This paper examines Labour policy for the under-fives between 1997 and 2010, with a particular focus on the government's goal of creating a more equal starting point for young children from all backgrounds. The paper has two main aims. First, it seeks to examine Labour's record in a policy field it emphasised throughout its 13 years in power. Second, it hopes to prepare the ground for a future assessment of policy for under-fives under the Conservative-Liberal Democrat Coalition. The evidence on the importance of early childhood has had an impact across the political spectrum, and the Coalition has retained an interest in the early years as part of its social mobility agenda. The current assessment hopes to be useful in presenting a baseline for a study of changes in policy and outcomes for young children post-2010. (author abstract)