Morning:
12°c
Clegg: Recession can mean liberation for men
Paul Waugh, Deputy Political Editor17.02.09
LIBERAL DEMOCRAT leader Nick Clegg today suggested that the recession offered men a chance to "reinvent" themselves as stay-at-home fathers.
He said that just as the Second World War had a "liberating effect" on the millions of women who found jobs while their husbands were away, the downturn should force men to look again at their role within the family.
Mr Clegg, who is about to take paternity leave for the birth of his third child, denied that he was expressing "metrosexual" concerns for equality of the sexes.
"A savage recession, like a war, shakes the traditional identity of men and women. In the Second World War it had a liberating effect of sorts. By 1943 more than 7.25 million women were employed. They weren't just in traditional 'female' jobs: by 1944, 40 per cent of the engineering workforce were women," he said. "As this recession bears down on thousands of communities and families we must again be open to reinventing ourselves."
He called for a "dramatic" increase in job sharing and interchangeable maternity and paternity leaves to give fathers up to a year off work.
He said men wanted to take up roles such as childminders. "Some of the biggest changes that still need to take place are in the traditional perceptions of 'male' work."
Reader views (31)
As a man, I can really understand what he is saying....yes, this time, we are reassessing our relationship with our family.
There is nothing to be ashamed of . I don't know why everyone is so cynical. Don't you wish, if you have the means, to spend more time with the ones you love?
- Tim, London, UK
Keep it up Clegg. Prove to the world that the Lib Dems are equally as out of touch with this planet as labour.
Of course you can afford to go on paternity leave. What exactly are you taking a break from? Not even leader of the opposition, only ever called in to respond to Labour or Tory issues? I could do that sat at home too!
- Gareth, Hampshire
REALITY CHECK people - I dont think his comments were meant to bring comfort to those who have lost their jobs. He is proposing a culture of job sharing and husbands helping out at home. How the hell else are we supposed to get through the next few years which will undoubtedly bring mass unemployment? Any policy that means people staying in work in one form or another has to be a good thing and job sharing has to be the way to go.
- James, London
Time we were liberated from the Glib Dems. Perhaps Clegg can do us all a favour and stay home - permanently.
- Ricky Martin, Hackney, London
Clegg's comments were crass and insensitive, hardly likely to bring any comfort to the hundreds of thousands of British men who face losing their jobs to the recession, or to foreign workers.
His attitude demonstrates why the LibDems, never have, do not, and never will occupy the government benches.
- Keith Lonsdale, Doncaster
What a plonker! Does anyone take this man seriously?
- William, London
Time Clegg told some of his researchers to stop feeding him stupid soundbites. And since Clegg seems unable to identify such, its time the Liberal Party sent HIM home permanently,
- Robert E;-Cid., Hull, East Yorks.,
Patronising and out of touch comment by Nick Clegg. Images of out-of-work fathers reinventing themselves at home while the bailiffs retrieve their furniture and their kids weep when they get home from school, because they've got to move to a caravan... Still, bankers still getting their bonuses, can't be all bad in UK 2009.
- Stuart, London
Hi Nick
Nice broadcast! Your comments will be welcomed by a large number of women but I fear that most men will be turned off by the idea of staying at home for a year looking after the baby. How are they going to continue to go off to the pub, watch footie, have boys' nights out etc? It would be a huge culture shock, one that would require evolution of Darwinian proportions!
- Marguerita Morton, Tunbridge Wells
Men used to be men when I was younger.
Ops. Spilled the gravy on my clean Pinny.
- Bernard Parke, GUILDFORD
'scuse me Michael, London - not all folk songs start of with people holding hands, swaying in front of a camp fire and singing 'Kumbaya'. Enough of this folk-o-phobia! (Anyway, I defy anyone to accuse me of being a left wing Liberal of any kind, yet I sing AND write the stuff!)
....the rest you said though? Hmmmmm, sounds about right.
- Rogan, Irving
Clegg: "Recession can mean liberation for men"!
Yup,....He's dead right there. Liberation from a job and paypacket!.........Can't fault him there!
GERONIMO
- Geronimo, LONDON MIDDLESEX
Nice idea but you Nick is living in a World different to the greater majority of people I am afraid (as per most politicians).
- Katherine, London
What is wrong with this idea? If you men out there are quite happy for women to stay at home and bring up the children (finances permitting) why do you suddenly consider it demeaning when it is suggested that men do it?
