FAMILIES minister Ed Balls was accused of patronising 450,000 grandparents after launching a £2.2million website which provides “absurd” childcare tips.
Matthew Elliott, chief executive of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said: “It’s important to consider the role of grandparents in looking after children, but this website has dumbed the subject down to absurdity.
Dot Gibson, general secretary of the National Pensioners Convention, said: “Grandparents don’t need to be told how to interact with children – they need to feel respected.
Mr Balls stressed (The only sensible thing he has said) the “invaluable role” played by millions of grandparents, but said that when families broke down they often found it difficult to maintain links with grandchildren. Under Government plans, they will no longer have to seek leave from the courts before applying for contact with grandchildren.
Jimmy Deuchars, manager of Grandparents Apart UK said; Scotland’s system already works on what Ed Balls is proposing and it has cost a lot of our members their lives savings spent on cases that had no chance of winning in the first place.
This statement above is an election gimmick to con the grandparents grey vote into thinking they are getting something. This can be extremely detrimental to grandparents who are totally devastated and very emotional at losing contact with their loved ones. Grandparents really need open and honest advice not election gimmicks.
Removing the need to get permission from a judge is removing a safety net and has saved lots of grandparents spending a fortune on cases that had no chance. We have already received adverts from lawyers offering discounts for grandparents wishing to go to court. So be warned! Seek a second opinion from non profit groups like ours.
Jimmy Deuchars
Grandparents Apart UK
22 Alness crescent
Glasgow G52 1PJ
0141 882 5658
http://www.grandparentsapart.co.uk
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