I will never not find it shocking that the ruling party has such dinosaur views. But these provocative comments clearly mask a colossal failure on their government’s part over the past 14 years, to introduce policies that would support parents and deliver quality early years provision for children.
The soaring cost of housing and childcare coupled with stagnant wages, has crippled the state’s early years offer. According to the National Childbirth Trust, parents now pay an average of over £7,000 per year for a part-time nursery place, rising to over £15,000 for a full-time place and even higher in some areas.
I know from my own experience the perverse impact of high childcare costs. After having our second child in 2021, my husband and I realised that our monthly nursery fees would be higher than my husband’s salary as a primary school teacher. The system therefore incentivised a committed school teacher to leave the workforce altogether. Ultimately he opted to work part-time so that he could have a work-life balance, but that came at a cost to our family finances.
Despite being in power since 2010, only last year did the Tories decide to expand free childcare hours. Even then, childcare practitioners have warned that government’s underfunding of so-called “free childcare” places means that some providers won’t be able to afford to pass on the government’s offer, many already struggling to make their business model work. When my eldest turned three and started receiving “30 free hours per week” it still cost us £3,516 per year.
This all paints a very depressing picture but there is hope and there are solutions. And despite all of the above, I’m optimistic and I’ll tell you why.
A general election will take place this year, giving us an opportunity to vote in a Labour government with the vision, ambition and policies to bring about fundamental change. This includes on early years provision where, as trailed over the festive break Labour is planning a transformative expansion of early years places, including within existing primary schools.
For Labour, childcare is so much more than just a facility that allows parents to work more hours. Our party understands how fundamentally important early years are to a child’s development and a major determining factor of outcomes later in life. It is more than well evidenced that high quality early years education helps close the gap between outcomes for children from disadvantaged backgrounds and other children.
I’m proud that Brighton and Hove is one of the few local authorities in the whole country that still maintains a significant number of council-run nurseries and we are fighting hard to maintain that despite serious budget pressures. In the face of catastrophic real-term cuts to council funding, we are having to find £33 million of savings for the financial year ahead – almost double the amount of savings the last Green administration was required to find for the last budget they set.
We’re battling to “maintain our council run nurseries, wherever possible” in line with our manifesto commitment despite government’s efforts to force closures, as most other councils have been forced to do.
We are working to protect council nurseries including Bright Start which was opened by a Labour administration in the 1980s and which the Greens tried to close last year. Instead of closure we are relocating it to the nearby Tarner Family Hub, as the current building is no longer fit for purpose. Having listened to parents we are working to ensure that all children currently on roll will be offered a place at the new location.
The stark reduction in pupil numbers at primary schools is leading to enormously difficult decisions and I’ve listened to parents at St Peter’s who have highlighted the impact of proposed school closure on the nursery facility for three-year-olds.
Whatever decision is reached we want to ensure that there is sufficiency of nursery places in South Portslade. And over the medium term we are determined to expand nursery provision across the city in line with Labour’s national policy and our manifesto commitment to look to increase the city’s provision for pre-school children.
We need a strategic approach to making Brighton and Hove an affordable place to stay for young families.
Bella Sankey is Labour leader of Brighton and Hove City Council
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