Rupert Lowe MP

Family courts. Since talking about it, I have been inundated with messages from parents who have been entirely and unfairly cut out of their children's lives - overwhelmingly fathers. It's honestly very difficult to read some of these stories.

Paying tens of thousands of pounds to fight it in court. Waiting months with no access to the child. Having the mother use the children to alienate the father, turning them against him.

Countless men have been utterly broken by this - emotionally and financially.

It's not always dads on the receiving end, but it does seem to be primarily men who are suffering. And of course, there are cases where action is proportionate. But clearly the system is not working as intended.

I've been pushing for answers in Parliament, but there seems to be very little appetite from the Ministry of Justice to engage in meaningful change.

I read these stories, and it's just horrific.

Good, decent men who have been cut out of their children's lives. For no reason. Years gone by with no contact.

Often falsely accused, and they have their names dragged through the mud - the process is the punishment and they have their son/daughter taken away from them because of it.

I am very much of the view that a child needs their father, and I don't believe the courts should be weaponised by malicious parents to keep them apart.

The system needs a radical overhaul, giving decent fathers a much bigger say.