That Gordon Brown’s threat to remove childcare vouchers has caused uproar not just amongst the hard-working families who have come to rely on them, but also amongst his own MPs is hardly surprising.

Scrapping the childcare vouchers would provide yet another example of the Labour Government’s short sightedness. Stuart Maclean, Managing Director at Nannytax, the UK’s leading payroll support service for parents employing nannies, says: “It is readily accepted that it is the middle classes that have the biggest influence on the result of a general election, and alienating this powerful section of the population would be very ill-advised indeed.”

But not only does the PM risk irrevocably distancing himself from the very voters he depends upon the most, the indirect effect of such a decision would be damaging to the economy as a whole. Mothers who would normally be returning to work after the birth of a child could be less likely to do so if the cost of childcare becomes too high. It is therefore possible that companies will suffer both in terms of recruitment and the retention of experienced staff.

Because of the Labour Government’s apparent continued fear to be seen to be assisting middle income families, nannies and nanny employers continue to occupy a grey area within childcare. Yet nannies, especially when the nanny is shared between families, are no longer just for the wealthy. They are one, if not the best, available childcare option for the many thousands of parents who require flexible childcare, and these are the same parents who currently rely on the childcare vouchers and the tax relief they provide. Why does the Government continue to penalise these hard-working families?

If you want to sign a petition urging the Government not to scarp the childcare vouchers please go to No10.gov.uk