Lib Dems pledge a month off for new dads

Fathers of newborn babies will get double the current paternity leave if the Liberal Democrats are elected on 8 June.

Under the present regulations, men are entitled to up to two weeks' paid leave at a rate of £140 a week after the birth of their baby, although some employers go further and allow the employee to take the time at full pay.

Under the Lib Dems' proposal, the amount of paid leave would be doubled to four weeks.

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The policy has been drawn up by former minister Jo Swinson, who hopes to win back the East Dunbartonshire seat she lost to the SNP in 2015.

She said: "More needs to be done in order to encourage men to take leave when they become a dad to bond with their child during the early weeks and months of their life.

"Research shows that fathers being more involved in their children's lives is good for children's development and good for the health and happiness of the whole family."

As part of the coalition government, Swinson was responsible for the introduction into law of shared parental leave, which allows fathers to share all of the up to 12 months' leave that was previously solely the preserve of mothers.

Men can take 50 of the 52 weeks afforded to women, although employers are not obliged to match any pay enhancement they currently offer to mothers.

Potentially as a result, "the government has estimated that only 2% to 8% of 285,000 eligible working fathers take advantage of shared parental leave", says The Guardian.

Labour has not yet confirmed a policy on this matter, although the draft manifesto leaked yesterday contains a pledge that appears to match the Lib Dems' proposal.

The party "has long been in favour of the increase in paid paternity leave", adds the Guardian. "Ed Miliband’s 2015 manifesto included a pledge to increase the amount of paid from £140 to more than £260 a week."

Both the Lib Dems and Labour have said costings for their policy pledges will be confirmed in the full manifestos, which are due in the coming days.