EALING Central and Acton MP Rupa Huq hosted the first Single Parent Day in the House of Commons, attended by almost 40 MPs from four different parties.

The All-Party Parliamentary Group pledged to identify the challenges faced by single parents in the UK.

Originally launched by Ronald Regan in the United States, Single Parent Day marks the start of a campaign by MPs to raise the profile of single-parent families.

Figures from support group Gingerbread were released for each of the 650 Parliamentary constituencies, showing that in some seats single-parent families account for more than 50% of families.

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Veteran newsman Robert Peston movingly described his experiences a single parent after the death of his wife.

Rupa Huq, who chairs the group, said: “Single parents face such significant barriers in employment and education. Research has shown time and time again that they suffer disproportionately from changes to welfare legislation.

“It’s long overdue that government and politics fully considers the needs of single parents when drafting legislation.

"They are no longer a marginal family form, so I look forward to working with colleagues across all parties to ensure single parents are properly considered in our work in Westminster.”