Ed Balls forgets to engage brain

[Madge5]

Is anyone else as enraged as I with Ed Balls' comments this morning regarding the Tories tax cuts for married couples?
He said it's unfair because the man can beat up his wife then leave taking the tax break with him to his next marriage and start all over again. Eh? Is this what really happens in marriages? Are we women being beaten up by our husbands, are we left destitute, unable to stand up again and remarry?
Or is he implying this is what happens in poorer families, who are the ones to benefit from this proposal.

TDiddy Labour have tried 'nudges' i.e child trust funds (to show you what a good idea saving money for your child is).

I think 'good parenting' is behind the Tory policy i.e The belief that two committed parents are better are than one. And given it's a transferable tax relief, it implies SAHM/D's.

jackstarbright - you don't have to be married to be two good parents.

And you can be married and be awful parents. I do think that the policy is badly designed.

By the way, does our widowed girlfriend get this tax break as well? She is a very very good parent of her two children.

Tdiddy Of course unmarried, divorced and widowed people can and do make excellent parents. I know several. I'm just saying the Tories thinking behind the tax relief is possibly that two committed parents are more likely, on average, to be successful parents. IMO there are so many other factors - but that really is another thread.

understand what you are saying but I think it is a crude policy that will/should offend those unfairly excluded. I would have looked for other creative ways of rewarding good parenting.

so how would you have done this TDiddy? How would you reward good parenting and how would you measure it?

And thanks for the debate TDiddy and MmeBlueberry, I hear my brain creaking back to life.

Madge5- hmm, social engineering with fiscal policy. Let me think altho' I think this is a difficult area.

How about for failing schools, parents getting tax allowance/incentive based on child doing homework...teachers have to monitor so not that easily operationally. Will think of other ideas though.

Targeted policies on problem areas could have a better direct impact without demoralising/disadvantaging single or unmarried parents. I think it is awful having a policy that punishing innocent, hardworking single or unmarried parents.

Or tax incentive for parents where child attends extra Maths/English lessons (after school) and passes exam....Not perfect but a bit of creative thinking could put this money to much much better use and be less social divisive.

i like the idea of rewarding for doing good. How about a tax allowance for attending parenting classes. It doesn't matter whether you are from married, cohabiting or single parent family, crap parent(s) means less chance for children, which leads to them being crap parents etc etc.