The Contented Politician

It has been reported in some sections of the media that Gina Ford is writing a political blog. This is not the case. The Contented Baby team, with the help of some of our website members, will be putting together regular round-ups of the main events and issues that are likely to interest members in the run-up to the general election.

Gina, meanwhile, is concentrating on all things Contented Baby-related. To read her latest news, please click here.

Weekly Round-up (2)

The week began with unexpected tears, when former Downing Street spin doctor Alastair Campbell welled up on TV while defending Tony Blair. Gordon Brown also revealed personal emotion on TV on Sunday night, as he talked about the tragic death of his little daughter Jennifer Jane, who was born prematurely. It's still months until the election, but it seems the pressure is already getting to even the toughest political figures.

The prime minister's decision to open up about his private life in his interview with Piers Morgan was an extraordinary step for him, and shows how keen he is for the public to see a different side before they make up their minds on how to vote. He normally refuses to talk about his children or his relationship with his wife Sarah. This was his most personal interview yet; and, after everything he's been through - losing his daughter and having a son with cystic fibrosis - there's bound to be a lot of public sympathy.

It may feel like our MPs have only just come back from their Christmas break, but it's now half term, and they're on holiday again. The break is probably a relief for the Tories, who've had another difficult week. They commissioned a hard-hitting, new election poster with a picture of a gravestone on it, engraved with the words "R.I.P OFF". The poster said, "Now Gordon wants £20,000 when you die", which was a reference to one option the government is examining for funding care for the elderly. The Tories hoped the poster would shock voters, but it backfired, as they were accused of "gutter politics".

It turned out that the three main parties have been holding secret talks to try to agree how to stop pensioners being forced to sell their homes to pay for their care. It's a hugely important issue that affects millions of families, and it's a positive sign that the parties tried to set their differences aside and work on a solution together. But by publishing the poster, the Conservatives showed they no longer want to work with the others, which is disappointing, as it means this formidable problem will take longer to solve. The LibDems came out of the row best. They were the ones who pressed for all the parties to co-operate on care for the elderly, demonstrating the type of "consensual" politics they want to see more of in the future.

On Wednesday came the news that childcare costs in the UK are soaring - which won't come as a surprise to many working parents. A survey by the Daycare Trust found parents in England pay an average of £4,576 a year for 25 hours of nursery-based childcare a week for a child aged under two, while parents in Scotland and Wales spend almost as much. Most working parents pay far more than that, with full-time nursery fees often topping £22,000 a year, a rise of more than 40 per cent in seven years. The government currently funds 12.5 hours of free care for three and four-year-olds - a drop in the ocean for parents who work full-time. The Daycare Trust is now calling for an election commitment from politicians of all parties to make a greater investment in childcare, and there must be a lot of votes in this.

For Labour, the week has been dominated by the NHS, with official figures released on Monday showing that complaints against GPs have risen by 12 per cent, to 40,000, in just a year. That's a rise of a quarter in the last ten years, during which doctors have had significant pay rises and their workloads have been reduced. It seems that less than one in ten GPs is prepared to be on call during the night and at weekends.

The poor standard of "out of hours" GP services has an impact on almost every family. It can be stressful for parents when their children fall ill late on a Friday, or at the weekend. It can mean phone calls to NHS helplines, followed by a trip to the local hospital, where there may be a long wait to see whoever is on duty. Understandably, many parents prefer to go straight to Accident and Emergency; but that can also mean several hours in the waiting room, as well as it having an impact on emergency resources when something lesser may have done, had it been available. The health minister, Mike O'Brien, has admitted that out-of-hours medical services are "not good enough". There is likely to be lots of support for the political party that promises better access to GPs around the clock.

Finally, a group of leading economists has warned that a failure to act quickly to cut Britain's budget deficit will affect confidence and threaten economic recovery. They believe that the government lacks a credible plan to cut the budget deficit and are supporting the Conservative's position, where promises have been made to deliver a budget within 50 days if elected. To read more from The Sunday Times, click here.

Happily, it's not all been doom and gloom at Westminster - mischief makers have nominated Harriet Harman for "Rear of the Year". We all love awards; but the real question is, will she win the votes that count?

More soon...

The ContentedBaby.com Team

Latest Weekly Round Up

Previous Political Round Ups