Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask if MP's should be allowed to take children into parliament?

74 replies

parentingperson · 24/11/2021 12:50

I know that we are becoming more progressive and all, but I'm not sure I agree with a baby being brought into the parliamentary chambers where debates and policies are made. My reasoning is that I couldn't take my child into my workplace. I wouldn't be able to fully concentrate on the job at hand and when I am at work, I am there to work.

Thoughts?

OP posts:
MarshaBradyo · 24/11/2021 13:49

There’s no way I could

Do they get different ML provision?

JudgeRindersMinder · 24/11/2021 13:50

@MarshaBradyo

There’s no way I could

Do they get different ML provision?

They don’t get ML at all!

This is on Jeremy Vine on Radio 2 just now

Pazuzu · 24/11/2021 13:50

[quote luckylavender]@Pazuzu - it wasn't PMQs[/quote]
I never said it was. I'm asking just how suitable PMQ's especially would be for a baby.

MarshaBradyo · 24/11/2021 13:51

Judge oh right that is tough. That changes my view

TractorAndHeadphones · 24/11/2021 13:53

[quote flowerarrangement]She is banging a drum for locums, this is all part of the campaign, there's a bigger agenda. I still don't think it is appropriate to have a baby in the workplace, democratically elected or not.

Women all over the world have to make choices around feeding/pumping and childcare (I had something that plugged into my car cigarette lighter and pumped on my journey to and from work).

www.theguardian.com/politics/2021/jun/29/stella-creasy-threatens-legal-action-over-lack-of-maternity-cover-for-mps[/quote]
Hold on!
So this article states that they’ve been given 35K to cover extra staff - but still ‘escalate’ matters to the MP.

What are the exact duties that a locum cannot fulfil?

What happens if a locum makes decisions that go against what the MP would have wanted?

Essentially they’re saying that an MP is elected as an individual and someone who is not an elected individual cannot be an MP. So unless the people voted on the temp cover….

Can’t decide need more infob

TractorAndHeadphones · 24/11/2021 13:55

Constitutionally, no one can take on the full roles and responsibilities of a member of parliament, who is an office holder elected by the general public,” they said in a statement. “It is up to parliament to decide if the law should be changed.”

This is a general issue that covers stuff including an MP being sick

thevassal · 24/11/2021 13:57

No to babies in work (any work) but MPs should have proper maternity cover not just leave, and should be allowed to speak for constituents via weblink not having to come into the chamber. Although I do understand how it's hard because the whole election system is based on voting that one person into the position so how can an appropriate substitute be found?

The article did mention a nursery within the hoc though so not sure why she couldn't have left the baby there for the hour or two it took?

starfishmummy · 24/11/2021 13:57

@Fallagain

No but there needs to money available for maternity leave and to cover the cost of a maternity cover.
How do you propose that maternity cover for an elected person would work?
cupofdecaf · 24/11/2021 13:59

Just because we have had to make choices about childcare and expressing and dash about trying to sort childcare and pay so much for childcare doesn't mean that's the way it should be.

It's not a race to the bottom and nor should we begrudge another women flexibility if her job allows.

Shes campaigning for a better way for women in lots of different circumstances. She can't do her job remotely and she can't use cover so whilst she has a breast feed baby her employer is legally obliged to facilitate her feeding her baby.

It's not about being able to take your baby to work it's about so much more than that.

3cats4poniesandababy · 24/11/2021 13:59

The problem with maternity cover is that her constituents elected her not her maternity cover. Yes many people will vote by party but in the UK we vote for a person. Hence why if an MP resigns or dies there is a by-election.
Do we end up in a situation where if an MP is pregnant we have a by-election for a temporary candidate?

Personally I think the rule could be adjusted do MPs have a maternity right to a proxy vote and can go speak in Parliament x number of times.

HoardingSamphireSaurus · 24/11/2021 14:03

The Speaker's own words on it seemed reasonable too.

