Behind the OECD* Curve: See the chart and realise how bad it truly is

 The debate around parental leave in England has intensified sharply in 2026, driven not by policy announcements but by fathers themselves. In cities including London, Manchester, Nottingham and Leeds, hundreds of dads took to the streets pushing prams and demanding reform. Their message was simple: the current system is failing families from day one.

These marches were not symbolic. They were a direct response to a system that offers fathers just two weeks of leave, often paid at a level that makes taking it financially difficult. For many, especially those on average incomes or self-employed, taking paternity leave means an immediate and significant loss of earnings. This is not a marginal issue. It goes to the heart of how family’s function in the first weeks of a child’s life.Campaigners are calling for six weeks of paternity leave paid at 90% of salary. Their argument is grounded in lived experience. Fathers report being unable to support partners after difficult births, unable to bond properly with their children, and forced back to work before family routines are established. The result is not just personal strain but long-term imbalance, where mothers become default carers and fathers default earners.