Guardian Daily: Should the tax system encourage marriage?

All three political parties have announced measures this week to help the family. With a general election approaching, winning the family vote is likely to be crucial. A key Tory pledge is to change the tax system in favour of married couples. The former party leader Iain Duncan Smith - who now heads the Centre for Social Justice thinktank - says the family should be at the heart of government. He tells me how the government can encourage marriage without penalising people who aren't married. Ed Balls , the children's secretary, explains why the government has produced a pamphlet this week with important advice for new fathers, to encourage better parenting. We hear the views of mums and dads from an area of south London known locally as " Nappy Valley " because of the high concentration of young families living there. Joining our panel is Justine Roberts , co-founder of Mumsnet - a website whose users are being wooed assiduously by politicians of various stripes. The coming poll has even been called the "Mumsnet election". Guardian columnist Polly Toynbee , herself an influential voice among social policy makers, says SureStart must be protected by whichever party wins the election. And Tim Dowling , who writes about his own family in his column in Guardian Weekend magazine, gives his view about the extent to which politicians should get involved in the family.