Tory leader David Cameron makes flexible working key element of bid to be prime minister

Tory leader David Cameron has made flexible working central to his campaign to become prime minister.

Cameron told delegates at the Conservative Party conference in Blackpool yesterday that he wanted the Tories to be the “party of the family”.

He said offering all working parents the right to request flexible working was a crucial part of this aim.

“I don’t just want to give people a tax cut, I want to give people a time increase,” he said. “That is why I think it’s time to say to all employees in all companies with children that you should have the right to ask for flexible working.”

Cameron said employers that have embraced flexible working have found that productivity, profits and staff morale have soared.

“At the next election, we will be able to offer people the strongest family package any party has put together,” he said. “Yes we will recognise marriage in the tax system, yes we will take the couples penalty out of the tax system and yes we will give people more time, more flexibility, so we can be the Party of the family once again.”

Speculation continued to mount today that prime minister Gordon Brown would next Tuesday call a general election, most probably for 1 November.