Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, on Mumsnet for a webchat

[JustineMumsnet]

Do post your advance questions here.

[abdnhiker]

Softhoney you've asked my second question - I'm a SAHM with a PhD in physics because of the cost of decent childcare. I'm pretty sure that families like ours aren't a priority in anyone's government plans. Pity - I'd pay a ton of taxes once my boys are in school if I could afford to work now.

[Bumperliouzzzzzz]

Gordon (can I call you Gordon? - Wait, that's not my question!) can you explain why you sold of the majority of the country's gold when you were chancellor? I don't understand it and can't seem to find an explanation as to why (but then I am an economics numpty).

Is it just a case of 'hindsight is a wonderful thing'?

If you hadn't you could be sending it in little envelopes to Gloria Huniford and Dale Winton, apparently they'll give you lots of cash for it

Seriously though, my opinion is that I am Labour in ethos but it is just hard to defend some of the actions that have gotten us into this financial mess. I'm finding it harder to find reasons to vote Labour. In fact I won't be voting Labour, I'll be voting Lib Dem to keep the Tories out. Hopefully with electoral reform I won't have to in the future.

[Ledodgy]

Hello Gordon,

Will you be getting rid of Primary SATS especially those for Year 2s? They have no real value and more strength should be placed on teacher assessment. Schools are using valuable teaching time to groom children for these particular tests rather than giving them a good all round education.

Also will you start doing Ofsted reports without pre-warning the schools?

PS. Next time you are in the same room as David Cameron can you trip him up for me?

[Ledodgy]

Hello Gordon,

Will you be getting rid of Primary SATS especially those for Year 2s? They have no real value and more strength should be placed on teacher assessment. Schools are using valuable teaching time to groom children for these particular tests rather than giving them a good all round education.

Also will you start doing Ofsted reports without pre-warning the schools?

PS. Next time you are in the same room as David Cameron can you trip him up for me?

[ben10isgr8]

Hi Gordon. I agree with ppers regarding "bigotgate" People I have spoken to online and in real life don't think you should have appologised and the recording (while avoidable) actually made people warm to you. These things happen to us all.

I am another voice calling for real honesty about cuts ...I have already sent my vote for Labour! I also persuaded dh to vote labour rather than SNP this time .

We know cuts are coming and are all waiting for real answers.

The debates were interesting but to be honest all the point scoring, not answering, he said/she said blather gets very irritating. I want honest politics and honest politicians.

[IagreewithNick]

I just want an answer on which services are going to be cut. I would also like to ask if he thinks we have become too dependent on tax credits.

Muppet and co I have just come back from watching Morris Dancers while eating a cream tea and drinking English Ale. When I ran a mother and toddler group we told the story of the 3 pigs and often sang baa baa black sheep, we were never once ambushed by the police. I am quite secure in my English heritage, maybe the fact you are not is more to do with you than anything else.

I now feel a little rude, this is a thread for our PM and I have spent more time talkig to a muppet.

[policywonk]

Hello Gordon. Fingers crossed for Thursday.

In hindsight, do you wish you'd gone further in reform of the electoral system over the last 13 years? If you had, wouldn't you now be sitting fairly pretty, regarding the prospect of a sound mandate for a Lib-Lab government?

[ellaeleven]

Mr Brown,

I am so worried that as of Friday I may be repeating what my parents had to do and that is bring up my children under a Conservative government. Despite being a chid at the time I remember how hard it was for them, as well as the high level of crime. Please do whatever it takes (campaign through the night, agree to the reform the Lib Dems want if you can enter a pact) to ensure we dont go back to those dark days of the eighties. My child goes to an excellent school and I recently gave birth in a hospital which has improved vastly under your government. Yes there is still much to do but I believe your party has the best interests of the many over the privledged few. Good Luck

[rosieposey]

Hello Gordon, i just want to say that without a Labour government i would have been up the creek without a paddle when i found myself a single parent of three young daughters 7 years ago.

I didnt realise until i was in the postion of needing help myself how much Labour have done to help people out who are vunerable and in dire straits. My question is, we all know that there is no money left in the pot and that getting us anywhere near back on our feet will require huge cuts to the public sector, why haven't any of the parties been honest about this - including yourselves?

