‘Family test’ planned for policies

A “family test” will be applied to all new domestic policy in a bid to prevent the scenes of rioting and looting which shocked England recently, the Prime Minister has said.

David Cameron confirmed that the coalition government will shift its focus to families, family law and parenting as it attempts to repair what he described as Britain’s “broken society”. He told a youth centre in his Witney constituency that many of those who took part in the civil disorder did not have a father figure in their home life and had instead sought male role models on the streets.

Mr Cameron added:

“I don’t doubt that many of the rioters out last week have no father at home. Perhaps they come from one of the neighbourhoods where it’s standard for children to have a mum and not a dad, where it’s normal for young men to grow up without a male role model, looking to the streets for their father figures, filled up with rage and anger.

“If we want to have any hope of mending our broken society, family and parenting is where we’ve got to start.”

Mr Cameron also underlined his determination to introduce a “family test” for domestic policy, adding:

“If it hurts families, if it undermines commitment, if it tramples over the values that keeps people together, or stops families from being together, then we shouldn’t do it.”

Our Family and Matrimonial team helps families across West London and Bucks. For advice, contact a member of the team, call us on 01494 790058 or email familylaw@ibblaw.co.uk.