Douglas Carswell's Blog

Lib Dems on paternity leave?

"Nick Clegg plans ten months paternity leave" ran the headline.

Good old Nick, was my first thought.  His wife must be about to have another nipper, and he wants to take some time out to be a dad.  And why not? 

But of course the headline wasn't referring to any arrangements Nick might be making for himself.  Rather it is about the statutory arrangements he’ll be making – and imposing - on everyone else.

In order to give one section of society a new “right”, others will be forced by law to provide it. 

Perhaps this is just another one of those sound-left-to-keep-the-Lib-Dems-on-board headlines?  If not, isn't this precisely the kind of statutory red tape that advocates of the Freedom Bill should look to repeal?  

Too many British politicians keeping talking as if their job is simply to decide the different ways of carving up the wealth.  If they understood the scale of the economic mess we are in, they'd focus instead on making sure there was still anyone creating wealth.

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