The nation can be grateful to Boris Johnson for baby births after the fertility rate across England and Wales dropped to a new record low, parliament has been told.
Labour former minister Lord Foulkes of Cumnock sparked laughter at his barbed suggestion, given the growing family of the former prime minister.
Mr Johnson, 60, now has approximately eight children, although he has frequently obfuscated when asked exactly how many.
He and his current wife Carrie have two boys and a girl.
Mr Johnson is also known to have four children with his ex-wife Marina Wheeler and a child, born in 2009, as a result of an affair with art consultant Helen Macintyre.
While fertility rates across England and Wales have been in overall decline since 2010, the rate in 2023 fell to 1.44 children per woman, which the Office for National Statistics said is the lowest value since records began in 1938.
Some experts have suggested influencing factors could include economic uncertainty with the cost of living crisis, and difficulties finding a partner – as well as more people deciding not to have children.
In 2023, the number of live births (591,072) in England and Wales fell to the lowest since 1977 when there were 569,259.
Speaking during a question on the UK’s declining birth rate at Westminster, Lord Foulkes said: “Does the minister agree that although there are dozens and dozens of reasons for us to criticise him this is one area we can be grateful to Boris Johnson?”
Responding, Treasury minister Lord Livermore said: “I sympathise with his points, but I find it hard to sympathise with that man on anything.”
The statements come the day after Boris Johnson was “fired for banging on about his book” during a guest appearance on Channel 4’s coverage of the US election.
The former UK prime minister was told off for holding up his memoir and plugging it just minutes into the live programme America Decides: US Presidential Election.
Channel 4 newsreader Krishnan Guru-Murthy told Mr Johnson to “put it away” and “stop it, enough” as he twice referenced his new book and attempted to hold it up to viewers.
Mr Guru-Murthy described the former prime minister’s actions as “so cheap”.
Mr Johnson retorted: “There’s absolutely nothing you can do to stop me… I’m allowed to plug my book.”