(Andrew in London!) Bringing up children should be a shared enterprise. I realise in practice it can't always be the case but if the recession is going to force a shift in work patterns then it is something worth considering. Or don't have children if you think it's so awful to spend any time with them.
- Clare, France
Andrew Milner - you made me laugh out loud, don't mince your words....love it!
Ditto comments about Vince Cable, he's the only one who can lead us out of this mess.
- Sharon, London
Time men gave birth as well no doubt.
- Mike Newland, London, England
Right. So, when the General Election finally comes, can we also hope that this stupid man loses HIS job in the House at Parliament, in order that he, too, can "reinvent" himself while he stays at home?
New Labour, Conservatives, and Liberals are proving themselves equally deluded and they can ALL forget my vote. It's going to be "Others" for me in every election from now on.
Either that or I'll ignore the sham of the ballot box altogether and start looking for other means to procure change.
- Alasdair, London
The reason men don't stay at home as fathers is because men generally earn more than women and if they were stay at home fathers the family income would go right down whereas most of the people working as hairdressers, careers and in childcare (lower earning jobs) are women so when these women take time of work to look after the children the family income does not go down as much.
- Louise, London
why clegg?
why not cable, a much more articulate and intelligent man?
at least he understands both the man in the street and
the heart of the problem and offers a valid opinion and
most often a remedy.
why do the liberal democrats always choose the wrong
leader, are they intent on political suicide?
- M.O'Brien, london.uk
This is probably only to justify the leave he now intends to take on the birth of his child. Very lovely indeed, but not everyone can I afford the luxury whether it is the wife or the husband who is the main breadwinner. I doubt Mr Clegg is going to worry too much about the prospect of unemployment, paying the mortgage or for that matter investing like mad into a pension pot that probably will deliver nothing at the end. Nick Clegg should try and live in the real world first and then focus on the big issues which the people of Britain have to grapple with daily. Maybe let Vince Cable do the talking and Nick be all pretty and smiley?
- Daniel, London
The Liberals have always struck me as people who wear woolly hats, sing folk songs, drink warm beer and cannot come up with any sensible ideas. This comment has confirmed it!
- Michael, London
A perfect example of why the Lib Dems will never be taken seriously in the next election! Vince Cable is the only talent they have.
- Peter, Wendover, England
According to Clegg, fathers should have 1 year paternity leave to bond with their children, when you consider the current economic climate.
What world does Clegg live in?!?!?!?
Can we have Vince Cable instead of Clegg?
- Mario Kempe, london
The country is already in a mess, we can't have able bodied young people sat at home looking after the kids. If anything we need better childcare as the only way out of this mess is for all of us to be working (unfortunately).
- Lou, London
And in the meantime, how does he propose these stay at home fathers pay the mortgage? Job sharing? nice. Unless their wives are in the 'professional' pay bracket, they have no chance.
- Neil, London
Great to hear,but would a lib government support us more?I have been at home bringing up my kids for 10 yrs now while my wife goes out to work 5 days a week,in term time i have been able to get a veterinary medicine degree and have been able to write a book,and form and run a residents committee etc,but it gets a bit tough when its summer holidays or half term,buts it good fun and children certainly keep you young and fit and they don't half sharpen your mind,the input required far surpasses that of getting my degree etc.
- Kev, London-UK
No wonder the Liberals will never get anywhere.
- Anthony Heath, Godalming
If only Gordon Brown would follow this advice. He doesn't need to stay at home - just stay away, as far away as possible from anything to do with government and the economy.
- Tom Williams, Oxford UK
Another constructive idea from the National Silly Party.
- Ken, Bexleyheath
Terrible. Encouraging grown, adult, active men to deal with all the petty trivialities of full time child care. His brain will turn to mush and turn men into idiots with no careers and then what happens when the children are grown up? A silly old unemployable man with all his faculties and abilities eroded. Any man who swallows this nonsense is effectively destroying his life. And don't give me that rubbish about child care being 'empowering' - it isn't. It is hard work with precious little reward (kids grow up with or without you). Children are with their parents far too much these days! They are turning adults into children and children into despotic little monsters if you ask me.
- Andrew Milner, London UK
Oh get real,people need the money - they're not looking for interesting lifestyle choices!
- Chris, London
