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.

Oh - I do have a question!

Do you not have anything better to do with your lunch hour than come on here?

My question To Gordon Brown is:
When you announced that the Government would be making cuts to sort out the budget, the first cut you announced was that you wouldn't proceed with extending maternity pay to the full 52 weeks, as promised in your Manifesto. Why?

Dear Gordon Brown, like others I'm concerned about the proposed scrapping of childcare vouchers, which have made a huge difference to our household budget, and have helped make it economical for me to go back to work.

I understand the rationale behind scrapping scheme, as the tax breaks benefit those on higher tax rates more than those on moderate incomes, and I agree this isn't the best use of public money.

But do you think a solution could be found by only allowing people to offset the vouchers against their lower-rate tax allowance? Could this rationale be applied to other salary sacrifice schemes to make them equally advantageous for all workers?

Thanks for coming onto MN and good luck at the election!

My question to Gordon Brown..
I agree with your plans to abolish tax free child vouchers, although I am a very grateful beneficiary. However, when concentrating on working families tax credits instead why does the maximum earnings threshold not more accurately reflect the cost of living for us middle income families? A limit of £58,000 pa, taking into consideration housing costs in the South East and more to the point full-time childcare costing in excess of £1000 per month per child, means that so called middle income families are actually struggling to make ends meet.

Hello PM Brown
Not sure if this has already been asked so i apoligise if it has ..
Why is there so many incentives for mothers who don't work to get back into employment ie help with childcare costs extra benefits etc , yet us mothers who have jobs already, enjoy their jobs and want to go back to work don't get this kind of help.
I work as a nurse in the nhs have funny shifts so i'm going to have to pay extra for my childcare when i return to work in January, I do enjoy my job but wonder if its worth while when i would be better off at home claiming benifits and looking after my own baby this can't be right.

Hope you have enjoyed your day

I would like to ask why there are not more incentives for Mums to stay at home with their little ones? I am taking a break from my teaching career to look after our toddler and baby and we have made sacrifices because of this. However, because my husband works his fingers to the bone to provide for us we are entitled to virtually nothing and taxed up to our eyeballs.

Hi Mr Brown,

surely more can be done to stop the arrogant bankers awarding themselves massive bonus all thanks to tax payers money supporting them. Directly or indirectly.

I am concerned the momentum to change the bonus culture is slipping away.

It is outrageous that public sector workers are being scapegoated for the financial hole this country is in (by the tories) and yet the hugh deficit is mostly as a result of the bailout -caused by the greed of the bankers.

thanks
Molly the tortoise

Why is it so complicated to get any form of respite care when you have a disabled child. When you are exhausted and worn out the last thing you can manage is to take on the complexities of social services.

Dear GB, what ever happened to prudence and your commitment in the past that you would never allow a lack of control over the public finances? Labour has limited the amount of accountability and the spend spend spend approach has indeed provided many benfits to those that need it but it seems billions have and are planned to be squandered on projects that are not worth the benefit to the cost, ID schemes, NHS computer system etc. Often experts have shown these to be non viable and yet the plans are pushed through by gov't.

Is it one of your aims to close the gap between rich and poor? If this is important to you then how successful have you been to date and what are your plans for the future with regard to this?

If this is not important to you do you foresee any problems with the widening gap?

Dear Gordon Brown,

As a very recent naturalised citizen, I am proud to call myself British. However, I find myself disturbed by the slew of measures that demonise immigrants, as well as asylum seekers as 'living off benefits'. As someone who has paid high taxes, plus not received any benefits, I find it distasteful that the government seeks to make more money from legal immigrants, while doing nothing to stem the tide of illegal immigration.

What would you have to say to people like myself and my husband who have faithfully followed every legal change in immigration law, however unjustified, but now find ourselves in the position of having paid out a few months' worth of salaries to be naturalised? Are we paying for the mistakes you have made by not putting in place stronger measure to curb illegal immigration?

Dear Mr. Brown,

I am lone parent with a mortgage but I never got help with it. If I was renting I would have received help but as a home owner even though my mortgage is less that the rent of a flat, I got no help when I needed it most. I was on SSP for 6 months, with a toddler and unrealiable ex-husband. I would like to highlight that they are lone parents struggling like me and it is not healthy for children or parents to be in that situation.Help with mortgages should be provided for lone parents as we dont get the benefit of housing benefit. Also CSA percentage is not enough, my ex gets £500 or more per week, he only has to give me £75 and I have to pay the rest which are mortgage, bills, safety and maintanance, food, clothes, educational toys and books, nursery costs, etc.. I think we shouldnt make it that easy for the not living in parents as it is hard to be a single mum or dad and we should get more help. I hope you can understand my point, things need to improve for us please, for our children and their future, they do deserve to have a good life even when they have only one parent. Thank you for your attention and have a good day.

Regards

Raquel Powell

I don't have a question, but would like to add my full support to herbietea's comments

Hello Gordon

The law protecting breastfeeding mothers rights in Scotland has had some very positive results. Are there any plans for the same law to be passed in England, thereby giving English mothers the same protection as in Scotland?

Also I hope you win

Sherby

Dear Gordon,

Please can you offer your assurance that Local Authorities are being given as much help as possible to get their childcare data onto Direct.Gov. The 7th September deadline was missed by a number of local authorities including Surrey County Council who are unable to give a date as to when parents will be able to find out about Childcare in Surrey via the Direct.Gov website.

Many thanks,

NannyNick

Hello Gordon,

I work in the NHS, and am concerned about how trust managers are dealing with targets. In my trust, pressure to meet targets is such that corners are being cut, books cooked, and work rushed to meet particular targets. For example, brief 15min outpatient appointments are being written up as full multidisciplinary CPA meetings to hit targets.

The upshot of this is that clinical standards are falling, yet our trust's CQC rating has changed from weak to fair.

What are your plans to ensure that targets are actually met in a more meaningful way, so that people's experiences of healthcare are improved?

Could I ask him who is the exact right person I should talk to in the government about autism? I think our state autism provision is woefully inadequate because we're using an outdated methodology. My autistic son has come on in leaps and bounds using a behavioural method called ABA - who is the person I could talk to about maybe extending these methods to our state special schools and mainstream units? Actually I think these common sense behavioural methods could be used with normally functioning kids too!

Wow. Quite a coup for MN - Well Done MNHQ
Welcome to MN, Gordon. Hope you survive the vipers nest. All respect to you in coming on.

My question:

How have your experiences of parenthood shaped your political beliefs and your acts as PM.

Thanks.

ps is my local mp a good pps ?

I am HUGE ENORMOUS FAN. Just one question is hard isn't it? It's like talking to a genie. Can I ask for more wishes? Ermm...

Here is my question: Do you consider yourself to be an unlucky Prime Minister?

Good afternoon PM.

Is there any chance at all of increasing Maternity Pay? Suddenly dropping a wage and still having the same bills to pay out for puts an enormous strain on things when life is difficult enough with a new child coming into a family.

Thank you for your time.

Do I have to name change for him to answer me?

Hope not.