Dads in Downing Street: Does Our Coalition Government Give More Flexibility to Cameron and Clegg?

Out of an election where three fathers of pre-school-age children stood against each other, two of them have ended up sharing power.  So has this election offered the dads in Downing Street more by way of benefits than expected?
 
Juggling political life with domestic duties means much the same at Number 10, after all, as it does in the board room or in any MD’s office. The school run, bath times, extra-curricular activities and family holidays all need to be worked into the daily work routine, which is often shared – as is the case with Messrs Cameron and Clegg – with wives who are themselves professionals working hard in their own careers. But perhaps Cameron and Clegg have ended up in a situation that because of the power-sharing nature of their new government, offers them more flexibility to be actively involved parents.
 
Probably not, but many working fathers in the UK suffer the same divided loyalties, guilt and frustrations as long-suffering working mothers and want an alternative way of working.  That’s why freelancing or professional contracting is so attractive.  It offers dads a way to achieve work-life balance and still earn a very decent salary. The new focus on the prime minister and deputy prime minister and their young children might not provide a true demonstration of how flexible employment can work for two professional families, but it does act as a catalyst for us to ask and think about some important questions around working fathers.  And, more importantly, what the new government needs to put in place to make it easier for fathers to pursue the option of contracting.

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Tags: Coalition, David Cameron, Nick Clegg, uk government