Running the nation shouldnt be childs fool around Alice Thomson

Alice Thomson & , : {}

Why are we so obsessed by all our leaders having children? Its not enough for them to tackle the national debt, they have to be able to blow up a paddling pool (Gordon Brown), opine on Gina Ford (Nick Clegg) and begat lots of children (David Cameron). If you arent fecund you may as well not try to become prime minister. You will be sidelined because you dont understand, hard-working families; your childs first smile is what makes you part of the human race.

Winston had Mary, Randolph, Sarah, Diana and Marigold. Margaret had the twins. Tony gave us Euan, Nicholas, Kathryn and baby Leo. Ted Heath was always considered strange for preferring the piano over the patter of tiny feet.

Bachelor Brown was beaten to the leadership of the Labour Party before he found Sarah. Being able to juggle prams, potties and Pingu DVDs with red boxes, Mr Brown later admitted, was vital if you aspire to the top job. As a father, any time I now see a child suffering, I feel thats a stain on the soul of our society, he explained.

William Hague was plagued by the question of whether he and Ffion would give the Tories a baby. Michael Portillo suffered during the Tory leadership election in 2001 because he didnt procreate.

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Voters expect the father of the nation to be the father of a family. Mr Blair was the first to realise the power not just of kissing other peoples babies but producing his own. Being a dad with a mug transcended class and showed a real investment in the countrys future. President Obama set the stakes even higher: Malia and Sasha are held up as examples, make their own beds, give away their Christmas presents and help their mother in the vegetable plot.

But it is bizarre that voters want a prime minister who is going to be distracted every time he goes up the stairs, a leader whose first priority, unless he is callous and coldhearted, is going to be his family, a politician who is sleep-deprived rather than alert.

Being prime minister to 60 million Britons requires concentration. In her book Speaking for Myself Cherie Blair explained that they were frequently woken by Leo during the night just after a European summit or before a G8 meeting. Her children were also blamed for everything from the Dome (after its content was subjected to the Euan test) to getting drunk in Leicester Square. It may be better if leaders had to stay single, wedded to their vocations.

Many of the most productive politicians dont have children. Lord Mandelson seems to be writing Labours manifesto and running the election campaign single-handedly (his dogs dont demand bedtime stories). While Mr Clegg complains that Miguel, his one-year-old son, doesnt sleep through the night, Vince Cable, unencumbered by baby bottles, is demolishing Labours economic record. Ann Widdecombe, Betty Boothroyd and Barbara Castle, among the most impressive women in politics, never had to worry that they werent going to make it to parents evening. They could concentrate their energies on their jobs.

Policies are also affected. With Leo crawling about above the state rooms, Mr Blair increased maternity and paternity leave and child benefit. As a mother of four I applauded, but the one in four who is childless had to cough up for Surestart programmes and after-school clubs as well as covering year-long maternity leaves. Those who dont have children are ignored while every would-be incumbent of Downing Street worships at the Mumsnet shrine.

The irony is that while we demand that our leaders appear normal, the most superhuman father would struggle. Whether it is Mr Cameron or Mr Brown bouncing on the Downing Street trampoline in June, one thing is certain: they cannot have it all. Either their children or the country will have to take second place.