Father's Day

It strikes me as so obvious that fathers should be named on birth certificates that I don’t see what there is to discuss. And I am all in favour of paternity leave, but I cannot see why it should only be available so early in the child’s life. Especially if the child is still breast-feeding, what, with the best will in the world, is the father actually doing all day?

Whereas a teenager, in particular, might very well benefit enormously if his or her father were in a position to say, “That’s it, I’m taking that bit of paternity leave I’ve been owed all these years, and since I’m either back at work the following Monday morning or I lose my job, then this will be sorted out by that Sunday night at the latest, oh yes it will be!” So let him be able to take it at any point up until the child is 18 or leaves school, I say.

Furthermore, while a supporter of flat tax and a unified Social Security system, I am firmly convinced that, until Child Benefit is no longer payable to mothers, then the tax allowance for fathers should be restored.

For the record, and if it matters at all, I have no children.