THE party conference season stirs such excitement in politicians that they are apt to say all kinds of wild things.

Even normally rational beings like the Trade and Industry Secretary, Patricia Hewitt, cannot resist the urge to make grand promises.

How generous of Ms Hewitt to promise longer paid maternity leave, so that working mothers will get some or all of the second six months of maternity leave paid.

No doubt her aim was to placate the unions before the Labour Party conference and strengthen the party's appeal to young families.

But if she had paused for five minutes to consider the effect of this measure on businesses she would surely have reconsidered.

Maternity leave already causes such disruption and expense to small businesses that it acts as a disincentive to employers to hire women of childbearing age.

There is evidence that young women are being refused work because of fears that they might become pregnant. If maternity pay were extended such discrimination would worsen.

No one will admit this openly, of course, because it is illegal, but it is also reality.

No one wants to be mean to young mothers but huge numbers of small businesses work very close to the edge.

For them this is a simple matter of survival.

Even in large firms, the disruption is felt not only by the companies but also by staff forced to cover for absent colleagues.

Ms Hewitt's ideas - which also include higher paternity pay - are not based in economic reality.

Admirable though they may be from a family perspective, they are impracticable.

Besides damaging existing businesses, they would act as a further deterrent to foreign companies who might be thinking of opening offices or factories here.

Not everyone will be dismayed by this.

While longer maternity pay might go down badly with employers in the United Kingdom, our global competitors will be delighted.