Scathing of proposals put forward by the Conservatives, Labour leader Ed Miliband said: "The Tories want to spend £700 million on what they call a married couple’s allowance but which in fact will go to just one in five families with children. Instead, at the heart of Labour’s plan is the belief that Britain succeeds when modern working families succeed."
Commenting on the proposal, Miliband said: "That means giving dads, as well as mums, the chance to spend more time at home in those crucial weeks after babies have been born.”
As it stands, fathers are entitled £138.18 a week, but Labour plan to increase this figure by £100.
Keen to highlight the effect that Labour's last government has had on family life, Miliband said: “Thanks to the last Labour government, fathers have two weeks’ paid paternity leave."
However the Labour leader acknowledges that more needs to be done in this regard, asserting: "Millions of families have benefited, with parents saying this has helped them support each other, share caring responsibilities and bond with their children. But the money isn’t great – and too many dads don’t take up their rights because they feel they have to go back to work so they can provide for their family.”
The Labour party believes that these proposed reforms will benefit up to 40,000 families a year.
