The Tory attack on Starmer’s ‘family night’ Fridays is a warning to mothers everywhere

Sunak is assuming – like many workplaces, big bosses and the government in the past – that women are the primary carers and they will pick up the slack, writes influencer, presenter and podcaster Anna Whitehouse

‘If we want to realise gender equality in the workplace and close the ever-growing gender pay gap, we need to prioritise flexible working, not 24/7 burnout’ (Anna Whitehouse/@mother_pukka)

He could have kept quiet. As a father-of-two, Rishi Sunak will be very familiar with trying in vain to step away from his desk to spend a few hours with his family. But the prime minister’s reaction to Keir Starmer’s hopes of finishing work at 6pm to have dinner with his family speaks volumes about his character. Even more disappointing to hear these words used by one dad to attack another.

His smug remark – “I haven’t finished at 6pm ever” – is about more than one-upmanship. He isn’t just saying “I work harder as prime minister than you would,” he is suggesting presenteeism and overworking trumps the importance of family time.

For a parent to continue working, the other often has to stop, and therein lies the huge problem with his comment. Sunak is assuming – like many workplaces, big bosses and the government in the past – that women are the primary carers and they will pick up the slack.

If we want to realise gender equality in the workplace and close the ever-growing gender pay gap, we need to prioritise flexible working, not 24/7 burnout. People who work part-time aren’t any less passionate about what they do, and when we suggest that part-time work is any less than a “proper job” we are telling mothers everywhere that they aren’t good enough at their jobs because they can’t be there full-time.

There are 1.7 million women who would like to work more hours but cannot, because of the high costs and lack of accessible childcare in the UK, and 870,000 who cannot afford to work at all – but want to. The fault of this lies at the door of the government, which has left childcare in the UK chronically underfunded, and has resulted in us having the most expensive childcare sector in Europe. Meanwhile around a quarter of a million mothers with young children have been forced to quit their jobs because of childcare pressures.

Is there any wonder these stats aren’t coming down when the prime minister is telling his political opponent that he is a “part-timer” for clocking off on Friday evening to be with his kids?

We cannot afford for flexible working to be further demonised. People’s careers depend on it, lives depend on it. Flexible employment isn’t just a nice option to have; it opens the door for people who cannot work otherwise.

Our report from Flex Appeal – my campaign to fight for flexible working for everyone – and Sir Robert McAlpine found that if we increased the current rates of flexible working by 50 per cent we would create more than 50,000 new jobs and increase its value to the economy to £55bn. That’s an extra £18bn for the Exchequer that could be reinvested into other areas of our economy that need it.

Flexible working isn’t just good for part-time workers, remote workers, families and people with disabilities – it is good for the economy.

Isn’t that exactly where the prime minister’s focus should be?