Labour are set to announce plans offering guaranteed access to childcare to parents of primary school children from 8am to 6pm, according to the Guardian, as the party opens a crucial annual conference showing its support to families struggling with falling living standards.
Labour is planning a big expansion of free childcare, Deputy Leader Harriet Harman reveals today. All parents with kids in primary school will get help looking after them from 8am to 6pm. Ms Harman will also announce plans for working mums to share their parental leave with their mothers or mothers-in-law. She said providing universal childcare was the missing part of the welfare state. "We are coming up with some big action on childcare," she said. "People are saying we want an NHS which is free, we want a good education system and we want childcare. "There's a fundamental argument that says "if this is a demand of women, public policy should deliver it."
The Coalition is committed to giving 15 hours of free childcare a week to 260,000 families with two year-olds if they earn less than 16,190 pounds. Speaking ahead of the Labour Party conference in Brighton, Ms Harman suggested Labour will go further, if the money is available. Ed Miliband will announce the Primary childcare will be a big part of our manifesto in 2015, she said. All parents with children in primary school can have the certainty that childcare is available from 8am to 6pm, Mr Miliband will say.
The tax, part of the 2012 Welfare Reform Act, was introduced only in April and charges working-age tenants in social housing based on how many spare rooms they have. Benefits are reduced by 14% for one room and 25% for two or more bedrooms. On average, an individual affected by the tax is losing between 14 pounds and 25 pounds a week. Ministers have introduced a discretionary payments for councils to ease the impacts on tenants.
Treasury minister said, Labour's first policy commitment, after three years of waiting is more spending on housing benefit, funded by a tax on pensions and more borrowing. That sums up Labour's record in office and shows it's still the same old Labour. Despite promising 'discipline' on borrowing Ed Miliband has shown he is too weak to deliver. Nothing has changed, its the same old Labour. And hardworking people would pay the price through higher taxes and higher mortgage rates.