Olivia Colman and Andy Murray urge Rishi Sunak to provide more support for new parents

Two-thirds of parents with children under four have been forced to cut back on purchases of books, toys and other items to food and bills during the cost of living crisis

Actress Olivia Colman is among those calling for better access to vital services, including maternity, medical visits and mental health (

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More than 80 leading charities and celebrities, including actress Olivia Colman and tennis star Sir Andy Murray, have asked Rishi Sunak to better support new parents and their babies.

They called for a National Babies and Toddlers Guarantee to ensure access to vital services, including maternity, medical visits and mental health benefits. Parents should also be able to benefit from affordable, high-quality childcare and support for special educational needs and people with disabilities, they called for.

Other signatories to Unicef ​​UK's open letter, delivered to the Prime Minister today, include the NSPCC, Save the Children UK, the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, as well as Dr Chris van BBC's Tulleken and actors David Harewood and Ewan McGregor. Nearly 50,000 members of the public have also signed the association's petition calling for equal access to vital early childhood services.

Sir Andy Murray is among those calling on Rishi Sunak to better support new parents and their babies (

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The letter to the Prime Minister reads: "British families need your help now. The summer holidays are just...