To think taking a baby to Parliament is ridiculous?

[iawbuwes]

Stella Creasy MP taking her baby to the Commons - I think it is utterly ridiculous.

Everyone else has to find childcare. Labour have lost the plot and don’t seem to care what people think (I say this as a life long Labour vote who cannot stomach voting for Labour as it now is). Parliament even have a nursery! www.parliament.uk/about/working/nursery/

@mbosnz

Well, I've known two lawyers, one a senior associate, the other a partner, who took their babies to work with them. There was a cot in the corner of their office.

In what country?

I'm in N.I.
This was written by an IBCLC from here after Sammy Wilson's 'voyeurism' and 'exhibitionism' comments about breastfeeding in parliament from about 5 years ago.
I think it hits the nail on the head around this issue.
I hope it's ok to post it here, as it is an open letter shared on her online blog which is available for anyone to read.

Oops forgot to add link
www.carolsmyth.co.uk/breastfeeding-resources/posts/2016/july/open-letter-to-sammy-wilson/

Westminster is still a boys club with boys club rules.

The problem here is nothing to do with maternity pay but the boys club rules which don't allow women on maternity or sick MPs receiving treatment to employ a proxy or vote remotely. There is no creche on site which takes babies of 13 weeks (even if you have one of the few places) and a creche wouldn't address the issues in the past of MPs on chemotherapy also being unable to employ a proxy.

However I'm mightily entertained by the radical feminists who think the solution to a problem created entirely by a boys club rule, is to keep women out of the club. In my day we used to campaign to get women into the club in the hope of better overall representation, not lobby to keep them out and meekly comply with rules created by men.

Wasn't there a recent case of an M.P. in England, perhaps London, who was going to have to resign after she had a baby because she wasn't entitled to maternity leave.
Did that not lead to a change in the rules in Westminster?

@mbosnz

Given the childish behaviour of far too many of the elected representatives in the house (including eating and sleeping, and playing games on their phone, in between their temper tanties and verbal attacks on other members) I feel the baby and its mother were pattern cards of rectitude in comparison.

Perhaps the 'honourable' members should take note, and seek to model their behaviours on the mother and the child, actually showing up to do her work, and both behaving appropriately, while there.

We live in a world where a woman can be Prime Minister, have a baby, and continue to work effectively, while breastfeeding. Shouldn't we be embracing this?

In contrast to a Prime Minister whose what number wife had what number child and went MIA for how long during a fucking pandemic?

Well said.

@disconnected101

Wasn't there a recent case of an M.P. in England, perhaps London, who was going to have to resign after she had a baby because she wasn't entitled to maternity leave. Did that not lead to a change in the rules in Westminster?

Yes, the attorney general. I think because she was a minister there were slightly different rules and she would have had to resign as attorney general.

www.google.com/amp/s/www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-55933388.amp

@forinborin

I am a working mother. I don't understand the point she's trying to make. I don't like the message that a full-time job with lots of responsibility can be done in parallel to looking after the needs of a 3 month old baby without any childcare. Because it cannot, and this message doesn't help working mothers at all.

This ten-fold. Our bosses will just think, well if an MP can carry on working with a baby in tow, why can’t the rest of them. Counter-productive and unhelpful.

“Maybe your term in parliament is not the ideal time to have a baby, give that your focus is meant to be on your constituents.”

You’re quite right OP, women of childbearing age should not be MPs. There is plenty of time before the age of 16 and after the age of 45 to pursue a political career. I wonder if Stella could consider voluntary work instead - baking, sewing, a committee or two - when her baby is old enough of course. Leave it to the chaps for now, eh love?

JFC.

AFAIK, Stella Creasy isn't doing it alone, but on this occasion she needed to be there and was. Women of childbearing age are amongst our best and brightest we need them in the workplace. I am astounded at the flack SC has received from some women for doing her job. And I am at the negative reaction from posters who claim feminist credentials.

Why doesn't Parliament simply provide for nursing mothers or those suffering with ill health by giving them an opportunity to join debates and vote online? It can be done.

The Times reported a broad spread of support for reconsidering current rules - Johnson was quoted as being in favour of a review.

MP's are not employed by Parliament. Employers are not going to suggest employees should behave like MP's any more than they will offer on site tea rooms, bars and expenses for lunch.

@NamechangeApril21 she earns £82k

“Kizzy Gardiner, an ex-charity worker and local Labour party member, stood in for Creasy everywhere but the Commons chamber (which, as an unelected person, she couldn’t lawfully enter). The arrangement worked well but Creasy felt guilty that her stand-in wasn’t paid anywhere near an MP’s rate, so after she got pregnant again last autumn, she applied for another locum on closer to her £82,000 salary. Ipsa refused to authorise more than £60,000”

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/politics/2021/oct/30/stella-creasy-lonely-maternity-cover-battle-women-should-be-able-have-kids-do-politics

The problem here is lack of maternity cover and that is the point she is making. She should be able to ensure that her 90,000 constituents are adequately represented in parliament whilst she is on maternity leave. Currently that isn't the case and if she were to take maternity leave her constituency would be unrepresented for the duration and her party would be down a vote for the duration. That is really not a way to encourage women who want to start a family into politics. Of course she doesn't really want to be there weeks after giving birth with a bf-ing baby but she feels she has no choice.

