Childcare pledge

Labour leader Ed Miliband has promised that a future Labour government would introduce a “legal guarantee” of 8.00am-6.00pm childcare at primary schools through breakfast and after-school clubs.

This is on top of an earlier pledge to provide 25 hours a week free childcare for three- and four-year-olds whose parents work, up from the current 15 hours.

Labour published figures to show that nursery costs have risen as a proportion of average earnings from 18% to 22%.