Stella Creasy

[StarryNightSparkles]

Just had a little look on Twitter and seen Stella Creasy is having a rant as she can't take her 3m old into work with her.

This has pissed me right off. How many parents in the UK have child care problems.

Her argument is based on Mat leave which to me is a completely different fight.

Am I being unreasonable to be pissed off by this?

I think yabu, if she can't have mat leave other accommodations should be made for her to be able to continue to server constituents. I think she'd prefer mat cover, and is trying to make the point that the government is making it difficult to impossible for young mothers to have a career in politics. This isn't just about her personally, she is using her platform to to try to change the system so that other mothers can consider it a viable career - I for one would like to see that happen, even if it means there is a 3mo in parliament!

I agree with @mmmammma - parliament can't have it both ways - if you're not able to take maternity leave then alternative plans need to be available - otherwise we would potentially lose good quality female MPs - and we need more not less diversity in the HoC

Her argument is based on Mat leave which to me is a completely different fight.

Of course it is the same fight. If she were allowed mat leave she wouldn’t need to be there.

She’s right to fight this.

@PurpleDaisies

Her argument is based on Mat leave which to me is a completely different fight.

Of course it is the same fight. If she were allowed mat leave she wouldn’t need to be there.

She’s right to fight this.

Completely. I think she's absolutely right to highlight this crap

Thanks Both and I definitely agree as times need to change. I think for me personally it's the way she has worded it to he all about her.

For example I worked as a NHS nurse on the bank due to the NHS not fitting with child care. On the bank I got no mat leave entitlement.

Stella's issue isn't just a Parliament thing or something unique to her situation.

It's 2021 and child care in the UK is still shocking. Which I find incredibly sad.

Of course she is right to fight this. It is an absolutely absurd situation and if we want to get more diversity in Parliament than it means actually doing something to encourage that. MPs should get paid maternity leave and frankly she shouldn’t be in this position in the first place.

Honestly, does it really have to be a race to the bottom? 🙄

But how can an elected individual take maternity leave? Their constituents cannot be left unrepresented for up to a year and an unelected individual cannot be put in their place for a similar period because that is simply not democratic. MP’s form the legislature and you can’t parachute just anyone in to that role, given that they can vote in parliament and so on. I suppose their could be a process of an elected deputy in a constituency (perhaps only at the point when needed), but I don’t know how practical that is.

@jacks11

But how can an elected individual take maternity leave? Their constituents cannot be left unrepresented for up to a year and an unelected individual cannot be put in their place for a similar period because that is simply not democratic. MP’s form the legislature and you can’t parachute just anyone in to that role, given that they can vote in parliament and so on. I suppose their could be a process of an elected deputy in a constituency (perhaps only at the point when needed), but I don’t know how practical that is.

I think you have an excellent idea. Or as the pandemic has moved wfh/remote working quicker than what might have naturally happened why couldn't mps work via zoom etc ?

There are many many jobs that don't provide mat leave such as care work/ self employed.

@jacks11 it requires some thought but honestly it shouldn’t be beyond the reach of a modern society to find a solution and enact it. Ministers are now allowed maternity leave and this should apply to all MPs.

Stella is our MP...probably one of the best around but....she is very selective on social media about what she supports and ignores anything controversial....just blocks and ignores the posts when she is commenting...also she talks over everyone....you cant get a word in....very irritating woman actually.

[quote countbackfromten]@jacks11 it requires some thought but honestly it shouldn’t be beyond the reach of a modern society to find a solution and enact it. Ministers are now allowed maternity leave and this should apply to all MPs.[/quote]
@countbackfromten

I don’t think it is insurmountable, but it will be complicated.

Do ministers get mat leave from their constituency post (being an MP)? I didn’t think they did. The point still stands that if an MP is not working for up to a year- for mat leave or due to illness etc- they cannot just be temporarily replaced in the same way as a minister can because the ministerial mat leave cover can be taken from a pool of elected MP’s in the same party, no such thing exists for constituency MP’s. There is no deputy/back up MP elected- the party should not be allowed to appoint someone of their choice, for many good democratic reasons. It may be that there becomes a deputisation process or another MP agrees to step in- though I think the latter would make it very hard to represent both constituencies fully and that isn’t really on either. It’s not just about voting in parliament- proxy votes could be used, for instance- it’s that they would not be present for debates, to make points in parliament, nor to raise constituents concerns both in parliament and other ways. There would need to be a way of ensuring an elected individual would fill in for the MP, not a political party appointee (and who would want to go through the election process for only a few months if being an MP?). I’m not sure how you do that, but that is the only way I can see it work.

