James Frith, Labour MP for Bury North, has taken part in a campaign expose the UK’s inadequate paternity leave by hanging baby grows spelling out “Two weeks isn’t enough” on the Peel Memorial statue in Bury town centre.
He joins over 100 campaigners, including 15 MPs, in similar actions at more than 100 sites nationwide – from Premier League stadiums to the White Cliffs of Dover.
Timed for Mental Health Awareness Week, the campaign highlights new research by The Dad Shift and Movember revealing a hidden crisis in fatherhood:
- 45% of UK dads show at least two symptoms of anxiety or depression in their baby’s first year – far higher than the previously estimated 10%.
- Nearly 1 in 15 reported suicidal thoughts, and 1 in 12 had intrusive thoughts about harming their baby.
- 82% said improving paternity leave would be the single most impactful way to support new fathers’ mental health.
Yet the UK still offers the worst statutory paternity leave in Europe: just two weeks at less than half minimum wage.
Speaking about the campaign, Mr Frith said:
“If dads get what’s theirs, families are better off. Simple as that. Right now, two weeks of paternity leave at barely half minimum wage isn’t cutting it. New dads are being forced to choose between earning enough to keep the lights on or being there for their newborns. That’s no kind of choice.
“The bond between a father and child begins in those first days, weeks and months. That’s when trust is built. That’s when confidence grows. If we rob dads of that chance, we don’t just hurt them. We shortchange the whole family.
“Strong families make this country stronger. If we want Britain to be the best it can be, we need to back parents. That means giving dads a fair deal from day one.”
Campaigners warn that current paternity policy is a mental health pressure cooker, with fathers forced back to work too early, under emotional and financial strain. Paternity pay covers less than half the cost of the average pram. For a dad on an average wage, two weeks off costs over £1,000 – just as new baby expenses can total up to £10,000 in the first year.
Most dads (73%) say they aren’t psychologically ready to return to work after two weeks, with many reporting sleep deprivation and work stress. Nine in ten (90%) want to be more involved, but many – especially self-employed tradesmen – simply can’t afford to be. And seven in ten (70%) say the short leave harmed their wellbeing, with 86% saying it also affected their partner’s.
James Frith MP, alongside campaign group the Dad Shift, are urging the government to include longer, better-paid paternity leave in its upcoming Men’s Health Strategy.
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