"Hard working families"

Perhaps this young mum should have postponed having a child until her financial situation was more secure, many of us did back in the 70 s.

Yes Sillyoldfool, and thousands had and still have abortions

Which is amazing, isn't it, considering the choice and availability of contraception nowadays - and the morning-after pill!

I don't find it amazing rosequartz , always been single mothers, widowed mothers, married mothers with children unplanned

I know right enough, Anniebach!

But not all had abortions and managed somehow even if it was a struggle financially.
But there does seem to be more choice these days and it's free

True rosequartz but people haven't changed . I was a single mother with two small children in the seventies and it was a struggle but I cannot and would not dismiss young widows now with - well I had to struggle in the seventies and this seems Sillyoldfools way of viewing things, life just happens and we should allow for this . The young mother I spoke of and whom Sillyoldfool thinks should have planned things with more care, she did, she was in a secure relationship , her mistake seems to be not knowing in advance her partner was going to walk out on her and their child

Sorry, I had not read all the posts, so shouldn't have joined in with a conversation when I hadn't.

I just read the bit about abortions and wasn't sure if you thought that was a good or a bad thing, and I was thinking it was more preventable now than in the past.

(although I do know that mistakes can happen for whatever reason!)

I agree with you rosequartz on the availability of different methods of contraception, it makes it even harder to understand why so many abortions , and with a daughter who has been through so many IVF treatments over twenty years it makes me angry too

Prevention is better than cure.

Although I do know that contraception is not infallible.

I do feel for your daughter, it is a traumatic experience.

Getting back to the OP- and her blood boiling when she hears politicians talking about 'hard working families' - which I totally understand.
And totally understand all the issues about low wages and 0 hr contracts, etc. Totally.

And yet- I am sure we all know 'families' that work much harder than most, and some that work perhaps a lot less than they could. And some that do spend vast amounts of money on stuff they can't afford and get into all sorts of troubles- with others having to pick up the tab later. No? (in all walks of life too, and all along the 'spectrum).

It takes all sorts as DM used to say!

All of us 'People at Home' as Ed Miliband calls us.

I think he was saying "people at home" as he was looking directly at the camera, and presumably they were people at home watching. What else was he supposed to call them? He did not mean people who did not work, I do not think.

He could have just said 'people watching this programme'.

No one's suggested he meant people who don't work, have they?
If the programme had been aired live during the day, he might have been on a stickier wicket...

No, he is always referring to us all as 'People at Home'.
The family member I mentioned wasn't watching the programme (he phoned in the middle of it and asked if Ed had mentioned 'The People at Home' yet as he says it so often!).

I suppose it is better than that old one: 'The Man in the Street'

No-one suggested he meant people don't work - just that we do go out sometimes so if he calls round canvassing he may not find me 'At Home'

And I didn't think this thread was about parties and politicians - more about irritating soundbites that make us grit our teeth!