Labour MPs press Burnham to expand statutory paternity leave
A cross-section of 105 Labour MPs is calling for six weeks of paternity leave paid at 90 per cent of earnings before next month’s budget.
Andy Burnham is facing pressure from Labour MPs to increase statutory paternity leave before next month’s budget, with 105 parliamentarians arguing that the current system leaves lower-paid fathers least able to take time off.
A letter coordinated by Frances O’Grady, Maya Ellis and Jon Pearce calls for six weeks of leave paid at 90 per cent of earnings. The MPs say the measure would support families facing the cost-of-living crisis and address regional disparities in access to leave.
Statutory paternity leave is currently limited to two weeks, paid at £187.18 a week. Campaigners say the UK has one of the least generous paternity-leave systems among OECD countries.
The letter cites HMRC data showing that more leave is taken in London and south-east England than in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and north-west and north-east England combined. It also says 90 per cent of claimed paternity leave goes to higher earners.
The Guardian reports that almost half of Labour’s 403 MPs have explicitly backed improvements, although the campaign’s claimed £2.6bn economic-growth benefit remains an estimate contained in the letter.
The government says it is conducting a full review of parental pay and leave. The review is due in December, while charities, unions and academics have separately called for broader reform.
