A senior parliamentary ombudsman has warned against David Cameron taking too much paternity leave following the birth of his fourth child, stating that the Prime Minister 'might not have a job to come back to if he stays away for too long.'
Speaking on the BBC's Hardtalk programme, Chief parliamentary commissioner Sir Michael Rattigan told presenter Stephen Sackur how Cameron should return to work as soon as possible. 'I'm fed up of employees leaving us to have babies - chances are he'll do what most of them do: have a nice little holiday whilst on the payroll and then hand his notice in just as soon as the parental leave runs out. Well I'm sorry but that's not a chance I'm not prepared to take - come back now David or don't come back at all.'
Sir Michael's comments have been echoed by the Daily Mail, whose political editor blasted the Prime Minister's absence from Downing Street. 'It makes a mockery of every decent working family if this sponger stays in Cornwall for any longer. It's typical of today's pampered and degenerate society that parents of new-born babies are allowed to swan about for weeks, if not months, leaving the rest of us to fund their easy-going lifestyle through our blood, sweat and tears. In all probability he only had the child to get priority for a council house anyway.'
A Tory party spokesman has admitted that many ministers have expressed concern over Cameron's decision not to return to his post immediately. 'The political vacuum he has created by his absence is very worrying. Even more worrying is that it was left to the LibDems have got a temp in. We all know what happens next don't we? It happens in businesses up and down the country - the hired help gets her feet under the table while covering maternity leave and the next thing you know she's on the list for the work's Christmas do and has got her own parking space.'