Labour’s Shadow Education Secretary, Bridget Phillipson MP, was in Peterborough today to meet single parent families alongside local Labour candidate Andrew Pakes and the charity Gingerbread.

There are 10,000 single parent families in Peterborough according to the latest official data, with Gingerbread warning of barriers parents over flexible childcare provision.

The parents meeting was held at Peterborough Museum with local mums discussing issues around the costs and availability of childcare, and its impact on work and family life. 

Labour has pledged to create a modern childcare system supporting families from the end of parental leave to the end of primary school, starting with universal free breakfast clubs for every primary school child in England.

Bridget Phillipson MP, Labour’s Shadow Education Secretary, said:

“Families in large parts of this country, including in Peterborough, have been abandoned in childcare deserts by this Conservative Government.

“The falling availability and spiralling cost of childcare is forcing parents to cut back on jobs and hours, or to leave the labour market, and after crashing the economy, the Conservatives have no ideas about how to fix our broken system.

“Labour will create a modern childcare system from the end of parental leave to the end of primary school to give parents choices in the workplace and give children the best possible start to life.”

Andrew Pakes, Labour’s Parliamentary Candidate for Peterborough, added:

“I’d like to thank parents and Gingerbread for highlighting the lack of choice facing too many parents due to low pay, rising costs and lack of flexible childcare provision.

 “Fixing the affordable childcare crisis will help children, parents and the local economy with parents being able to make the right choices for their families.”