IN his Father’s Day message to the nation, David Cameron makes what is in effect an emotional admission that he is bereft of ideas on core social issues. He can’t seriously believe the threat of stigmatisation could secure more men willing to spend time and support children.

A basic understanding of animal husbandry would have told him that taking even a substantial proportion of males out of the reproductive stakes does not result in significantly fewer offspring to be cared for.

The deterrence approach simply reduces the pool of potential fathers from which women can choose. Those men remaining in this pool may do so not because they have wellfounded confidence in their aptitude for fatherhood, but because they don’t care what the likes of David Cameron think of them.

Mr Cameron calls for emotional and financial support from their father.

He demands that men continue to play their traditional role long after the roles in it of women and children have changed. No wonder he needs to resort to coercion.

John Riseley, Harrogate.