@Heidipi

“Maybe your term in parliament is not the ideal time to have a baby, give that your focus is meant to be on your constituents.”

You’re quite right OP, women of childbearing age should not be MPs. There is plenty of time before the age of 16 and after the age of 45 to pursue a political career. I wonder if Stella could consider voluntary work instead - baking, sewing, a committee or two - when her baby is old enough of course. Leave it to the chaps for now, eh love?

JFC.

Agree totally. We should probably go back to the good old days when women gave up work once they married let alone had children.

I'm also pretty sure Stella suffered multiple miscarriages so didn't get to choose the moment she had her baby as op suggests she ought to.

[quote PinkMochi]@NamechangeApril21 she earns £82k

“Kizzy Gardiner, an ex-charity worker and local Labour party member, stood in for Creasy everywhere but the Commons chamber (which, as an unelected person, she couldn’t lawfully enter). The arrangement worked well but Creasy felt guilty that her stand-in wasn’t paid anywhere near an MP’s rate, so after she got pregnant again last autumn, she applied for another locum on closer to her £82,000 salary. Ipsa refused to authorise more than £60,000”

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/politics/2021/oct/30/stella-creasy-lonely-maternity-cover-battle-women-should-be-able-have-kids-do-politics[/quote]
So fine she has a stand in for everything else and all she needs to do is get childcare when she is in the chamber. No need for theatrics and drama.

Haven’t RTFT, so I expect (hope) someone else has pointed out that the world doesn’t stop turning if a baby is taken into Parliament (NZ, rather than UK, but still…) It’s a couple of years ago, but I doubt NZ has changed its stance.
amp.theguardian.com/world/2019/aug/31/babies-in-the-beehive-the-man-behind-new-zealands-child-friendly-parliament

[quote PinkMochi]@NamechangeApril21 she earns £82k

“Kizzy Gardiner, an ex-charity worker and local Labour party member, stood in for Creasy everywhere but the Commons chamber (which, as an unelected person, she couldn’t lawfully enter). The arrangement worked well but Creasy felt guilty that her stand-in wasn’t paid anywhere near an MP’s rate, so after she got pregnant again last autumn, she applied for another locum on closer to her £82,000 salary. Ipsa refused to authorise more than £60,000”

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/politics/2021/oct/30/stella-creasy-lonely-maternity-cover-battle-women-should-be-able-have-kids-do-politics[/quote]
I'm not disputing her salary, I was disputing that she was moaning about having to pay for childcare - she wasn't. She's taking a stand against antiquated rules of disallowing someone to cover her position in the hoc (whether that be voting by proxy or from home as was allowed during lockdown) while she has maternity leave, leaving her with the choice of either leaving her constituents with no representation or bringing her 3 month old baby. This is an issue that is extended out to MPs who are for example on long-term sick. There needs to be a review of practise so that constituents are not left unrepresented.

@Heidipi

“Maybe your term in parliament is not the ideal time to have a baby, give that your focus is meant to be on your constituents.”

You’re quite right OP, women of childbearing age should not be MPs. There is plenty of time before the age of 16 and after the age of 45 to pursue a political career. I wonder if Stella could consider voluntary work instead - baking, sewing, a committee or two - when her baby is old enough of course. Leave it to the chaps for now, eh love?

JFC.

Facile

Why is this even a thing.

Very busy and important people sometimes have to be places because no substitute for them will do. They may find it necessary to cart their breast fed baby around (and mumsnet loves reminding everyone how portable babies are!) because their circumstances are very demanding!

It's not a big deal. The baby is not toxic. The baby was better behaved than the adults. The MP was engaged, rational, present and awake, making her one of the best MPs in the room right there. Her child was fine. Everyone was fine.

So fine she has a stand in for everything else and all she needs to do is get childcare when she is in the chamber. No need for theatrics and drama.

But she shouldn't have to! She's on maternity leave!

She's highly unlikely to be turning up with a toddler...

@NamechangeApril21

So fine she has a stand in for everything else and all she needs to do is get childcare when she is in the chamber. No need for theatrics and drama.

But she shouldn't have to! She's on maternity leave!

@iawbuwes you're the one with a thread on Mumsnet to express your outrage. Pretty dramatic if you ask me.

In what country?

NZ. Of course, a backwards nation, compared to this. . .

Hardly @wincarwoo another lame response that doesn’t engage with the issues