With such a cold and unfeeling government, it’s little wonder our birthrate is falling
This is no country for babies. It’s no surprise the birthrate keeps falling when would-be parents face impossible obstacles. As in the 1930s, it happens in hard times. It’s no snowflake generation whim, but the result of a harsh lost decade of stagnant wages and rising rents, with some people still living at home into their 30s. And there’s no welcome for babies when children are the first to bear the brunt of cuts to benefits and services.
Another week, another battering by reports revealing what looks like a deliberate assault on children. The Royal College of Psychiatry (RCP) has found that the number of children referred to already meagre mental health services has doubled from pre-pandemic levels, with dangerously long waits. Mental health provision remains neglected, despite pious ministers promising “parity of esteem”. There will be no extra money for it from the national insurance levy; much of that will be devoted to the more politically sensitive NHS waiting lists.