A brutal Labour Party advert has exposed the Tory chaos over plans to provide free childcare to parents.
Chancellor Jeremy Hunt announced the flagship policy in last year’s Budget.
He promised that from this September, the government would pay for 30 hours a week childcare for all youngsters aged nine months and above whose parents are in work.
In the Labour ad, posted on X (formerly Twitter) Hunt says: “Today I announce that in eligible households where all adults are working at least 16 hours, we will introduce 30 hours of free childcare, not just for three and four-year-olds, but for every single child over the age of nine months.”
It then cuts to education secretary Gillian Keegan on Sky News this morning casting doubt on whether the policy will be implemented.
Asked by presenter Trevor Phillips if she can guarantee the free childcare will be provided, she says: “You know, what you can’t do Trevor, which I think you probably know, is guaranteeing something in the future that you’re not in control of all the bits.”
The minister then adds: “Obviously guaranteeing something in the future is something that you could never do.”
Rishi Sunak admitted last week that there were “practical issues” which had placed a question mark over the viability of the policy.