Nearly two million lone parents will be voting in the forthcoming General Election and I would like to know what each of the parties and our local candidates are going to do for these families.

Like parents in couples, lone parents want to do the very best they can for their children. But they face obstacles that are twice as hard for them to overcome.

They have, at best, only one income coming into the household (many receive no maintenance for their children from former partners).

They have nobody to share childcare with, so it can be hard for them to go out to work.

Few choose to bring up children on their own and, like all parents, they need proper support to enable them to do the best for their children.

What will our political candidates do to increase childcare places in this area? What will they do to ensure no child grows up poor? Will they put children from all families at the heart of the political agenda?

When I come to cast my vote, I will be looking carefully at what the parties have to say on these matters. And so, I suspect, will every parent, whether bringing up their children as a couple or on their own.

-Ms D Freeborn, Tillstone Street, Brighton