Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, on Mumsnet for a webchat

[JustineMumsnet]

Do post your advance questions here.

I'm glad to hear Sue is okay

• loving the apology to Sue bit!

who am hurting by posting?

Gordon - I hope you find time to relax? What do you do that helps you get through stressful times (like this one).

To everyone asking about tactical voting, I think that when you look at the big challenges facing Britain today - securing the recovery, protecting frontline services and rebuilding trust in politics - I believe that a Labour majority is the best way of dealing with them. My concern with the Conservatives and the Liberals is that both of them would be a risk to families on middle incomes, for example by cutting back on child tax credits, so I hope people will vote Labour to avoid that risk.

Atlantis I know we don't match politically but I have 2 with DLA and HFA / AS; if tehre is anythhing I can do to help CAT me, you never know- sometimes extra eyes canhelp can't they?

Gordon - who are your heroes from history/present day?

Gordon, I'd just like to wish you, Sarah and your boys every personal happiness for the future - whatever that may hold.

teamcullen - we want to create a network of youth centres around the country where young people can choose the kind of facilities they want. There's a lot in out manifesto about our commitments to youth activities particularly at weekends - e.g midnight football. You can read our manifesto and watch our manifesto film at www.labour.org.uk/manifesto.

SanctiMoanyArse, I hear you. I'd much rather our questions would be answered than 'social' ones. When all's said and done, we will still be looking after our disabled children when parties and tv shows of today are distant memories.

would you consider changing the law to allow gay civil partnerships to be renamed as marriages?

as the Tories have just announced this today as one of their policies.

hello mr brown,
i am currently an undecided voter, however from past experience i have seen no reason to vote labour. i am currently a young mother and stay at home carer to my two children with addtional needs having recently seperated from my husband. i really want to return to my studies (and have been offered a place at a college) and get a degree i am unable to do this until i complete my a levels, which i have been told there is no funding available for childcare and i would loose money as im 'not being paid to study but to stay at home with my kids!' which means if i want to return to study im looking at a loan of £5ooo minimum in childcare which i would have to get a loan for. this is ridiculous and there is no chance i can afford this. this seems ridiculous to me, it seems that im being encouraged to stay at home with my children. also the fact that had i not got married i would have been finacially better of and it would have probably been an option to have returned to my studies soon after having children.
what would you suggest i do in my situation, and the many others i have been told are out there from the many organisations i have contacted in trying to get funding. i find it very frustrating that good people who desperately want the oppourtunity to work and study to get a good job are not being given the incentives and oppourtunities to do so, infact quite the reverse it appears!
also what else would you put in place to help parents get back to work/ study, in particularly for parents of children with additional needs?
thankyou

im
nb: i have contacted my local mp about this and nothing has been done

the best way to get rid of tactical voting is to introduce pr, so that people have a voice

megcleary you're not hurting anyone, but you are going against the etiquette of these webchats - as posted by Justine earlier.

megcleary - its a valid question that NEEDS an answer.

Also - you traveled on east coast trains recently. You ignored all the staff but went and spoke to passengers...... why?

"Atlantis I know we don't match politically but I have 2 with DLA and HFA / AS; if tehre is anythhing I can do to help CAT me, you never know- sometimes extra eyes canhelp can't they? "

Ahh thanks, that's really nice of you.

How do you feel the campaign is going? Several people I know have not had a single leaflet from the Labor party, and they live in a Labor marginal.

• I gave birth to ds Dec 20 2008 and didn't feel like my maternity dept was understaffed at all. Don't worry about it in advance - you'll have enough to be thinking about when the time comes!

Meg The guidelines state one question. It is rude and unfair to keep posting the same question, that's all.

Are the people who are opposed to ID cards the same ones who call on the government to be tougher on illegal immigrants?

I need to put my children to bed - will catch up later.

Thank you Mr Brown for your strength and wisdom - its a rocky ride on MN - the wrath of mums and dads, the supporters, the demands or live chat, the scary MN'ers that scare most of us anyway that we dare not cross, the barrage of questions, the persistent posters about certain issues, the bug bearers - well done in my opinion, you have survived.

I wish you all the best for Thursday

My name is Vicki btw - I am a real person, live in Wilts with my family, run a business, am a teacher and want the best for our future. I hope you deliver x

I see what you're saying about the tactical voting Gordon, but our Lbour MP was recently forced to stand down (good riddance to her too - sorry, but she was useless). Nobody knows anything about the new candidate, so do I vote for her and hope she's not as bad as the last one or do I use my vote tactically?