Babies ‘one reason to be grateful’ to Boris Johnson given low fertility rate

Baby births is one area the nation can be grateful to Boris Johnson after the fertility rate across England and Wales dropped to a new record low last year, Parliament has been told.

Labour former minister Lord Foulkes of Cumnock sparked laughter at his barbed suggestion, given the growing family of the former prime minister, who has been a divisive figure both in and out of office.

Mr Johnson, 60, now has eight children, although he has frequently obfuscated when asked exactly how many.

He and his current wife Carrie have two boys and a girl.

Mr Johnson is also known to have four children with his ex-wife Marina Wheeler and a child, born in 2009, as a result of an affair with art consultant Helen Macintyre.

Speaking during a question on the UK’s declining birth rate at Westminster, Lord Foulkes said: “Does the minister agree that although there are dozens and dozens of reasons for us to criticise him this is one area we can be grateful to Boris Johnson?”

Responding, Treasury minister Lord Livermore said: “I sympathise with his points, but I find it hard to sympathise with that man on anything.”

While fertility rates across England and Wales have been in overall decline since 2010, the rate in 2023 fell to 1.44 children per woman, which the Office for National Statistics said is the lowest value since records began in 1938.

Some experts have suggested influencing factors could include economic uncertainty with the cost-of-living crisis, and difficulties finding a partner – as well as more people deciding not to have children.

In 2023, the number of live births (591,072) in England and Wales fell to the lowest since 1977 when there were 569,259.