A politician in Italy wants to change the law so that babies are given their mum’s surname, rather than their dad’s.

Dario Franceschini said that the tradition of babies being given their dad’s surname was a “cultural source” of gender inequality (unfairness), and that stopping it would end a “centuries-old injustice”.

Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini mocked the idea, saying: “Let’s erase these dads from the face of the Earth, that way we’ll solve all the problems.”

Babies usually get their dad’s surname in the UK, too. In other countries, like Spain and Portugal, it’s common for babies to be given both their mum and dad’s surname, but their dad’s name usually comes first.