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Grandparents will be given new rights to maintain contact with their grandchildren if the Conservatives win power, the party's spokesman on the family said today.
The law would be changed to ensure that grandparents do not lose contact after a family split or bereavement, and they would be put “at the front of the queue” for custody if their grandchildren were being fostered or taken into care, shadow cabinet David Willetts told the Daily Mail.
Mr Willetts said it was a scandal that the law currently gave “little or no” recognition to the relationship grandparents have with their grandchildren.
“Grandparents are fantastically important members of strong families and they do an increasing amount, particularly in terms of childcare,” he said. “Lots of parents rely on the support they give.”
A Tory family policy paper is expected to include a blueprint for boosting grandparents' rights. They could also be allowed to claim childcare tax credits when looking after grandchildren.
Reader views (6)
And what about those cases where the grandparents are vile and seek only to seperate the parents? Who have played NO role in the life of the child and only want contact with the child so they can poison the child against the child's mother? Not all grandparents are the wonderful creatures portrayed here and my son's grandmother has been nothing but a source of conflict in our lives. Blanket support for grandparents is a horrifying concept and does NOT serve the best interests of the child. Let a judge decide whether individual grandparents serve a child's best interests. After all, it's what's best for the child we're supposed to be considering here, NOT what's best for the grandparents.
- Gemma Kelpy, N.Ireland, 27/10/2009 21:27
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This is a BIG policy. As well as ending a lot of heartbreak for individual children and grandparents, this is a big step in the right direction towards a more cohesive Britain. Broken families; rich, middleclass or poor, have been partly responsible for a fragmented and broken society. A whole generation have grown up where large numbers have had no older people in their lives. Family stability in many homes is a thing of the past. Nationally, Britain needs all the aid it can muster in trying to rebuild a cohesive family structured culture.
It's family that makes people become stakeholders in the society their living in.
- T J, London, W11, 26/10/2009 18:06
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Ummm Dave - where does it say that this is his lead policy for an upcoming government? If that's all you've got against the man, you're in trouble. You make out that he hasn't got much up his sleeve because he's not mentioning the EU or immigration (and any other hot button topic) on every breath? How much have you got up your's if this cheap shot sniping is the best you can manage?
- Rogan, Irving, 26/10/2009 16:30
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So the Conservatives believe in the nanny state as well.
- Mick, London, England, 26/10/2009 16:18
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Believe that, when it happens.
- Annie, croydon, 26/10/2009 13:36
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WOW.What a big policy,dwalfs a vote on the EU or immigration.Good to see Dave is tackling the most important issues.
- Dave, london, 26/10/2009 11:58
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