By . Gerri Peev . PUBLISHED: . 18:59 EST, 25 September 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 01:45 EST, 26 September 2012 . Miriam Clegg has defended her husband for breaking away from Cabinet meetings to do the school run, saying men who do not spend time with their children should not become fathers. The wife of Nick Clegg, the Deputy Prime Minister, said it was right that Mr Clegg was such a hands-on dad. In a rare interview, Mrs Clegg said: ‘Of course every man who has children should be involved in their lives, that’s why they have them. Couple: Miriam Clegg (left), the wife of Nick Clegg (right), pictured yesterday at Brighton Aldridge Community Academy, said it was right that he was such a hands-on dad . ‘If they don’t want to be involved, they shouldn’t have them, no?’ The Spanish-born lawyer, who goes by her maiden name of Miriam Gonzalez Durantez, dismissed the criticism her husband faced for going to great lengths to see his three sons. Britain was only just beginning to recognise the extra involvement men wanted to have in child-rearing, she said. Speaking of her law firm, Dechert, Mrs Clegg said: ‘In my team I have lots of young men who have children, and it’s not so easy for them to say "My children are sick so I’m sorry, I have to take care of them, I have to stay at home".’ She also revealed she had an army of helpers to enable the family to juggle work and childcare commitments. Admiration: Mrs Clegg dismissed suggestions that she was a role model for women, saying it was the low-paid working mothers who deserved praise . Mrs Clegg said she was able to rely on ‘a lot of shadows behind me making my life possible’, including a nanny ‘who is almost like my aunt and gives me orders’, her mother, Mr Clegg’s mother and colleagues. 'Of course every man who has children should be involved in their lives, that’s why they have them. If they don’t want to be involved, they shouldn’t have them, no?' Miriam Clegg . She dismissed suggestions that she was a role model for women, saying it was the low-paid working mothers who deserved praise. ‘The role model is the woman who is the shop attendant who is there from nine to five and the money she is receiving doesn’t allow her to pay for childcare and somehow she manages to give her children all the opportunities. Life is full of these kinds of exceptional women.’ Mrs Clegg added: ‘There is a tendency to think women in the City have a much more challenging life than other women. I don’t think that is the case - it’s probably the reverse. When the "superwomen" say "everything is easy" I think it is like when models say "I don’t diet, I can eat whatever I want".’ Assistance: Mrs Clegg also revealed she had an army of helpers to enable the family to juggle work and childcare commitments . Mrs Clegg also described the spoof music video of her husband’s apology for making a pledge on tuition fees as ‘genius’. The song has been released as a charity single to raise money for a children’s hospital in Sheffield. Mrs Clegg, a patron of the charity, said: ‘I have watched it - it’s genius. It’s very good - I’m very happy with that. “The more money they [the hospital charity] get, the better. I’m sure the kids would be really happy and I’ll go there to celebrate with them.’ Although she is likely to appear on the stage after her husband’s keynote speech at conference today, Mrs Clegg has refused to scale back her work commitments to appear in countless photo opportunities on the Lib Dem campaign trail. She said: ‘I love Nick, he is the father of my children, we are in life together, so obviously I will try my very best to help him. But I don’t think any of that should change me.'
Nick Clegg's wife says it's right that DPM is hands-on dad .
Army of helpers enables them to juggle family and work .
Praises working mothers but says she's no role model .
By . Gerri Peev . PUBLISHED: . 18:59 EST, 25 September 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 01:45 EST, 26 September 2012 . Miriam Clegg has defended her husband for breaking away from Cabinet meetings to do the school run, saying men who do not spend time with their children should not become fathers. The wife of Nick Clegg, the Deputy Prime Minister, said it was right that Mr Clegg was such a hands-on dad. In a rare interview, Mrs Clegg said: ‘Of course every man who has children should be involved in their lives, that’s why they have them. Couple: Miriam Clegg (left), the wife of Nick Clegg (right), pictured yesterday at Brighton Aldridge Community Academy, said it was right that he was such a hands-on dad . ‘If they don’t want to be involved, they shouldn’t have them, no?’ The Spanish-born lawyer, who goes by her maiden name of Miriam Gonzalez Durantez, dismissed the criticism her husband faced for going to great lengths to see his three sons. Britain was only just beginning to recognise the extra involvement men wanted to have in child-rearing, she said. Speaking of her law firm, Dechert, Mrs Clegg said: ‘In my team I have lots of young men who have children, and it’s not so easy for them to say "My children are sick so I’m sorry, I have to take care of them, I have to stay at home".’ She also revealed she had an army of helpers to enable the family to juggle work and childcare commitments. Admiration: Mrs Clegg dismissed suggestions that she was a role model for women, saying it was the low-paid working mothers who deserved praise . Mrs Clegg said she was able to rely on ‘a lot of shadows behind me making my life possible’, including a nanny ‘who is almost like my aunt and gives me orders’, her mother, Mr Clegg’s mother and colleagues. 'Of course every man who has children should be involved in their lives, that’s why they have them. If they don’t want to be involved, they shouldn’t have them, no?' Miriam Clegg . She dismissed suggestions that she was a role model for women, saying it was the low-paid working mothers who deserved praise. ‘The role model is the woman who is the shop attendant who is there from nine to five and the money she is receiving doesn’t allow her to pay for childcare and somehow she manages to give her children all the opportunities. Life is full of these kinds of exceptional women.’ Mrs Clegg added: ‘There is a tendency to think women in the City have a much more challenging life than other women. I don’t think that is the case - it’s probably the reverse. When the "superwomen" say "everything is easy" I think it is like when models say "I don’t diet, I can eat whatever I want".’ Assistance: Mrs Clegg also revealed she had an army of helpers to enable the family to juggle work and childcare commitments . Mrs Clegg also described the spoof music video of her husband’s apology for making a pledge on tuition fees as ‘genius’. The song has been released as a charity single to raise money for a children’s hospital in Sheffield. Mrs Clegg, a patron of the charity, said: ‘I have watched it - it’s genius. It’s very good - I’m very happy with that. “The more money they [the hospital charity] get, the better. I’m sure the kids would be really happy and I’ll go there to celebrate with them.’ Although she is likely to appear on the stage after her husband’s keynote speech at conference today, Mrs Clegg has refused to scale back her work commitments to appear in countless photo opportunities on the Lib Dem campaign trail. She said: ‘I love Nick, he is the father of my children, we are in life together, so obviously I will try my very best to help him. But I don’t think any of that should change me.'
right that he was such a hands-on dad . ‘If they of helpers to enable the family to juggle work mothers who deserved praise. ‘The role model is helpers to enable the family to juggle work and