Tag Archives: parenting

Karen Wilkinson

Opinion: The hidden costs of pushing parents to conform

By Karen Wilkinson | Thu 31st January 2013 - 2:00 pm

I heard odd things yesterday.  Talk of getting women back into the workplace by subsidising childcare for all parents – and this after means testing child benefit.

Then someone proposed that all child carers should have good GCSE Maths & English whilst increasing ratios! How did the human race survive before academic qualifications? Here we have another narrowing of work opportunities for people who are not so hot at academic stuff.

To add to my indignation, I heard someone say on the radio that only working parents provide a positive role model  for children and that “non-working” parents don’t contribute to the …

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Posted in Op-eds | Also tagged | 14 Comments
Stephen Tall

Cameron: he was against paternity pay before he was in favour of it. What will his view be next month?

By Stephen Tall | Thu 28th January 2010 - 7:25 pm

‘Dads will be able to take up to six months’ paternity leave while their child’s mother returns to work, under government plans announced today,’ reports The Guardian.

The Lib Dems’ shadow children, schools and families secretary, David Laws, is deeply unimpressed with Labour’s approach:

The Government fails to understand that all families are different and need far more flexibility when it comes to parental leave. Labour seems to think it knows best when it comes to how families should arrange their lives.
 
“Instead of more rigid and complex reforms, the Liberal Democrats would introduce fully flexible parental leave which

…

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Stephen Tall

CommentIsLinked@LDV … A Vince double-bill – ‘Osbornomics’ and single mothers

By Stephen Tall | Mon 5th October 2009 - 1:25 pm

Lib Dem deputy leader Vince Cable’s path has gone beyond mere sainthood – to his financial omniscience we can now add his media omnipresence. In today’s Independent, he delivers a withering attack on what he terms ‘Osbornomics’ in, erm, honour of the Tories’ shadow chancellor.

First, Vince tries to pin down Boy George’s guiding economic philosophy:

The last Conservative government was led by people who had a clear sense of ideological direction and conviction. Mrs Thatcher was clearly influenced, directly or indirectly, by the ideas of Hayek – rolling back “the serfdom of the state”. Sir Geoffrey Howe and rising stars like Nigel Lawson had developed a response to the inflationary 1970s through the monetarist ideas of Milton Friedman and the Chicago School. It is very difficult to see any clear or consistent thread this time round.

However, he acknowledges Mr Osborne has publicly lauded one philosopher, one Adam Smith:

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Recent Comments

  • User AvatarJessica Ottowell 18th May - 3:16pm
    I'm concerned that we are still permitting so called religion get in the way of rearing this nation's children in a manner that breeds a...
  • User AvatarRoger Roberts/Wales 18th May - 3:08pm
    better correct - it is the third commandment that declares our responsibility to care for the "strangerthat is within thy gates".
  • User AvatarLiberal Al 18th May - 2:45pm
    A wonderful idea that is completely undermined by members of our own Government constantly looking for ways to get out of the European Convention on...
  • User AvatarTony Dawson 18th May - 2:42pm
    Can anyone tell me what advantage there is to our society or nation in having six sets of 'big players' each with a (due to...
  • User AvatarSnagglepus 18th May - 2:38pm
    Whaddyouexpect???? ConHome=UKIP lite= BNP Ultralite! :-(