The importance of family

With just eight days to go, the countdown to Christmas is well and truly upon us. For most, this means an opportunity to spend precious time with our family.

As we squabble over the remote control, laugh at that outrageous Christmas jumper and overindulge in the turkey, many of us will take for granted the fact that who we are and what we become starts in our family home.

Each chapter of our life story is co-authored with our parents, grandparents, brothers and sisters, aunts and uncles, partners and children. Labour has always been the party of the family, not because we want to hark back to some judgemental or nostalgic view of family life, but because we know families help to define who we are as individuals and as a society. They are crucial to creating opportunities, improving life chances and providing wider emotional, social and financial support.

Unlike the Tories, Labour understands that the role of government is not to tell families what form they should take or how they should live their lives, but to support them by backing their aspirations and helping them to get on in life.

We know that families are facing huge pressure under this Government. Many are struggling to make ends meet because of low pay, rising prices and cuts to vital local services. I am proud that, today, Labour MPs will be voting to repeal the cruel and unfair bedroom tax, which is hitting many families including 60,000 carers who look after frail, sick or disabled relatives.

Longer term changes in society are also affecting family life. Fathers are increasingly taking on childcare responsibilities alongside mothers. Our ageing population means that more families are caring for elderly and disabled relatives: three in five of us will do this at some point in our lives. Working patterns are also changing with higher levels of self-employment, an increase in insecure contracts and a rise in the number of people working more hours, and later on into their lives.

Labour has always succeeded when we match an understanding of how the world is changing with a long-term vision to improve people’s lives. In the run-up to the general election, we have a huge opportunity to show families that Labour is on their side, supporting them through the difficult times now and backing them to meet the challenges of the future.

That’s why I’m delighted to be guest editing today’s contributions to LabourList on this hugely important topic. The articles you’ll read today will address the changes and challenges of modern family life. They set out Labour’s positive vision for the future: how we will help families cope with, and harness, the changes that are happening backed up by practical, credible policies that will make a real difference to their lives.

Shadow children and families minister Alison McGovern MP and shadow minister for civil society Lisa Nandy MP explain how Labour’s plans to improve childcare will help both mothers and fathers balance their work and family responsibilities. Steve Reed MP argues that we need to find new ways to involve and engage with teenagers about the services they use and the decisions that affect their lives.

Nancy Platts, our PPC for Brighton Kemptown explains how local public services like GP surgeries and Sure Start Children’s Centres are vital to the health and wellbeing of families, but are under increasing threat from this Government. John Hannett, General Secretary of USDAW, draws our attention to the difficulties faced by many shop workers and how Labour can better support working families.

Fiona Mactaggart MP draws on the work of Labour’s Commission on Older Women to highlight how many older women feel “sandwiched” between caring for elderly relatives and helping to look after their grandchildren, whilst often trying to hold down a job at the same time. And Barbara Keeley MP calls for more to be done to support families who care for elderly and disabled relatives – a huge issue as our population ages.

I’d like to thank all of the authors for contributing their powerful pieces. But I’m equally excited about what you’ve got to say and I look forward to reading your comments. After all, it’s activists like you that are the strength of our movement. You’ll be taking our message out to the country: that Labour is the only party that will deliver on the aspirations of families.

I hope that you enjoy the articles you read today and that you will be inspired to tell your own family about Labour’s offer to them.

Liz Kendall is Shadow Minister for Care and Older People