Dads have descend on Westminster to meet Secretary of State as they deliver call from thousands of fathers to Keir Starmer to improve UK pat leave, supported by rapidly growing band of 28 Labour MPs
Today, Wednesday 16th, a large group of fathers and kids gathered in Westminster to deliver their letter to Keir Starmer, now signed by over three thousand British dads. The Dad Shift letter, supported by other groups like Pregnant then Screwed and Movember, calls on the PM as a fellow father to improve the UK’s statutory paternity offer – which at 2 weeks on less than half the minimum wage is the worst in Europe – in a forthcoming review.
The group gathered by the statue of George V outside Parliament, to take a photo call with MPs also supporting the campaign, they then entered Parliament in convoy with babies and buggies to meet the Secretary of State & hand over their letter in person.
The Dad Shift also today released fresh polling of 4,000 British adults showing 72% of the public believe “Keir was right to defend time with his family” when attacked during the election, and 79% believe this means “Sir Keir Starmer should make sure other dads can spend time with their children, just as he spends time with his”. The campaign, which launched by putting slings & babies on statues around the UK, has built up speed quickly, with 28 Labour MPs co-signing the letter to their leader.
Alex Lloyd Hunter, Co-founder of the Dad Shift said, “Keir’s a father and he knows first hand how important it is to be there at the times that matter. Labour’s review is an opportunity to back British dads, and we know from a mountain of evidence that doing so will be good for mums and good for babies too. Dads are on the march for better paternity leave.”
Josh Simons MP said “Our manifesto promised to review parental leave. Part of that must be generational change to paternity leave. We know that better provision in this area is transformative – for the careers of mums, for the early years outcomes of babies, for recruitment and retention, and for the productivity of our economy. But it’s also about the message we send about fatherhood and about being a man. Equal parenting and equal opportunities in the workplace will only happen when we give families the opportunity to give dads a bigger role. I’m so glad that so many of my fellow MPs, and dads across the country, have got together to push for this.”
In the same poll 81% of the public agreed that “I believe that giving fathers a decent amount of paid paternity leave, so they can be a bigger part of their children’s lives, is good for families and good for the country too”. Marvyn Harrison, Co-founder of the Dad Shift said, “I had to return to work just nine days after my child was born so that we could cover the bills. It’s crazy that this is still happening in 21st century Britain when the evidence is clear that dads in every community in the UK want to be a bigger part of their kids’ lives.”
Max Dubiel, Founder and CEO of SMB Redemption Roasters said, “we need government to step in and help small businesses offer the same benefits as the big players so we can reap the rewards in terms of productivity, recruitment and retention. We know this will be good for families and good for businesses too. As a new dad I’m hoping the Prime Minister remembers his days changing nappies and makes this much needed change.”
Press contact: Isabel [email protected] & 07761543287; George [email protected] & 07969151841; Celia [email protected] &
The Dad Shift are proud to be working in partnerships with a number of brilliant organisations calling for the UK to level up its offer to new dads and co-parents.
Lauren Fabianski, Head of Campaigns at Pregnant then Screwed said, “Paternity leave isn’t a luxury—it’s a lifeline for families. It helps mums get back to work, strengthens the bond between dads and babies, and supports better mental health for both parents. Right now, the UK has the least generous paternity leave in Europe. We are falling behind and with outdated policies that negatively impact our children, gender equality and the economy.”
Kathy Jones, CEO of the Fatherhood Institute said, ““The UK needs a statutory paternity offer that supports economic growth, by enabling parents to share the earning and caregiving equitably rather than pushing mothers to stay at home and fathers to be workhorses. Dads are no longer prepared to sit on the sidelines as parents. They need substantial, well-paid leave of their own – to bond with their babies and support mums in the early days, and become skilled, confident caregivers in their own right.”
Elliott Rae of Parenting Out Loud said, “Enhancing paternity leave is the game changer that will revolutionise how we share caring responsibilities. It’s one of the most important and significant policy changes we can make to support improved outcomes for mothers, fathers and kids.”
Amy O’Connor, Policy and Advocacy at Movember said; “Paternity leave can have an important positive impact on the health of fathers, families, and communities. It supports paternal bonds and we know that dads who are able to be actively involved with their children lead longer and happier lives. Movember is advocating for policy changes and solutions that improve the health outcomes of men, as we all have fathers, brothers, sons, colleagues, and mates we care about and too many of these men are living in poor health.”
Jane van Zyl, Chief Executive Working Families said, ”The UK’s statutory paternity offer doesn’t meet the needs and aspirations of families. We are a notable outlier in comparison to other developed nations, who better support fathers and partners within the first year of being a parent by providing longer periods of leave and improved statutory pay.
It’s high time our outdated and gendered parental leave policy framework was reformed, and we’re delighted that this Government has committed to reviewing parental leave policies.”
Press contact: Isabel [email protected] & 07761543287; George [email protected] & 07969151841; Celia [email protected] 07756 525 004
