Gerri Peev: Clegg wants to spend more time with his family

I know, I know, two Lib Dem posts in a day...please stay with me. Nick Clegg, the Lib Dem leader, has suggested that the recession may have a silver lining: it will allow/force men to spend more time with their families if they happen to be laid off.

This is a time to shake of entrenched gender stereotypes, says Clegg, who is preparing to take time off for the birth of his next off-spring. The Tories are privately pointing out that if one of their frontbenchers had tried to cast a rosy light on the recession, they would have been slated for it.

But Clegg does make a serious point. Make parental leave interchangeable and give fathers and mothers the choice as to who stays at home and who works.

Of course this can only work if at least one parent still has a job. And as the recession is hitting the female- dominated service and retail sectors the hardest, it is probably women who will be first to be given their p45s.

On that subject, should the Lib Dem leader want to request flexible working after enjoying his stint at home, can one suggest a job share with his deputy, Vince Cable?