Labour proposes new granny leave if they win the General Election

Grandparents could be entitled to share parental leave under plans proposed by the Labour party if they win the General election.

As part of the Labour's women's manifesto the 'granny leave' proposal could see grandparents sharing up to 18 weeks of unpaid leave, currently only available to working parents or those with legal parental responsibility, to help take care of their grandchildren.

Nearly three in five grandparents already provide regular childcare according to research from Working Families.

An estimated 1.9 million grandparents have given up a job, reduced their hours, or taken time off work to look after their grandchildren, according to national charity Grandparents Plus.

Businesses are concerned that they may feel the strain if this proposal were to come to fruition as it could potentially cause disruption to business.

This proposal is part of Labours promises to tackle pay inequality and provide greater support for childcare and parental leave.

The proposal is welcomed by the Grandparents Plus charity. Sam Smethers, its chief executive, says:

"Grandparents are the hidden army of carers in Britain today. We know that one in five working parents - two million of them - would give up work without grandparents to rely on. But increasingly grandparents are working too. So this policy is also a win for employers as it helps both parents and grandparents stay in work."

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