The Liberal Democrats have announced their commitment to enhancing shared parental pay (ShPP) and extending parental leave if they come into power.
During the party’s autumn conference in Bournemouth, Munira Wilson, the education spokesperson, highlighted the lack of men taking parental leave and the financial constraints preventing many from doing so.
Currently, ShPP stands at £172.48 per week or 90% of the claimant’s average weekly earnings.
Under the Liberal Democrats’ proposed plans, this amount would be doubled to £350 per week to alleviate the financial burden on families.
Additionally, shared parental leave (SPL) would be extended from 37 weeks to 46 weeks.
Wilson emphasized the need for more fathers to take time off and spend it with their children, using a reference to the movie Barbie to engage the audience.
She stated, “But I know that many dads do want to spend more time with their kids, they just simply can’t afford it.”
To address this issue, the Liberal Democrats aim to enhance parental leave by doubling pay, allowing new parents to prolong their leave for up to a year.
The party’s focus on education and childcare also includes plans to expand shared parental leave to cover self-employed individuals.
In addition, Wilson announced a commitment to allocate £390 million annually to schools and colleges for free small-group tutoring, benefiting 1.75 million students on Saturdays.
Accusing the government of neglecting school-based tutoring, she stated that the Liberal Democrats would overturn the Illegal Immigration Act on their first day in power.
Tim Farron, a former party leader, criticized the Tories for endangering victims of modern slavery and pledged to abolish the Illegal Migration Act immediately under a Liberal Democrat administration.
Furthermore, he accused Labour of reverting to New Labour practices and being hesitant to support those in need of sanctuary and liberation out of fear of tabloid backlash.
In response to illegal migration, Keir Starmer, the Labour leader, proposed the establishment of a new police unit and sought an EU-wide returns agreement for asylum seekers coming to the UK.
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