10 November 2004
Labour’s Ryedale candidate slams Tory childcare policy
Paul Blanchard, Labour’s Parliamentary Candidate for Ryedale, today revealed a document detailing ten ways in which the Tories would hit hard working families with children, saying: "The Tories can have no credibility when they are committed to immediate cuts to childcare."
Speaking in advance of the Tory childcare announcement tomorrow, he said: “The idea that Michael Howard's Conservatives - who in office froze Child Benefit for three years running and even changed the law to allow the level of Child Benefit to deteriorate - have anything real to offer hard working families with children is incredible.
“Thanks to a Labour Government, over 1,100 Ryedale families are benefiting from the Working Families' Tax Credit, and 5,000 Ryedale families have increases in Child Benefit. Since 1998, North Yorkshire has 452 more teachers, and Labour’s National Childcare Strategy has helped to create almost 7,900 more childcare places.
“The Tories are committed to immediate cuts to childcare, cuts to early years education, and cuts to SureStart. They would scrap tax credits for hard working families with children which, by supplementing the family income, gives more mums more choice of whether to work or look after their kids at home.
"The Conservatives have committed to a two year cash freeze to non-schools spending that would mean a real terms cut of five per cent in the childcare budget in the first two years of a Conservative Government. Over the period 2007/8 Labour is increasing the Sure Start budget by £0.5bn to £1.66bn. This will pay for 2,500 children's centres and support at least an additional 120,000 childcare places that would face the axe under Tory spending plans.
"The Tories have opposed every measure Labour has taken to give greater choice to parents through more support for hard working families with children and new rights for mothers and fathers that enable them to spend more time with their children.
"Hard working families with children cannot afford a return to a failed Tory past. Britain is working. Don't let the Tories wreck it again."
Coun Blanchard, 29, is married to Heather and lives in Heworth, York. In addition to his duties as a local councillor, he runs a small marketing business, is a business advisor and Chair of the York Board of Young Enterprise (a national business-education charity), and is studying part-time for a law degree. At City of York Council, he is Vice-Chair of Leader’s Advisory/Scrutiny Panel.
