What's happened
The Liberal Democrats have proposed doubling statutory shared parental pay and extending shared parental leave.
Why it matters
The proposal aims to ease the financial burden on families and provide more support for parents, allowing them to spend more time with their newborns. It also addresses the issue of affordability for fathers who want to take parental leave. The expansion of shared parental leave to include self-employed workers is also significant as it extends the benefits to a wider range of individuals.
What the papers say
The Guardian says the Liberal Democrats want to double statutory shared parental pay and extend shared parental leave to provide more support for parents. The Independent highlights that the party aims to create a more family-friendly society by doubling parental pay and extending leave. It also mentions the party's plan to include self-employed workers in parental leave. The Independent also reports that the Liberal Democrats are making these proposals to rival Labour's promises to ease the cost of living crisis.
How we got here
The current parental leave policy in the UK allows for 37 weeks of shared paid leave, with statutory shared parental pay set at £172.48 per week. The Liberal Democrats' proposal seeks to address the financial burden on families and provide more flexibility for parents.
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The Liberal Democrats are a liberal political party in the United Kingdom. Currently led by Jo Swinson, the party has 20 Members of Parliament in the House of Commons, 96 members of the House of Lords, 16 members of the European Parliament, five Members o