Paternity plans slammed by MEP

Proposals by Nick Clegg to alter parental leave rules have been described as "unworkable" by local MEP Paul Nuttall.

The Deputy Prime Minister believes the current system allowing a father to only take two weeks paternity leave is ‘old fashioned’ and proposes parents share 52 weeks leave.

"This idea could only come from a completely out of touch politician who has never worked in the real world. The government should be helping businesses flourish, not add to the miles of red tape that is strangling them," said Mr Nuttall, UKIP deputy leader.

"This proposal will harm businesses, particularly smaller ones and will prove unworkable.

"And it hardly ties in with the recently announced plans to encourage breast feeding with vouchers. New mums can hardly breast-feed - as everyone knows is best - if they've gone back to work after a fortnight leaving dad in charge.

"It may not suit this government and their pursuit of the equality agenda but men and women are inherently different. Fathers can be fantastic house husbands but the reality is that caring for babies comes much more instinctively to women.

"Of course they should go back to work as soon as they want but most women want to stay with their new baby and Clegg's proposals will cause terrible uncertainty and expense for business," he added.