I think everybody knows that whoever gets in on Thursday will have inherited a poisoned chalice but i think honesty would gain you far more votes and give your party a lot more respect from potential voters.

I will vote for Labour on Thursday, good luck Gordon

[Molesworth]

PS I think your campaign team should put Tony firmly back in his box

[jonicomelately]

Can I say that I want you to know that despite what Paxman said to you not everybody hates you. Some people appreciate you have been true to yourself during this campaign and respect you for that.

Should you lose the election (which I pray to God you don't) I want to wish you the best of luck in the future. I'm sure that you'll be welcomed with open arms in the City or Harvard University or wherever it may be that will appreciate a first-class brain.

You seem to have people around you, your family, who really admire and care for you. Who cares what journos and the electorate think when you have that

Good luck.

[Meglet]

Well, I've got bath and bedtime to negotiate this evening so I might miss it all, but it's safe to say labour has got my support anyway. Good luck on Thursday, not looking great at the moment but stranger things have happened.

Tax credits = good (and Thank God). I work part time for low paid local government and we would be screwed without them.

On the whole I just don't trust the tories not to be their old 1980's bigoted selves so despite DC seeming like a good bloke (and I have grudging respect for Ken Clarke) they won't have my vote.

And to settle any arguments I think my homemade double choc bics are the best.

[Madsometimes]

Mr Brown

I understand that you say that the economy is too fragile for cuts to be made in 2010, and so you will delay cuts until 2011.

If the economy is still showing weakness in 2011, does that mean that you will further delay cuts, or will you carry on with your planned cuts regardless?

[Ledodgy]

Gordon, in the same vein as some states in America on election day Can I ask for a national holiday being declared on Friday if you do get in again? I, like so many others want to stay up until the early hours watching the election and this is not conducive to work or the schoolrun the next morning. In fact if you start mentioning this one off national holiday in your campaign for the next few days you will undoubtedly win more votes.

[JustineMumsnet]

Reminder folks of our webchat rules and in particular only one question each - sorry should have put this in webchats topic and they would have been at the top of the page!

[Nymphadora]

Hi Gordon just want to say good luck for Thursday and please start ignoring your spin people as they make things look worse!

People are talking of cuts to the public sector who ever gets in. Do you have specific areas in mind?

Dh is in education and I am in Social care. Both of us see tremendous waste higher up in the chain and major shortages on the ground yet there has been talk of not filling posts.

Dh is in particular wanting less goverment initiatives as they increase his work dramatically.He now has 3 f/t staff doing work that was done by 1 5 years ago. Is this likely to improve?

I would like reforms in Social Care to increase staff on the ground which would give massive decreases in staff sickness. I know when I am on maternity leave I will not be covered which leaves a gap in my team but the department budgets are set expecting staffing to be at 90%. how can cuts be made to this situation and still ensure the work is carried out?

[LadyBlaBlah]

I would just like to ask if Sue is still your friend?

[unfitmother]

Good luck Mr Brown!

How do you propose to bring about electral reform?

[MrJustAbout]

Mr Prime Minister,

Your achievements of the past 13 years in focusing effort on the poor are about to be eliminated by a Tory government. In the interests of both the UK and your own legacy, would you step aside in order allow a Lib-Lab coalition to form?

[HerBeatitude]

Mr Brown, the conviction rate for reported rapes is 6%. Most reported rapes don't make it to court. Most rapes aren't even reported. In effect, men in this country have a license to rape women. The measures Harriet Harman (and the labour government) have been putting in place, have made no difference - we're still getting cases where it is very obvious that the men involved have not ensured consent and yet they are getting away with rape, because their lives are considered more valuable than those of women. What are you going to do about it if you are re-elected?

[Nymphadora]

Ooh another question, bit of a local issue basically if Trident goes pretty much a whole town here will collapse. Obviously a good way to save money etc but is there a way that they can be supported to redirect ghe industry rather than letting the local economy collapse?

[chocolatebourbon]

We know that female politicians exist and are working hard, but why their low profile in the election campaigns?

There is much more media coverage of the party leaders' wives - totally irrelevant and demeaning.

This, together with the constant bigotted focus on immigration, makes me feel that this country is moving backwards.