generously set so as to cover at least 80% of
likely childcare costs. This would stop it from
becoming more expensive to work more hours
and allow parents to decide how much to work
based on the needs of the child and family. The
amount of childcare vouchers available should
be increased between the ages of one and three
rather than at present where you can get the
same for a 3 and 15 year old.
● Deal with the lack of nursery placDeal with term time only issue.
es.
● People and companies
should be actively
dissuaded from people
working regularly
weeks over 40
hours. If you’re
doing 70 hours
someone is missing
you and your doing 2
peoples job.
● All jobs should be advertised as
optional number of hours unless there is
very good reason why the job cannot be
done by several people. People should be able to
state on application how many hours they wish
to do. The selected candidate will get the hours
they requested and the next best candidate
offered what is left etc.
● Workplaces should where reasonably possible
be required to make provision for parents to
bring infants under one into work. (Most babies
are very amiable and it’s a time many parents
could work)
These are just a few thoughts after 3 years of juggling
babies, volunteering and work. They all need thrashing
out but are enough I think to provide a little hope that
the left could offer something radical and deep that not
only would help parents but change the way we value
one another and engage with society.
Why does politics not connect with
people?
Shona Elliott
I don’t know about you but I often hear people in
political circles talk about how to reconnect people with
the political process and I find it frustrating. I do not
question their intentions but always wonder why the
focus is on why people are disengaged with politics especially when the answer is blindingly obvious sat in
yet another political conference on a Saturday afternoon
listening to the same sort of people speak at me from a
panel. But its more than that, I believe the real question
we should be asking is the other way around - why
does politics not connect with people?
This question really hit home to me
recently when I heard a
representative from the Trussell
Trust speak about how
difficult it is feeling vilified
by politicians, simply for
feeding people and then
believing that story needs to be
told. What has happened that has
caused politics in some quarters to
become so disconnected with the
community it is there to serve, that its
angry about hearing the truth? I am sure we
will all
have different answers to that question but
what I am convinced of is that it is more important to
move on from diagnosing the problem to getting stuck in
to help redeem this broken relationship.
I am really looking forward to the community launch of
Christians on the Left this Tuesday as I believe we can
play an important part as Christians to help bridge this
gap and share in building a new political consensus. It
excites me to imagine a political system where
politicians do not need to look outward when making
d