Of course birthrates are plunging – the Tories have created a child-unfriendly society | Polly Toynbee

Austerity-era cuts to pre-school help, education and benefits have put parenthood out of reach for many

The austerity decade has diminished us in many ways, and this week there came news of a new one: the birthrate is plummeting. The Office for National Statistics has revealed a fall of 12.2% since 2012. That’s a replacement rate of just 1.65 children per woman – lower in Wales.

Cue panic. Who will look after the old? Who will do the jobs to pay for their pensions? Some think fewer humans are good for the environment, others that it signifies national decline: size means status and strength among wealthier nations.

We are still far from believing every woman is free to control or encourage her own fertility as suits her circumstance

Related: Birthrate crisis would require a whole new mindset on growth | Larry Elliott

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from Children | The Guardian https://ift.tt/3jw77y9