The Rt Hon. Rishi Sunak 

10 Downing Street
London
SW1A 0AA

October 25th 2022

 

Dear Prime Minister,

On Saturday the 29th of October, 14,000 mothers and their families will march across eleven cities as part of the March of the Mummies protest. We are taking to the streets because mothers across the UK are being set up to fail and we have had enough. 

It has become almost impossible for families to survive without two incomes, yet we have created an environment that prevents many mothers from working.

By this we mean that we have:

1. The second most expensive childcare system in the developed world; with 62% of parents paying the same or more for childcare as their rent or mortgage

2. A parental leave scheme that forces families into debt and back to work before they are ready. Statutory maternity pay in the UK accounts for just 47% of the national minimum wage whilst our paternity leave offering is the least generous in Europe.

3. Little to no access to flexible working because the Government is yet to make flexible working the default. Just 10% of jobs are advertised as part-time, giving little option for parents who need to balance paid work and unpaid care work. 

We know that you have ambitious plans for the UK, and we want you to have big ambitions for women too. The scale and urgency of this challenge demands comprehensive and decisive action. Investing in families is vital if we are to prevent more women from leaving the workforce during a cost of living crisis and a skills shortage. If you don’t act now we will see a drastic increase in child poverty and families ending up on the streets. 

We are asking that you:

1. Invest in the early years sector to create good quality, affordable childcare provision for all children.

2. Invest in parental leave so that children are not born into poverty and have the best start in life.

3. Make flexible working the default so that parents can have children and still earn a living. 

We would like to request a meeting to discuss our research and to tell you the stories we are hearing every day from mothers who feel sidelined and ignored by policy makers. 

We look forward to hearing from you. 

Yours Sincerely,

Joeli Brearley,

CEO of Pregnant Then Screwed