Babies ‘one reason to be grateful’ to Boris Johnson given low fertility rate

Baby births is 1 country the federation tin beryllium grateful to Boris Johnson aft the fertility complaint crossed England and Wales dropped to a caller grounds debased past year, Parliament has been told.

Labour erstwhile curate Lord Foulkes of Cumnock sparked laughter astatine his barbed suggestion, fixed the increasing household of the erstwhile premier minister, who has been a divisive fig some successful and retired of office.

Mr Johnson, 60, present has 8 children, though helium has often obfuscated erstwhile asked precisely however many.

He and his existent woman Carrie person 2 boys and a girl.

Mr Johnson is besides known to person 4 children with his ex-wife Marina Wheeler and a child, calved successful 2009, arsenic a effect of an matter with creation advisor Helen Macintyre.

Speaking during a question connected the UK’s declining commencement complaint astatine Westminster, Lord Foulkes said: “Does the curate hold that though determination are dozens and dozens of reasons for america to criticise him this is 1 country we tin beryllium grateful to Boris Johnson?”

Responding, Treasury curate Lord Livermore said: “I sympathise with his points, but I find it hard to sympathise with that antheral connected anything.”

While fertility rates crossed England and Wales person been successful wide diminution since 2010, the complaint successful 2023 fell to 1.44 children per woman, which the Office for National Statistics said is the lowest worth since records began successful 1938.

Some experts person suggested influencing factors could see economical uncertainty with the cost-of-living crisis, and difficulties uncovering a spouse – arsenic good arsenic much radical deciding not to person children.

In 2023, the fig of unrecorded births (591,072) successful England and Wales fell to the lowest since 1977 erstwhile determination were 569,259.