Alan Johnson Urges UK Government to Expand Paternity Leave

Alan Johnson, the former UK Trade and Industry Secretary, has joined a coalition of current and former MPs and senior Labour figures demanding an increase in paid paternity leave. The group proposes providing six weeks of leave paid at 90% of earnings, with a weekly cap of £1,200, and extending these entitlements to self-employed fathers.

Johnson argues that the current system is a class issue, citing data from the campaign group The Dad Shift. The data indicates that 90% of paternity leave claims in 2024-25 were made by fathers in the top half of earners. He has urged Chancellor John Healey to incorporate these changes into the next budget, asserting that encouraging childbirth is essential for society.

Financial analysis from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation estimates the gross cost of the policy at £1bn. However, the foundation suggests that tax receipts generated by women returning to the workforce could lower the net cost to £220m.