I Stand For Children

The NSPCC have asked for my pledge.

But they will not send my pledge message to all their members in Central Devon until they can do so with the pledges of all of Central Devon's candidates.

Fair enough I say - the National Charity has to play carefully by the rules and cannot be seen to favour one or the other of us.

So while I'm waiting and hoping that all candidates do pledge - here's what I said

As your Labour Candidate in Central Devon I am wholly committed to the Labour principle that Every Child Matters.


Charities such as the NSPCC and Barnardos need to be able to work with a Government that fully understands the needs of ALL kinds of children and families.

I ask all Central Devon voters to be aware of the Tory threat to families —
they would:

 Take tax credits away from families on middle incomes.

 Scrap Child Trust Funds for families earning just over £16,000.

 Refuse to match Labour’s commitment to protect investment in frontline services like schools and the police.

 Give some married couples a tax break, penalising and stigmatising many families and children where parents are not married or where the wife works as well as the husband.

 Cut inheritance tax for the richest, giving £200,000 on average to 3,000 millionaires.

 Threaten your Sure Start children’s centres.


The Tories are a change families can’t afford.
Look past the warm words and photo opportunities and take a long hard look at what the Tories have actually done when it comes to making life better

for families:

 voted against increasing maternity leave.

 voted against introducing paternity leave.

 voted against your right to request flexible working if you have children.

 voted against the National Minimum Wage.