Kemi Badenoch sparks GMB debate over parenting being a 'two-person job'
Watch: Is parenting a 'two-person job'?
A debate was ignited on GMB this morning about whether having two parents in a family set-up is always better than one, following comments made by Kemi Badenoch suggesting parenting was a "two-person job."
The Conservative leader candidate said there needed to be more discussion of the role of fathers in parenthood and "how parenting is a two-person job", telling the Times: "I think we ran into trouble decades ago when we were very critical of single parenthood. It sounded as if we were always talking about single mums. Where are the dads? Why are the dads not there? Why are they not looking after their families?
"I remember early on as an MP, I did quite a lot of casework on absent fathers who the Child Support Agency was chasing. I think if people make children, they should be made to look after them. Family is important."
Following the comments, GMB invited two commentators on to discuss the topic - broadcaster, Ateh Jewel and comedian, David Lewis. Ateh Jewel grew up in a single parent family and is now raising her twin daughters as a single mother following the break down of her 26-year relationship. Lewis also grew up with his single mother but is now in a two-parent family with his long-term partner.
"I think it's about what is best for the children," Jewel told hosts Richard Madeley and Susanna Reid. "I don't necessarily think that if a father is abusive or is toxic that they should be involved. I know that I wouldn't be the person I am today if I wasn't removed from having a close relationship with my father.
"It's about raising happy confident children and we need to remove the Victorian stigma," she added. "I didn't want to be labelled a single mother but I have never been more present and happy and my children are an example of why you should be a single parent."
When asked by Richard if it would be better to have two parents if she was in a happy relationship, Ateh said it would not necessarily be a more ideal situation.
"I know millions of women in a two parent team and they are still doing the heavy lifting," she explained. "Just because you're in a two-person team doesn't mean it is an equal load, the mental load is often put on one of the parents and that's often the mother."
Susanna went on to point out that she believes Kemi Badenoch was not trying to stigmatise single mums, but absent dads, to which David Lewis responded that he thought there is something in what the leadership candidate was saying.
"In my own experience I think there is an extra dimension to the parenting that we can give the kids that perhaps is not possible [in single parent families]," he said.
"I didn't have the father figure I could look up to in a sort of paternal way, the masculine figure, a male role model," he said. "And that was sort of lacking."
Having experienced the family set-up from both sides, David said he is conscious he'd like his children to have that father-figure that he didn't necessarily have.
Susanna then raised the likelihood that Kemi Badenoch's comments came as a response to veteran Tory MP Sir Christopher Chope suggesting she was too "preoccupied with her children" to be party leader, to which Ateh replied that she found his comments "misogynistic".
"I can see why she wanted to clap back in that way," she said. "I completely understand the double edged, two sided unfairness of that comment, but at the same time why are we going there? You just crack on and get it done."
Later in the debate Richard Madeley highlighted one of Badenoch's additional quotes, which pointed out that the vast majority of the male prison population did not grow up with their fathers. "If fathers look after their children better, they will be less likely to end up in prison. And those are the sorts of things that we need to talk about more," Badenoch said.
"While I couldn't necessarily comment on that I would say there is plenty of dysfunction from families with both parents together," David added.
Ateh concluded the debate by telling viewers she believed overall it is about being a good example to your kids, no matter the family set up.
"It's about being happy and healthy and a good example to your children. And that's whether you're a single parent, if you're on a 2.4 parenting team."
Read more about parenting:
'Maternity pay isn't excessive' says mum who saved £15K to afford a baby (Yahoo Life UK, 5-min read)
How to know if your child is ready to holiday alone as Kirstie Allsopp sparks debate (Yahoo Life UK, 5-min read)
How to teach children what to do in an emergency (Yahoo Life UK, 6-min read)
