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| Tories seek to focus on families | Tories seek to focus on families |
| (40 minutes later) | |
| Parents of children of all ages should be able to ask to work flexible hours, says Conservative leader David Cameron. | Parents of children of all ages should be able to ask to work flexible hours, says Conservative leader David Cameron. |
| Employers already have to consider requests from parents with children under six for family friendly hours. | Employers already have to consider requests from parents with children under six for family friendly hours. |
| Mr Cameron said he was also looking at a possible tax allowance for families where one parent stays at home. | Mr Cameron said he was also looking at a possible tax allowance for families where one parent stays at home. |
| On the Tory conference's third day, he said he wanted to focus on things important to people rather than "banging on" about issues like Europe. | On the Tory conference's third day, he said he wanted to focus on things important to people rather than "banging on" about issues like Europe. |
| 'Work-life balance' | 'Work-life balance' |
| Critics accuse Mr Cameron of being a policy-free zone but he said he would be delighted if Labour called a snap election. | Critics accuse Mr Cameron of being a policy-free zone but he said he would be delighted if Labour called a snap election. |
| He argued he could ask his policy groups to report their progress immediately if the Tories did form a government. Parents could have the legal right to work part time | He argued he could ask his policy groups to report their progress immediately if the Tories did form a government. Parents could have the legal right to work part time |
| Mr Cameron told BBC Radio 4's Today programme his party had talked to the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) about his plans to allow more people to ask to work flexible hours. | Mr Cameron told BBC Radio 4's Today programme his party had talked to the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) about his plans to allow more people to ask to work flexible hours. |
| "I think it will help people have a better work-life balance, that's really important - that's the centre ground for me, it's the issues people care about in their lives," he said. | "I think it will help people have a better work-life balance, that's really important - that's the centre ground for me, it's the issues people care about in their lives," he said. |
| Mr Cameron said the "tax lever" was not the only way of helping families as his mother had taught him there was more to life than money. | Mr Cameron said the "tax lever" was not the only way of helping families as his mother had taught him there was more to life than money. |
| Tory officials say the party is looking at creating a transferable tax allowance worth about £2,000 so parents can pass on the benefit of their personal tax allowance to their working partner. | Tory officials say the party is looking at creating a transferable tax allowance worth about £2,000 so parents can pass on the benefit of their personal tax allowance to their working partner. |
| Black Wednesday reminder | Black Wednesday reminder |
| Shadow chancellor George Osborne is using his speech in Bournemouth to warn that making tax-cut pledges could damage the party's election chances. | |
| HAVE YOUR SAY Cameron is doing exactly the right thing by not recklessly offering the sweetener of tax cuts to win cheap votes Richard, Reigate Send us your comments He will insist he will not give in to demands from Tories, including Lord Tebbit and senior backbencher Edward Leigh, for tax promises. | HAVE YOUR SAY Cameron is doing exactly the right thing by not recklessly offering the sweetener of tax cuts to win cheap votes Richard, Reigate Send us your comments He will insist he will not give in to demands from Tories, including Lord Tebbit and senior backbencher Edward Leigh, for tax promises. |
| "I am not going to write my 2009 budget in 2006," he is expected to say. | "I am not going to write my 2009 budget in 2006," he is expected to say. |
| "British people are sick of politicians who promise more than they deliver. We will deliver more than we promise." | "British people are sick of politicians who promise more than they deliver. We will deliver more than we promise." |
| Mr Osborne will accept the principle of lower taxes but warn that high mortgage rates under John Major - and the effects of Britain's crash out of the ERM on Black Wednesday - kept the party out of office for a decade. | Mr Osborne will accept the principle of lower taxes but warn that high mortgage rates under John Major - and the effects of Britain's crash out of the ERM on Black Wednesday - kept the party out of office for a decade. |
| Autism row | Autism row |
| Mr Osborne came under fire on Tuesday after he appeared to suggest in a fringe meeting interview that Gordon Brown was "faintly autistic". | Mr Osborne came under fire on Tuesday after he appeared to suggest in a fringe meeting interview that Gordon Brown was "faintly autistic". |
| Novelist Nick Hornby, who has an autistic son, said: "George Osborne doesn't seem to have noticed that most people over the age of eight no longer use serious and distressing disabilities as a way of taunting people." | Novelist Nick Hornby, who has an autistic son, said: "George Osborne doesn't seem to have noticed that most people over the age of eight no longer use serious and distressing disabilities as a way of taunting people." |
| But Mr Cameron said his friend had not used the word autistic - Mr Osborne had just been trying to move on the conversation when a journalist suggested he might be faintly autistic himself. | But Mr Cameron said his friend had not used the word autistic - Mr Osborne had just been trying to move on the conversation when a journalist suggested he might be faintly autistic himself. |
| "He has clarified that and I think we can leave it at that," Mr Cameron told BBC Radio Five Live. | "He has clarified that and I think we can leave it at that," Mr Cameron told BBC Radio Five Live. |
| 'No cash for access' | 'No cash for access' |
| The Tory leader also rejected criticisms claims that wealthy businessmen can offer money to get talks with him. | The Tory leader also rejected criticisms claims that wealthy businessmen can offer money to get talks with him. |
| Businessmen have reportedly pledged to pay up to £50,000 each, and to make a similar annual donation for the next three to five years, in order to join the Conservative "Leader's Club". | Businessmen have reportedly pledged to pay up to £50,000 each, and to make a similar annual donation for the next three to five years, in order to join the Conservative "Leader's Club". |
| Membership apparently guarantees them a private conversation with Mr Cameron, who said suggestions of "cash for access" were "ridiculous". | Membership apparently guarantees them a private conversation with Mr Cameron, who said suggestions of "cash for access" were "ridiculous". |
| He said he spent a lot of time helping with fundraising in all sorts of ways and people who had given no money at all could get the chance to talk to him at the party conference. | He said he spent a lot of time helping with fundraising in all sorts of ways and people who had given no money at all could get the chance to talk to him at the party conference. |
| Mr Cameron said he had produced a packaged to "clean up politics" by shaking up the way parties are funded and introducing donation limits. | Mr Cameron said he had produced a packaged to "clean up politics" by shaking up the way parties are funded and introducing donation limits. |
| He was also pressed on reports that the Tories had saved £625,000 in tax by selling Conservative Central Office to an offshore company. | He was also pressed on reports that the Tories had saved £625,000 in tax by selling Conservative Central Office to an offshore company. |
| He said he did not deal with the party's day-to-day finances. He said the Tories had bought the building next to Central Office from an offshore trust. | He said he did not deal with the party's day-to-day finances. He said the Tories had bought the building next to Central Office from an offshore trust. |