Had many contacts with many varied views

Take a view on it and expect some changes

TractorAndHeadphones · 24/11/2021 14:12

@3cats4poniesandababy

The problem with maternity cover is that her constituents elected her not her maternity cover. Yes many people will vote by party but in the UK we vote for a person. Hence why if an MP resigns or dies there is a by-election. Do we end up in a situation where if an MP is pregnant we have a by-election for a temporary candidate?

Personally I think the rule could be adjusted do MPs have a maternity right to a proxy vote and can go speak in Parliament x number of times.

. I don’t know if it’s just the media misreporting - but what’s her solution? All she says is ‘MP’s should have full maternity cover’ but she hasn’t suggested how this should work. If there any links etc to what she’s proposing I’d love to read it as the first few articles don’t even mention the details of what IPSA offered hee.

Apparently there was a pilot for full cover for her first child based on the Guardian article and this wasn’t really delved into either.

Great respect if I’m a bad Googler and she did indeed propose solutions but if all she did was say ‘I want full cover’ and that’s it - no respect from me

DreamingofGinoclock · 24/11/2021 14:15

@cupofdecaf

Just because we have had to make choices about childcare and expressing and dash about trying to sort childcare and pay so much for childcare doesn't mean that's the way it should be.

It's not a race to the bottom and nor should we begrudge another women flexibility if her job allows.

Shes campaigning for a better way for women in lots of different circumstances. She can't do her job remotely and she can't use cover so whilst she has a breast feed baby her employer is legally obliged to facilitate her feeding her baby.

It's not about being able to take your baby to work it's about so much more than that.

^This
JamAutistically · 24/11/2021 14:43

@ChristmasScrooge

YANBU. Mind you half of them are asleep in the chambers even on TV... so maybe a screaming baby is a good thing to make them stay awake and actually pay attention to their job.
Lol...I quite agree with this.Grin

On a serious note, YANBU. It's distracting for everyone.

JamAutistically · 24/11/2021 14:45

@Hoolahupsaresquare

I do though support maternity leave for MPs. Other important jobs manage it.
Didn't realise there's no maternity leave for MPs. That's appalling!
JamAutistically · 24/11/2021 14:52

Ah right, so it's maternity cover, not leave.

flowerarrangement · 24/11/2021 15:10

Yes that's it Jam, she is conflating the two. There's absolutely no reason at all for her to take her baby in to vote.

She and/or any other elected representative is voted in by the public, no one else can cast her vote, only her. She is using taking her baby into the chamber as a banner for having a locum so that she still gets to vote.

The ministerial code makes provision for maternity leave/replacement (but she is not in a ministerial position).

Parents up and down the country who earn a fraction of what this woman does arrange and pay for childcare and I sincerely hope that she does not succeed in this. It isn't like she is an unpaid local councillor, she is paid a decent salary for being an MP and needs to arrange appropriate childcare.

thereisonlyoneofme · 24/11/2021 15:22

Can you imagine if several MPs wanted to bring their children in,
would there be an age cut off ? There are enough sulky children in the Commons as it is

Bigassbeebuzzbuzz · 24/11/2021 15:26

If they can have pubs etc inside Westminster why on earth cant they have a childminder?
It's not ideal but I know I've been in the situation where I've had to take dc into work with me. Not for the entire day but for 20/30 mins until I had some childcare.
However I dont think it should be common place to bring you dc into work.

Platax · 24/11/2021 15:27

@minipie

Aren’t MPs now able to attend parliament remotely? Couldn’t she do that?
No, they aren't routinely able to do that.
minipie · 24/11/2021 15:39

Ok

YahooTheMilkshake · 24/11/2021 15:40

No. It isn't appropriate unless she's working in a nursery or a children's clothes shop etc.
Certainly not as an MP.

flowerarrangement · 24/11/2021 15:47

She should take a step back and think how this looks in the real world.

How her succeeding in winning the right to take her baby into the chamber might have knock on effects and actually mean that for some employers all of a sudden employing women with young babies might be a less attractive proposition in case this sort of challenge becomes more mainstream.

I work with people who call in their families when they need to to come into work/juggle childcare all summer.

She is making a point, very badly.

Firesidefox · 24/11/2021 16:03

YANBU

New posts on this thread. Refresh page