Cameron: 'I'll pay for mothers to be at home'
Last updated at 14:46 20 February 2007
David Cameron today pledged to give stay-at-home
mothers extra money as he outlined plans to
boost marriage. Seizing on a huge new poll lead over Labour, the Tory leader said that he was looking at schemes to reinstate a transferable tax allowance between couples with children.
Such a move would mean thousands of pounds
could go into the pockets of mothers who choose to spend more time with their children before they reach school age.
Mr Cameron also said that he was considering a
Swedish government policy of helping working
mothers by paying the lowest earner in a couple a
“quality bonus” to fund childcare.
In a wide-ranging question and answer session with BBC Radio 4’s You And Yours programme, he also declared that the Tories’ “war on single parents” was over. Mr Cameron said that he wanted to give mothers a “real choice” and said that under Labour many felt they were being forced back to work.
He said that bringing up children was the hardest task for most people and a “tax break would make a real difference” for married couples.
“The idea of saying to people, ‘If one of you stays at home you can transfer your tax allowance to your husband or wife,’ would make a difference,” he said.
The Conservative leader spoke as a new poll gave
him a 13 per cent lead over a Gordon Brown-led
Labour Party. The ICM/Guardian poll, which will rattle nerves amongLabour MPs already worried about losing their seats, put the Tories on 42 per cent, a Brown-led Labour Party on 29 per cent and the Liberal Democrats on 17 per cent.
If the results were repeated across the
board in a general election, Mr Cameron’s
party would achieve an eight per cent
swing that would propel him into Downing
Street with a majority of 50 seats.
Such a result would be almost as bad as Labour’s
disastrous 1983 general election performance
when Michael Foot managed to win just 27.6 per cent of the vote.
The ICM poll is all the more striking as
it shows that Conservative support has
increased three points on a month ago,
while Labour has dropped two points.
Some Labour MPs will blame Tony Blair
for failing to allow the Chancellor to take
over sooner. But others close to the Prime
Minister will suggest it proves the need to
look for a fresher face than Mr Brown’s.
Former minister Frank Field last week
broke ranks to call for Environment Secretary
David Miliband to contest the
Labour leadership when Mr Blair steps
aside this summer.
When normal voting intentions are
polled, with Mr Blair as leader, Labour is
on 31 per cent, the Tories on 40 per cent and
the Liberal Democrats on 19 per cent.
Mention of the Chancellor’s name appears
to cut the party’s backing by two points.
Two informal calculators, the UK Polling
Report and Electoral Calculus, estimate
that with Mr Brown in charge of Labour
the Tories would have a majority of 50 —
the party’s highest since Margaret
Thatcher’s 1987 election victory.
There is no evidence that the UK Independence
Party is eating into Tory support
but other smaller parties do well, according
to the figures. The Green Party commands
two per cent, reflecting a rise in environmental
issues in public awareness.
To add to Mr Blair’s troubles, the first Cabinet splits over road-pricing have emerged, with Labour chairman Hazel Blears warning that the Prime Minister would fuel “resentment” if he ignored 1.6 million people who signed a petition on a Downing Street website.
“If we have got all of these thousands of
people on a petition saying they want us to
do something about an issue, where are our
mechanisms [to respond]?” she told a No 10
seminar. “People will very quickly turn off
and that energy will turn to resentment.”
- Solar cycle: The sun's 11-year heartbeat explained
- 'Just take the f****** picture': Prince Philip loses his...
- Beach goer captures aftermath of beach explosion
- 'What the f***?' Can you hear McDonald's Minions swearing?
- Horrifying moment slingshot ride cable SNAPS
- First look behind the scenes: Star Wars: The Force Awakens
- 'Let's go upstairs' dog reacts to owners command with guilty...
- Woman throws HUGE tantrum after her phone battery died
- US Marshals employee caught having sex on courthouse roof
- Shocking! Panera Bread manager punches female employee
- Friend of Jared Fogle admits wearing a wire to help FBI
- Shocking moment taxi refuses to stop after hitting pram
- Isis's female Gestapo wreaking terror on their own sex: They...
- Woman hurt in mystery beach explosion: Cops hunt for suspect...
- And after the wedding came the party! Glamorous Nicky Hilton...
- 'Middle school girls are hot': Friend of Jared Fogle claims...
- The lonely Lothario: He bathed in bubbly, out-caroused...
- Musician Beck sells his surprisingly ordinary looking...
- The giga-mansion war continues: Property developer father of...
- 'Yes my hands are full! Sometimes with two glasses of wine':...
- Second Tunisia terror attack foiled: Five ISIS extremists...
- Look, no hands! Unstoppable Williams wins the 'Serena Slam'...
- Inmate found sawed in half and shoved into a trash can with...
- 'Just take the f****** picture': Prince Philip launches...