Shame on cameron

[Sophye]

I thought Cameron's comments on fathers' day (that runnaway dads should be shamed) were a complete disgrace and devoid of any understanding of the issues. Does anyone else think the same?
I have seen first hand the pain that mothers put fathers through by not allowing them to see their children and using the children as weapons against the fathers. From my own situation it has been patently clear that fathers have no rights and we are continually beholden to the mother's increasingly damaging and selfish actions. These women, who do not act in the best interests of the child, should not be held up by Cameron as worthy of anything but contempt. He should get into the real world where many fathers are desperate to have more involvement in their children's lives, but are prevented from doing so by the mothers.
My partner is an amazing father, despite all the efforts of his ex and I made sure fathers' day was really special - it's not as if the child gets any positive messages at home about her dad, without idiots like Cameron putting dads in a bad light.
www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2011/jun/19/runaway-dads-drink-drivers-cameron#start-of-comments

Nope. I think Cameron is absolutely right. But as usual it's all talk. If he wanted to sort this out, his first priority would be to sort out the shambles that masquerades as the CSA. But that doesn't make headlines does it?

I think he was talking about the sort of dad that doesnt make the effort and refuses to financially support his children.

my x does deserve to be held in contempt. I think you have to be honest with yourselves here (step parents I mean) there are FAR more fathers who walk away and refuse to pay maintenance than there are mothers who won't let their exes see the children.

But anyway, he makes his contempt for single mothers quite clear in other ways. They're the ones he really punishes. The talk of shaming is just talk, he's not going to take their passports or licences if they don't pay maintenance. The fact is there is still no real punishment for defying a court order to pay maintenance. The prisons are not full of men who don't pay maintenance even though there are hundreds of thousands of these deadbeats out there.

The reality is, there are a lot of fathers who have second families and believe that this exempts them from their responsibilities. NOT that my x has a second family. he pays no maintenance and never has, so it makes no difference to me if he gets a second or a third family really.

I would like to see DC actually DO something to punish the deadbeats. It's all talk at the moment. The mothers still carry the can alone.

@ Amberleaf, yes, he means the fathers who don't contribute. He doesn't really care about how often they see their children. it's whether or not they contribute, that's the issue for him (obviously).

He's on to a loser though. My x is an example of a man who could easily afford to make his children's lives easier, but he strides around his office in an expensive suit and has the respect of his boss/team. They know he has children but I bet he has not told them he pays no maintenance. So how, o WHAT exactly is going to 'shame' him? His conscience ?? no. Meanwhile back on planet single parent I am the one who some of the married laydeez keep at a polite, cold distance. I and hundreds of thousands like me are the ones who are 'shamed'.

ps Sophye, if your husband is contributing to his first family then DC's comments don't apply to you or your husband. Not sure why you're offended.

You're right of course Bandwidth, it is only about money for DC.

I agree that its just empty talk, just to try and balance things while he goes for the jugular of single mums.

.... the thing is with a bloke like him, he may be a pompour arse (and he is) but he doesn't know any fathers who have nothing to do with their children (or none who make a point of letting people know that) and he certainly doesn't know any single mums! Well, does Jemima Khan count? em, Elizabeth Hurley! He may know a few of that ilk, and I'm not criticising either of them btw. Just making the point that to him, a single mother is some alien species. He literally can't empathise. Probably never met one really. Or if he did there was a camera there. He certainly has never socialised with anybody whose children's father contributes nothing and who is caught in the Bermudian triangle of -cost of childcare, - economic climate, and -low earning potential.

ps, yeah, because if I were a single mother in the UK I'd rather he insulted me but left the children's allowance alone (or at least penalised married mothers in the same way!). Totally unfair what he has done. I'd rather be insulted verbally than financially if I was sailing close to the wind.

ps2 I'm in ireland,so really, I shouldn't have the energy to criticise David Cameron as we have enough stupid politicians over here. We had one here recently say that single mothers grew too accustomed to their benefits. beee0tch! NOT a mention of the fact that we're in a major recession and perhaps 'most' single mothers have a low earning potential.

I emailed that politician to tell her I'd love the opportunity to become accustomed to a job in the dail. I attached my cv as well. Do you think I heard back?!!?