Toni Hall

Thankyou @Donna_ashworth 🧡

WOW! Everyone should listen to this superb maiden speech from newly appointed Prisons, Parole & Probation Minister @JamesTCobbler in the House of Lords today What an absolutely inspired appointment this is👏👏👏

This is a long tweet - but its worth a read - Reform UK’s @drdavidbull talking about family and whether parents should stay at home to look after their children: “You want to support marriage through the tax system and make it easier for parents to stay at home to look after their children - what's the reason behind that?”   Dr David Bull: We believe that children do better in stable relationships across the board. And actually we need to encourage that.   In marriage you think?   Dr Bull: In marriage, and that marriage is an important bond, isn't it? Because I think what children desperately need is someone at home, and they need someone to be there and support them during that education. So we think that's a cornerstone, actually. And one of the things that I find really strange and very difficult to understand is the disconnect that children now have, because when you come home, you want to be able to offload what's been going on at school, and you need someone at home to be able to do that. And if we can incentivise that through tax breaks that has to be a good thing.   Do you think if you're a child with two working parents, that's not a great upbringing for you?   Dr Bull: No… Of course, it's incredibly difficult. And parents have to work because of the cost of living. But actually, the ideal would be to have a parent that is there available when children need them.   You say in the manifesto that the majority of mothers would choose to stay at home more if they could. What's the research on that? Dr Bull: So we polled extensively, actually. But I think if you talk to any mother, of course, they want to spend time with their children. They want to see them grow and develop. And if you're spending all your time at work and you don't have enough time with your kids, I think that's a travesty.   You think it's a travesty?   Dr Bull: yes   And do you think it damages the children as well?   Dr Bull: I think emotionally, children need support as they grow and develop. There are lots of questions they have. You have to look at why children are now so obsessed with social media, and certainly from the point of view of having nephews and nieces that are being told all sorts of stuff on social media that needs correcting immediately. One of the biggest things we've seen is the rise of anorexia and bulimia in young women and in young boys as well.   And what - do you think that might be because you don't have parents at home?   Dr Bull: Well, I think actually the parents are there and they need to counter some of the myths that are on social media.