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In the midst of falling birthrates, it’s worth remembering that countries where men and women share chores tend to have more childrenIf there is one silver lining to 2024, it has to be that eye-watering childcare costs have finally risen up the political agenda. I had the first twinges of hope watching Question Time earlier this month, as the primary care minister, Andrea Leadsom, and Labour’s Lisa Nandy duked it out over which party had the better record on childcare. And this week, we have actual male politicians, including the prime minister himself, talking about the childcare crisis with the urgency that it demands. I wish it was for happier reasons: it’s being talked about now because the free 15 hours of childcare that parents were promised in the autumn statement may not be delivered by the original April deadline. Sunak promises the scheme will happen, and Labour says that if it wins the likely election this year, its childcare plan will be even better. It hasn’t spelled out how, but still, 2024 bodes well on this issue.Credit must be given to the women’s campaigners who have been raising the alarm on this for years. Though the cynical part of me wonders if the Conservative promise may also have something to do with an issue that has been gaining ground in the rightwing press and in the hard-right flank of the party recently: that of Britain’s baby shortage.Coco Khan is a freelance writer and co-host of the politics podcast Pod Save the UK Continue reading...