Who wins on childcare? Nursery battles really matter

If Labour wins, there will be a explosion in the creation of private firms providing wraparound childcare, which is fine, but only if they know what they're doing

David Cameron has pledged to double the free childcare entitlement for three- and four-year-olds from 15 hours a week to 30 (Getty)

It’s a bit late for this campaign, but I have a business idea for the 2020 general election: special emergency childcare for political people. My Election Nannies business might be a little niche and short-lived. But given the amount of childcare nightmare stories I’ve heard from parliamentary candidates and journalists covering this election, the relatives roped in to help out while a parent has to go canvassing at the other end of the country, or political spouses left holding the baby for days, my nannies would get a lot of business.

Actually, it’s a good thing that politicians and journalists get to experience the sharp end of childcare during the election. Millions of families face their own childcare assault course every week. Childcare has been an issue at the top of the political agenda for more than a decade, yet Britain still does not have universal provision. Even after flagship childcare promises by the three main parties last week, there remain more gaps than in a crocheted baby blanket. But who has the best policies?

David Cameron pledged to double the free childcare entitlement for three- and four-year-olds from 15 hours a week to 30, trumping Labour’s pledge of 25 free hours. The 30-hour pledge would be worth £5,000 to families from 2017, and the £350m cost paid for by reducing tax relief on pension contributions for people earning more than £150,000. I know that when my daughter turned three, those 15 free hours made a huge difference to our household budget, so 25 or 30 will be a significant boost.

Labour’s new pledge is for a National Primary Childcare Service to require schools under law to provide breakfast and after-school clubs, from 8am to 6pm. “Wraparound” care was a policy of the last Labour government but it was voluntary and many schools provide only patchy care. In some schools, the clubs are excellent – be they homework and play clubs or more specific groups teaching a sport or language. Yet I’ve heard of other schools struggling to provide the cover because there aren’t enough volunteers. And parents still have to pay – although in most cases children eligible for free school meals get discounts.

If Labour wins, there will be a explosion in the creation of private firms providing wraparound care, which is fine, but only if they know what they’re doing. And while it might be great news for many parents that such care is on the cards, I cannot imagine any primary school child being able to get through a 50-hour week at school – even if a lot of that is just playing – without being exhausted by the weekend.

Nick Clegg and the Liberal Democrats had the policy pledge that I believe will make the most difference to parents: offering 15 hours a week of free childcare between nine months and two years. This is not just about throwing numbers around. The “maternity gap” – the time between the end of maternity leave and the start of free childcare at aged three (or two for lower-income families) – is the reason tens of thousands of women give up work after having a child. At the end of maternity leave, the sudden, exorbitant cost of childcare for your baby can be a career deal-breaker. In many cases, a mother (it is usually the mother) sees no point in going out to work if it costs more to pay a childminder or nursery than she earns in her job.

Then there would be just the psychological boost of those free hours at that confidence-sapping time of returning to work. At aged one, a child already costs more than a three-year-old in terms of sheer paraphernalia – the pushchairs, stairgates and so on. On childcare, I agree with Nick.

Deep in their pockets

Buried in the Conservative manifesto was an idea for “Pocket Parks”, which sound like the latest range in Lego Friends but are small areas of unloved urban space turned green and pleasant. A Tory government would give £3m to fund 100 Pocket Parks in the 20 biggest cities outside London. Community groups are expected to be modelled on the Pocket Parks in London championed by Boris Johnson – like the Dalston Eastern Curve Community Garden in east London or the vegetable plots in the Brookwood House Council Estate in Southwark. This is a fantastic idea because greening urban areas has a knock-on effect on lowering crime, graffiti and disorder – so why was this policy not broadcast more loudly as part of Cameron’s “Good Life” vision for Britain?

The sound of democracy

About 20 minutes into last week's “Challengers” TV debate I thought the five contenders looked exhausted – hardly a great advert to the audience watching at home. The BBC debate went on for an hour and a half – half an hour shorter than the seven-way battle on ITV two weeks earlier, but nevertheless too long. I still think the debates are good for democracy, because they turn on a sofa-bound constituency who might not want to read every word in the paper or live in a marginal with candidates forever on their doorstep. But the format is not quite right, because it allows too many voices speaking over each other.

Political embrace

One of the best moments for many was the group hug between Nicola Sturgeon, Leanne Wood and Natalie Bennett after the debate was over, as Miliband looked on. I want to see more female leaders in politics, and the debates have been great for that – if only these women were in the Westminster Parliament. Yet is it really a step forward for feminism if these three leaders were in agreement all the time? Breaking news: women have different views to each other. Please let’s not see the hugging presence of Sturgeon, Wood and Bennett as the only female contribution to the political debate.

Ed’s garage brand

Chuka Umunna has given an interview to DJ magazine, based on the fact that he used to spin some decks (as I think the young people say) when he was at university in Manchester. He was a big fan of garage back in the 1990s – his favourite DJ was someone called Karl “Tuff Enuff” Brown. Is this where Miliband got the idea for his “Am I tough enough? Hell, yes!” line?

Twitter.com/@janemerrick23

---

The Independent has got together with May2015.com to produce a poll of polls that produces the most up-to-date data in as close to real time as is possible.

Click the buttons below to explore how the main parties' fortunes have changed:

All data, polls and graphics are courtesy of May2015.com. Click through for daily analysis, in-depth features and all the data you need. (All historical data used is provided by UK Polling Report)