Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, on Mumsnet for a webchat

[JustineMumsnet]

Do post your advance questions here.

The Nursery Education Grant is a real benefit to children who might otherwise miss out, so thank you

foureleven - give the guy a break. I don't blame him for answering the easy ones first if this is the first time he's seen the questions!

But actually, Mr Brown, I'm more interested in your policies than your family too. This is a job interview, not a cocktail party.

My son could be a brilliant scientist. Unfortunately although we have a good income we also have a huge mortgage and other debts. It is such a shame, for him but perhaps also for the country, he will not be able to go to University but we simply cannot afford it. Please will you consider helping the so called well off but cash poor to educate their children? As Riven notes it is hardly likely he will be in a position to pay of huge student debts.

GeorginaWorsley and magentadreamer - I think there is a big choice for people at this election on the NHS. I hope that people will see our record in the NHS, with 90,000 more nurses, 40,000 more doctors, more than a hundred new hospitals, and the shortest waiting times since records began.

The next few years are obviously going to be financially tight and it?s when things are tight that you have to decide who you trust to protect the services that matter to families. Our plan is to make savings in the back office and reinvest them in the frontline. For example, we?re cutting management costs by a third by putting nurses more in control of services, and at the same time we will cut waiting times for cancer tests down to just one week for everyone who needs them.

The Tories are much more of a gamble, because they voted against so much of that investment at the time, and now of course they are committed to scrapping all our waiting times guarantees, including of course scrapping your right to see a cancer specialist in 2 weeks. So it?s a choice of who you trust.

GeorginaWorsley on your specific question - I don?t know the details of your particular unit, but over time as we get a greater elderly population and we need more care at home, we are going to need more nurses and doctors working in primary and community care and fewer patients will need to be treated in hospitals, so that is going to be an important change. But that doesn?t mean that services aren?t being protected. In fact, we think that those changes are essential to improving quality, saving lives and to making efficiencies that will allow us to invest even more in frontline care.

Trixie, I'm sure the manifestos have been in Waterstones.

Really interesting article on CTF here

(Sorry for the hijack, Mr Brown)

Fenoulle, this bias concerns me too.

Does it annoy you as much as everyone in my house that David Cameron is incapable of answering a question?

V. good answer on the deficit. Good to see a politician answering a question honestly, even if it is going to be unpopular.

why do you keep telling lies about "Tory Cuts"?
They have said time after time they are not going to cut front line services.

Why are you promising to sort out the economy when you have had 13 years to build it up- before the "global " recession?

Why did you not save when we had boom?
How do you think we can trust you to get the country back on track when you have in fact created this mess?

MuppetsMuggle - I think we should be proud of our history of welcoming people fleeing persecution, or coming here to work hard and build a new life ? those who came in the nineteenth century, those who came in the decades after the Second World War, and those from Eastern Europe - who, by the way, pay more than their share of taxes and use less than their share of public services, according to recent research published by the IFS.
But of course I agree that newcomers should play by the rules and respect British traditions. That?s why we?ve introduced tougher tests for English language abilities, which have to be taken before people come to Britain, and a test of knowledge of Life in the UK for those applying for British citizenship. And that?s why, as well as the points-based system for those wanting to come here, which has already helped reduce net migration, we would extend the points-based system to people applying to stay here permanently.

To Duckinhell and others asking about help for the self employed - the key is keeping the economy moving and stopping it going back into recession. Rates reductions are happening for small businesses and we must keep interest rates low. Send me directly any questions related to tax credits for the self employed and I will deal with them.

LadyBlaBlah - I was talking about that with friends today. Argh most annoying.

Good evening. I am so glad that you came back on here: I am feeling more and more that I may well vote labour on Thursday, for the first time in my life.

What are your views on Academies please?

This is less of a join the labour party and more of a don't vote Tory.

I just want to know how are you going to fix the mess that we are in?

meopausemad..shame you can't downsize then you might be able to help your son...is it an option?

I don't think my family are taking this chat seriously...my husband wants to know who you think will win the snooker and my daughter has just called you a poopoo pants. Good answer on the deficit though!

Great to see you again Mr Brown, feel ever so slightly shamefaced about the biccie debacle last time...but heigh ho!

My question. having just started my own business, I am faced with the dreaded VAT. Being a good citizen and business person, I am trying to put away that 17.5% on my hot food sales for the VAT man, but to be honest, it just seems like a millstone around my neck already. I can seriously see this being the death knell for my promising business. My margins are tiny, I can't even pay myself...but it is a great little business and doing well already.

So, what's the deal for supporting small businesses? I can't get loans from any of the banks for a start up, I have to pay outrageous amounts in VAT, quite frankly, looking at the figures, why do I bother?

So, my question is, VAT, why? and where is the support for new, small business we hear so much about? because it ain't in Hackney, I can tell you that much.

Gordon, I have two young sons and I worry about what jobs will be available to them in the future. We don't manufacture anything here any more - I fear the only jobs that will be available to them will be working in the service industry. What are your plans to stop more British companies selling to foreign competitors?

Headfairy a tax free allowance of £10000 would only make low-income families £705 better off, because you only pay tax of 20% between the tax free allowance of £6475 and £1000, which is £3525*.2=£705. Our family gets just short of £12000 in tax credits, more than DH's net wage.

Thank you for answer on small businesses - good to hear you will help more

Thank you.