Reading West MP Martin Salter joined youngsters to celebrate the extension of free childcare for families with young children, at an event in Parliament organised by shopworkers’ union, Usdaw.

The event was held to highlight the excellent work that Sure Start centres undertake with families and young children, and the threat posed by the Tories who have pledged to cut 20 per cent of Sure Start’s funding, putting the future of many of these Centre’s at risk. The Conservatives have pledged to cut the level of inheritance tax paid by millionaires to fund their spending cuts.

Mr Salter said:-

“The millions of children who attend one of the UK’s 3,000 Sure Start Centres are getting a better start in life, a start that the Tories plan to jeopardise as part of a “cost cutting” measure to fund their tax-cuts for millionaires. It would be a tragedy if the Whitley Sure Start, which does such excellent work in my constituency, was forced to close in the interests of pursuing a policy on inheritance tax that would only benefit the richest 3,000 individuals in the UK”.

John Hannett, Usdaw General Secretary added:-

“Many of our members are working parents who struggle to find suitable childcare for their children. The Sure Start Children’s Centres offer high quality childcare. Childcare Tax Credits and free part-time places help to make childcare affordable for all parents so they can go to work secure in the knowledge that their children are well looked after”.