Brown: Families cannot afford a Tory government
Chancellor Gordon Brown has today made a “direct appeal” to hard working families for their vote, saying most could not afford a Conservative government.
Mr Brown said this election “is now rightly called the school gate election campaign” and said Labour would be making a “direct appeal to mothers and fathers”.
He said Labour’s flagship policies were about investing in schools and children, while the Conservatives’ plans for a pupils’ passport would take millions out of local schools.
“Many families can literally not afford a Conservative government.”
The Conservatives though say that their plans would deliver real choice to parents and stress the passport would only cover schools providing education at the same or lower price than the state sector.
The Liberal Democrats say the Labour and Conservative focus on choice is wrong, and what parents really want is a good local school.
Mr Brown said that being a parent had “changed the way I think of the needs of children and families”. He added: “All parents want the best for their child. And what every parent wants for their children, I also want for all children.”
The Chancellor highlighted Labour’s manifesto pledges on children and education saying that in each year of the next Parliament, more would be spent on education – both overall and per pupil – and any money saved on cutting unemployment would be pumped into schools.
Education or training would be available to all until 18 and schools would be rebuilt or refurbished.
Attacking the Tory plans for a pupils’ passport, Mr Brown said it was “a policy so right wing it was even rejected by Mrs Thatcher and the late Lord Keith Joseph.” He claimed it would cut investment for the many to pay the fees of a few.
Lauding Labour’s child tax credit, Mr Brown said that rises meant that tax credits were “wiping out income tax liability for earnings up to £21,200 – nearly £400 a week. In other words, right up until £400 a week you are a beneficiary from income tax, not a net payer.”
He suggested that three million families in Britain had their income tax liability wiped out by child benefits.
Brown also stressed that the well off also received help, saying: “all parents using childcare supported by their employer will be able to get a tax break worth up to £50 a week – free of income tax and national insurance – right up the income scale.”
