Brown: Targeting mothers with young children

Gordon Brown has attempted to win over Labour's new election target, "school gate mums", with a raft of new family friendly proposals.

On a visit to a primary school in south east London the chancellor met women voters, and outlined details of Labour's childcare policies, as well as giving out balloons and autographs to the children.

Labour strategists believe that mothers of young children make up a key constituency of around one million voters who could decide the result of the election.

The aim of the "school gate mum strategy" is to emphasise the importance of child benefit, child tax credits, good schooling and Labour's investments in childcare.

Brown considers childcare and education as a key economic test.

"I wanted to meet parents at the school gates and the children to say that the economy is not just abstract figures, it is about them," he said.

Major speech

The chancellor followed up his school visit with a speech on the theme of "bringing the economy home".

The speech warned that a return to "Tory boom and bust" would have a particularly tough impact on mothers and children.

In an interview with the Guardian, Brown expanded on the reasoning behind Labour's new family campaign strategy.

"When I talk about a school gate election campaign, I talk about mothers who are asking us, rightly so, about the childcare that's available, the quality of childcare; how we can help them as they struggle to balance work and family life; how to give their children more opportunities and ensure we have the highest standard of education in every school."

And Brown confirmed plans for a rise in the child tax credit to £3,400 by 2007 from £1,400 in 1997, while benefits for mothers who stay at home during their children's first year would go up to £10,300 from £2,600 in 1997.

There would also be £25m committed to help children with early learning difficulties, and a new national telephone helpline service will be set up to offer support and advice to parents.

'Family matters'

The chancellor also compared the drive to improve children's lives with the founding of the welfare state.

"I think the 1945 settlement was symbolised by the creation of the NHS... it became so rooted in people's support that no party, however extreme, could ever undo it.

"The symbol, I believe, of the 1997 settlement will become the new children's services, the vast expansion in the investment that we are prepared to make in the potential of every child," said Brown.

The prime minister, with wife Cherie and education secretary Ruth Kelly, are also targeting mothers of young children with the launch of a pamphlet setting out Labour's family policies.

They will meet with mothers and children to promote the six page document, 'Family Matters', which is designed in the format of a supermarket weekly and will be distributed throughout the country.