David Cameron's speech in Trafford on the quality of childhood
Added: (Sun Apr 01 2007)
Pressbox (Press Release) -
Open letter to David Cameron leader of the Conservative Party from Mike Ellis Chairman of the NSCFC.
Dear David, not once during your speech on the quality of Childhood as made in Stafford on 26th March 07 did you publicly reinforce the promise given to the NSCFC by Tim Loughton MP & Geoffrey Cox last year, namely that one of your first priorities if made Prime Minister would be to reform family law thus giving much needed parity to fathers after separation or divorce. Needless to say your only reference to fathers in general was to condemn them by stating the following “We’ll reform the law and rules around child maintenance, to compel men to stand by their responsibilities”.
First David, whilst we at the NSCFC applaud your latest initiative as reported in the Daily Mail e.g. that of promoting grandparents rights which I am sure you realize is much needed if children are to have wholesome loving role models in their formative years. At our AGM meeting last week the following issue was discussed in relation to your comments on feckless fathers and is as follows.
We would very much like you to define your interpretation of the term parental responsibility, indeed if you are saying that a father’s responsibly is limited to being a walking wallet then we are no further forward re the issue of much needed parity in family law. If however your argument is that children will and do benefit from the input of both parents after separation or divorce then this in itself would remain impossible if the family courts are allowed to continue to interfere with or otherwise disrupt proper relationships between a child and its natural father in favor of mothers as is so at this present time. Indeed as our clients will testify, many fathers would dearly love to have a greater influence on the development of their children but are prevented from doing so due to the inadequacy of family law as currently practiced in England and Wales.
It is therefore quite understandable that some absent parents having suffered such injustice might feel discouraged to make payments intended to be in support of their children under circumstances where the paying parent has no control over the use of such monies and where there is strong suspicion that the parent receiving said payment may not be using it for the purpose intended whilst at the same time refusing all contact between father and child. Sadly to date whilst highlighting absent parents as feckless you have declined from addressing in public the real issue which has much more to do with lack of parity in family law the like of which denies 100 children per day from having contact with the paternal side of their families after separation or divorce and by so doing breaching both the Human Rights Act article 8 and the UN convention on the Rights of the Child.
The following question therefore remains and is as follows: Are we to believe that you have no intention of keeping the above quoted promise as made by your ministers and if not why not simply tell us so this for the sake of all the fathers who would dearly love to be in their children’s life’s and as such have put their faith in the reassurance given to us personally by Tim Loughton M.P. and Geoffrey Cox M.P.
National Society for Children and Family Contact (NSCFC) is a registered charity which believes that continuing contact with a child’s parents or extended family after separation or divorce is vital for the child’s balanced development and it works tirelessly to foster those all-important family contacts. As such we offer free support and advice to all those in need. Helpline at National rate also available 24/7. This to include support and domestic violence helpline for men on 0870 794 0075 or www.nscfc.com
Mike Ellis
Chairman: National Society for Children and Family Contact.