Father of six Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg has said that the fertility rate in the UK is declining because people cannot afford to have children.

Speaking on GB News Jacob Rees-Mogg said: “Immigration clearly isn't the answer, it is cultural. You need to make [having children] the normal thing to do.

“But the tax and benefits system militates against people having children.

“Having children is extremely expensive, and people can't afford it. And you need to have a tax system that perhaps allows tax alliances to be shared between husbands and wives, that has a tax allowance for children, so that the cost of children isn't prohibitive.

“You also need to encourage the family.

“Part of what we've done in the last 40 or 50 years has undermined the family, and they divorce so much easier, and that doesn't help.”