Local MP celebrates securing Government Paternity Leave review

PRESS RELEASE FROM ALISTAIR STRATHERN MP

TUESDAY 1st JULY 2025

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Alistair Strathern, the MP for the Hitchin constituency, has welcomed news that the Government will review its Paternity Leave offer in response to efforts from campaigners over the last 12 months to highlight the UK’s limited paternity leave.

For months, Strathern has been working with the campaign group The Dad Shift alongside a number of other MPs to highlight the damaging impact of the UK’s current paternity leave system.

Currently the UK has one of the worst paternity leave entitlements in Europe. New-fathers are only offered two weeks of paid-paternity leave, with most dads having to go unpaid to take more weeks off. New families as a result all too often have to choose between their finances and providing the kind of support they would like for their newborn.

Strathern and fellow campaigners are calling for an expansion of paternity leave to offer families more financial security and a much easier start to parenthood. The ‘landmark’ review will look at the amount of time off and pay new parents can get after the birth of a child.

Strathern has been campaigning on this issue since he became an MP. He has spoken in Parliament on this issue on several occasions to press for change, and locally hosted a paternity-themed forum at The Vic pub in Hitchin last year.

Alistair Strathern MP said:

“I’m delighted the Government has listened to our calls and is launching a full review of parental leave.

“For too long new Hitchin parents have been losing out as a result of our poor paternity leave offer.

“The painful choice to families of lose savings or lose out on crucial early moments, simply cannot go on.

“I’m grateful to everyone in Hitchin who backed our campaign for change. Rest assured I’ll be continuing to press for action as part of the campaign.”

Notes for Editors

You can see more about the announcement of a review, here.