Corbyn has to consult iPad when asked about childcare cost in difficult interview

Jeremy Corbyn repeatedly floundered when asked how much a flagship new childcare policy would cost in a difficult radio interview.

The Labour leader was challenged seven times on how much money would be needed to extend the provision of 30 hours of free childcare a week to all two to four-year-olds.

At one point he looked up the figure on his iPad and said "can we come back to this in a moment?" in an interview with the BBC's Woman's Hour programme.

He added: "It will obviously cost a lot."

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Interviewer Emma Barnett eventually told him that the cost, given by his shadow education secretary Angela Rayner, was £4.8bn a year, which Mr Corbyn said "sounds correct".

Mr Corbyn later apologised for not being able to recall the figure, but said he was "very proud" of the commitment to early education.

He also condemned online abuse to which the interviewer was subsequently subjected to by his purported supporters, which he branded as "totally and utterly unacceptable".

"I will not tolerate it under any circumstances," he added.

In addition to the £4.8bn for extending childcare provision, which would be raised from tax increases, his party also pledged to put £2.7bn of capital spending into providing more places and training staff.

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The Conservatives promised at the last election to give 30 hours of free childcare to working parents of three and four-year-olds - up from 15 hours - from April this year.

They have also extended the entitlement to 15 hours of free early education to 40% of two-year-olds.

But reports suggest local authorities have struggled to find enough places and nurseries are facing severe financial pressures to deliver the existing commitments.

Labour say they would extend the entitlement to all parents, not just those in work, and end means testing for two-year-olds by the end of the parliament.

They also highlight spending cuts which have led to the loss of 1,240 Sure Start centres since 2010 - and say they would put £500m into reversing them.

Mr Corbyn, meeting staff at a nursery in Westminster, said today: "The Labour party believes every child, no matter what their background, deserves a good start in life, and that childcare costs shouldn't be a barrier for parents who want to go back to work. The current patchy support for childcare is holding back too many families.

"High quality childcare can transform a child's life chances and make it much easier for parents to work."

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Angela Rayner, the shadow education secretary, campaigning in the Midlands, said: "The Conservatives' 2015 promise to provide parents 30 free hours of childcare a week has unravelled, as they have failed to give the policy the funding it needs.

"Too many parents have been let down, unable to go back to work due to the cost of childcare."

Labour point to a recent survey by the Family and Childcare Trust showing only a third of local authorities expected there to be enough childcare places in time for September 2017, with half reporting that they did not know.

Most councils reported that they expect providers not to offer the hours, because it does not make financial sense to do so.

Currently, the free hours are only available to parents who work and earn at least £120 a week - equivalent to 16 hours at the National Minimum Wage.

Labour say they would would also push nurseries to employ a graduate-led workforce, increase staff wages and improve training opportunities, and look to extend maternity pay to 12 months at a later date.

The Education Policy Institute, which has looked at all parties' plans for childcare, said Labour's would involve doubling the existing early years budget and that extending provision to this extent would be a "significant challenge".