Gove suggests parents of truanting children could have child benefits stopped

Lib Dems say levelling-up secretary is ‘living in a different century’ with the proposal

Michael Gove has suggested that parents who fail to ensure their children attend school regularly could have their child benefit payments stopped.

Gove has argued such penalties would help restore “an ethic of responsibility”. He had previously attempted to introduce the measure while education secretary during the coalition government in 2010 but was blocked by then Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg. He later pushed David Cameron to put it in the Conservative manifesto for the 2015 election.