*For example I worked as a NHS nurse on the bank due to the NHS not fitting with child care. On the bank I got no mat leave entitlement.

Stella's issue isn't just a Parliament thing or something unique to her situation*

They are completely different. Whilst not entitled to maternity leave/pay, as a Bank nurse presumably you could have taken an unpaid break and then gone back to bank shifts.

An MP can’t just take an unpaid break. They would need to resign their seat.

There are many many jobs that don't provide mat leave such as care work/ self employed

That’s one of the choices people make when they decide to become self employed. Along with no holiday pay or employer pension contributions. But they can still chose to take time off. An MP can’t.

I quite like Stella Creasy. She always come across well and gets her point across, but I feel like I only hear her speak up when it's a topic that directly affects her. That might be a bit unfair of me, perhaps I just don't follow politics enough.

She raises a valid point on the difficulties for female mps and the need for change to benefit us all.

@Amberflames

There are many many jobs that don't provide mat leave such as care work/ self employed

That’s one of the choices people make when they decide to become self employed. Along with no holiday pay or employer pension contributions. But they can still chose to take time off. An MP can’t.

Yes, but by the same argument you could say “that’s a decision you make when you take on an elected post, because an unelected person cannot stand in for you”. MP’s know that before they stand for election, but still choose to go ahead.

I’m not saying that it’s right, necessarily, but if you say some people have to suck it up “because you made a choice to do x”. I.e.”well, if you chose bank nursing then you know what the rules are but you chose flexible working over other benefits such as maternity leave and sick pay”. How is if different for MP’s as they know the difficulties with those in elected office being absent.

I do understand that in trying to broaden the intake for MP’s some flexibility is required, but equally there are some things which just come with the job. In my field, long hours and shift work- frequently finishing later etc- come with it. I’d rather not do some if it, and it would be much more convenient if I could work 9-5, no nights or weekends etc- but I can’t do it AND do this job because if the nature of the beast. There are some things which will also come with being an MP- needing to be in London and your constituency (unless a London MP), long and unsociable hours etc, that will just not be compatible with some people’s lives/chosen lifestyle and will therefore prevent some people even considering running or cause some to step down.

It shouldn't be a race to the bottom - we should be fighting for all women to be able to access decent mat leave, not saying well I don't get it so why should she?

Im not Stella's biggest fan but what she does well, she does very well. She's stuck because she needs to keep representing her constituents and the only way she can do that is by taking her baby with her, due to that lack of entitlement to mat leave sheikh is frankly ludicrous.

What should she do instead?

Could there be a system where a Vice MP is nominated at the same time as the MP. If Biden suddenly died or become incapacitated, Harris would take over without an election. That would address the democratic bit, if both people were on one electoral ticket.

The self employed don't get maternity leave either, though.

Being an MP isn't a 9-5 in a big company or a family firm and it's foolish to pretend it is.

It's really not that complicated, we managed it in Ireland this year when our Justice Minister took six months maternity leave. Other countries manage it too.

It shouldn't be a race to the bottom - we should be fighting for all women to be able to access decent mat leave, not saying well I don't get it so why should she?

Exactly this.

Stella was the only female MP I know who worked with pregnant then screwed and the JCVI this Spring to host an event about whether women TTC, pregnant or breastfeeding should have the vaccine. She had enough connections presumably she could have phoned up the experts privately, but did a live online event that enabled me to make my own decision.

She should have mat leave cover.

She is irritating, and a bit pious, but she's right about this.

@WinoAnon

I quite like Stella Creasy. She always come across well and gets her point across, but I feel like I only hear her speak up when it's a topic that directly affects her. That might be a bit unfair of me, perhaps I just don't follow politics enough.

She raises a valid point on the difficulties for female mps and the need for change to benefit us all.

My first thought was to agree with you... however, I suppose many people get involved in politics due to issues affecting them and we don't bat an eyelid. Are we simply taking more notice purely because it's a prominent issue affecting women that still hasnt been addressed?!

Nooo, you don't want 3 month olds bawling away during parliamentary discussions or committee meetings. How can she concentrate if she's constantly having to attend to a baby?

Following the birth of her daughter Creasy hired a locum MP to cover most of her constituency work and to liaise with other MPs in parliament on campaigns etc. She wasn't allowed to do the same following this pregnancy.

She’s highlighting an important issue. If we truly want diversity in Parliament then we need to find a solution. You can’t tell her she can’t have mat leave then say she also can’t bring the baby to work.

It will put women of child bearing age off wanting to enter politics. That’s really bad for us all.