Dozens of Labour MPs have united in a bid to steer young men away from “toxic influencers” with upbeat messages about fatherhood and the promise of better paternity rights.
A new cohort of predominantly male MPs, many from “red wall” constituencies, are calling for Labour to appeal to men explicitly, saying they risk “leaving a void,” for hard right voices, such as Andrew Tate, to dictate the discussion about masculinity.
It comes after former England manager Gareth Southgate raised concerns about the traditional fatherly role in families across Britain. He said: “Young men are suffering. They are feeling isolated. They’re grappling with their masculinity and with their broader place in society.
“And this void is filled by a new kind of role model who do not have their best interest at heart,” he said. “These are callous, manipulative and toxic influencers, whose sole drive is for their own gain.
“They willingly trick young men into believing that success is measured by money or dominance, never showing emotion, and that the world – including women – is against them. They are as far away as you could possibly get from the role models our young men need in their lives.”
Shaun Davies, one of about 30 MPs in the group, agreed with Southgate, telling the Guardian: “Southgate’s message absolutely underlines the work that we are doing in parliament and the work that we want the government to do, which is to provide positive role models to boys and also support for men to be better dads and better caregivers.
“If we don’t get a positive message out there, unfortunately people who don’t have the best interests of boys and men at heart will be able to fill that void and exploit it.”
He urged the government to overcome the “political snobbery” around issues.
“Reform and the Tories pretend to be pro-men, but actually they sell out men by not voting for policies like more flexibility at work. There’s a misrepresentation around what masculinity is, when… every bit of research shows that this generation of dads want to be with their kids.”
Lola McEvoy MP pointed out that the Employment Rights Bill will give an additional 30,000 fathers or partners the right to paternity leave and make all parental leave a day one right. “The bill is a really great step, but we’ve got a new government, let’s go further,” she said.
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