Absent fathers deserve same stigma as drink drivers says Prime Minister

The Prime Minister signalled a new onslaught on “runaway dads” saying they should be made to feel the “full force of shame” for their actions.

In an article written to mark Father’s Day, he said it “simply isn’t acceptable” for single mothers to be left to bring up children on their own.

Mr Cameron also indicated his determination to introduce tax breaks for married couples – a Tory general election pledge which appeared to have been dropped by the coalition in the face of Liberal Democrat opposition.

“I want us to recognise marriage in the tax system so as a country we show we value commitment,” he wrote.

He issued a strong defence of traditional families as the “cornerstone of our society” and called for a new drive to “bring fathers back into the lives of all our children”.

He said fathers had a duty to support “financially and emotionally” their children – spending time with them at weekends, attending nativity plays and taking an interest in their education.

“It’s high time runaway dads were stigmatised, and the full force of shame was heaped upon them,” he said. “They should be looked at like drink drivers, people who are beyond the pale.”

Mr Cameron described how he learned his values from his own father, Ian Cameron, who died last year aged 77.

“Seeing him get up before the crack of dawn to go and do a hard day’s work and not come back until late at night had a profound impact on me,” he said.

Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls said that Mr Cameron’s approach to the issue was “deeply flawed”.