Glad to say things are on the up for the charities in Warrington that I visited with Secret Millionaire. It seems things had been even worse than I thought for one in particular. The HoneyRose Foundation has told me it was thousands of pounds in debt and just months away from being forced to close. Glad to say they are now thriving and I’ve become a patron. I’m in good company. Comedian Jonny Vegas is one too.
Now I’m well and truly back to the day job – and reality. It seems you can’t open the newspaper at the moment without being hit by yet another ludicrous proposal from the government. This time they’re shouting about changing paternity leave. They want men to have an additional six months of paternity leave – three months at the statutory rate of pay and three months unpaid.
I despair. Where are these proposals going to end This will create nothing more than piles of extra red tape for businesses, already struggling in a recession that was caused by the bankers. (Don’t get me started on bonuses, I’m livid! We are forced to bail them out and they get rewarded. It’s a joke.)
The government claims it will help parents – but they’re not living in the real world. I’m a father of four, and I know what I’m talking about. The last thing a new father wants, when the family is undergoing a major financial shift with the arrival of another mouth to feed, is a considerable drop in wages. The changes are completely pointless and unnecessary and will just mean added costs for everyone, including the government. Most fathers I have spoken to don’t even want it.
Speaking of babies – it’s a good job new-born babies don’t come through the post! The postal strikes continue but surely the days of trade unions and strikes should be long gone by now” What all parties involved need to remember is that there are already lots of alternatives to the Royal Mail. The public has lost all sympathy. The strikes are crippling small businesses and for what end I think the Royal Mail has just sealed its fate.
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