Tom Harwood: When it comes to population, we cannot fall into the trap of accepting national decline

Now I want to talk about Natalism. - The belief in promoting the reproduction of human life.

Amongst the commentariat in the UK there has been a resurgence in pro natalist sentiment in recent months, one I wholeheartedly support.

We are heading for a severe population problem in the UK. Frankly, people aren't having enough children.

The demographic crisis we are steaming towards is frankly terrifying to contemplate and requires urgent political attention.

More older people and fewer younger people means, thanks to our pozi scheme like social security system, that there will be unprecedented demands for public spending on pensions and healthcare, while historically low proportion of working taxpayers to pay for it.

We are heading for an inverted population pyramid. Lots of older people and diminishing numbers of younger people to pay for them.

A dwindling birth rate is a disaster not only economically, not only in terms of strength on the world stage - as the clout of rising powers overseas grows with their populations.

But so too in terms of liberty.

Frankly, the research shows that women in the West and the UK in particular want more children than they feel able to have.

In recent years the gap between what we call ‘lifetime fertility intentions’ - the number of children women actually want, and 'fertility outcomes' - the number of children families actually have - that gap has grown substantially.

Across the West, families want more children than they end up having.

This is a sad and sorry situation.Our over-regulated childcare sector prices most families out of the choices they would otherwise love to make - our crippling staff to child ratio rules are nothing short of madness.

The crazy one adult for every three children rule clearly hampers realistic young childcare provision.

And then there is housing. So many no longer want to move out of small flats, no longer able to afford a house with that spare room or two, no wonder women and families are having fewer children than they would like.

Every commentator who has raised these issues should be applauded, particularly those who have pressed the crucial points of family choice, and affordability.

It's not too late to turn around our impending demographic and current moral woes. But legislators just have to act quickly.

Particularly as the cost of living continues to rise.Commentators are already there, now more politicians must take on this mantle.

To empower families. To strengthen the United Kingdom. To build things again.

And to save the Western democratic order by our example. When it comes to population, we cannot fall into the trap of accepting national decline.