state of affairs when all he has tried to do is clean up behind Tony Blair, lets face it between attempted terrorist attacks, floods and economic downfalls he's hardly had it easy!

I can only think of one thing to ask but don't think it's an appropraite question because it does'nt even really make sense to me TBH

Welcome to MN, Prime Minister! (How exciting to write that!).

I would like to ask how much more the middle classes are going to be squeezed in order to pay for the economic problems the country finds itself in. Invariably, new initiatives help the poorest in society (which is of course how it should be), aren't felt by the higher earners, but for people like us, just above the threshold for 40% income tax, we neither reap the benefits of tax credits, nor have the high income to buffer us from other charges/taxes brought in.

For example in education, we would have to pay full fees for universities, which we will barely be able to afford. Much of the press portrays people like us as able to afford things like private schools etc (and thus justify things like uni fees) - it's simply not the case. It's still a struggle to make ends meet.

So my question is, how could you , and will you protect the 'lower-middle earners' who at the moment are hammered for everything?