Labour Loves Grandparents!

Labour will allow grandparents to take unpaid leave to help with childcare.

17:12 16 April 2015

Labour has announced that grandparents will be allowed to take up to 18 weeks of unpaid leave to help with childcare without fear of losing their jobs under Labour government. The party’s deputy leader Harriet Harman said that it was important to reach out to female voters. 

 

She said: "All women are different but there are some commons themes. Women still have a disproportionate responsibility for caring for children - also unequal pay is an issue.

"Above all, we need to make sure women understand that politics and democracy is for women as well as men.

 

"Too often women feel politics is just a group of men shouting at each other, who don't understand their lives.

 

"More women MPs don't just change the face of parliament, but it changes the agenda too."

 

The plan could prove to be very attractive to mothers as more than half of them rely on grandparents for childcare when they first go back to work after maternity leave. 

 

Neil Carberry of the CBI backed the plan.

 

He said: "Many grandparents play an important role in helping support working families, so these proposals to consider making existing leave entitlements more flexible will help them to balance that responsibility with their own careers.

 

"Businesses are looking forward to seeing the details of this policy and making sure it works for both family members and their respective employers."