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'It felt like abandoning my wife': Why fathers think two weeks paternity leave is a 'joke'

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Saturday, 2 May 2026 21:44

By Amelia Harper, home news correspondent

Fathers have revealed why they are demanding better paternity leave in the UK as they marched through London in a campaign for change.

The men pushed prams and walked with their children from Trafalgar Square, to Parliament Square. Similar marches took place in Manchester, Leeds and Nottingham.

They are asking for paternity leave to be increased to six weeks, paid at 90% salary - the current statutory entitlement is two weeks.

Their campaign comes as the government is carries out a parental leave review, set to conclude in early 2027.

This is why seven of the men attended the London march:

Sky News

(c) Sky News 2026: 'It felt like abandoning my wife': Why fathers think two weeks paternity leave is a 'joke'

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