Survey reveals voters have little confidence in the Conservatives to improve childcare

The YouGov survey of over 2,000 adults, conducted on behalf of the Early Education and Childcare Coalition (EECC), reveals:

• More than a third (35 per cent) of respondents trust Labour the most to reduce the cost of childcare. Just 5 per cent would put their trust in the Liberal Democrats.
• 29 per cent currently ‘don’t know’ which political party they trust to make childcare more affordable.
• Just one in 10 trust the Conservatives the most to improve the quality of provision, compared to a quarter (26 per cent) who trust Labour and just 6 per cent would put their faith in the Liberal Democrats.

The poll also explored voter attitudes towards eligibility for the 30-hour schemes. When asked whether children should be entitled to the funded hours even if their parents were not working, 45 per cent of voters believe that children should still access early education and childcare regardless of their parents’ employment status, compared to 46 per cent who are against the idea.

Sarah Ronan, director of the Early Education and Childcare Coalition, said, ‘Clearly voters are concerned about the ability of the Conservatives to deliver on both affordability and quality, and we share those concerns.

‘If the Chancellor wants to deliver on his Spring Budget promise of more “free childcare”, he must use his Autumn Statement to address funding shortfalls and staffing challenges in the sector. If he can get those right, he could turn this polling around and win the support of millions of struggling families.’