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/

I'm extremely sensitive to the MN version of feminism that's really about mothers, not women, and to workplaces that deify parents at everyone else's expense - but this is not that, OP.

The baby is a red herring. Stella's constituents need to be represented in a vote. Stella can have mat leave but she cannot have mat cover. She has to either turn up with the baby, or not do her job. She chose the latter, and if I were her constituent I'd be really glad she did. The rules need to be changed to allow people with different life circumstances - not just maternity, things like disability, illness - to become representatives. It is the only way to achieve a democratic elected body that represents the electorate as a whole, not just the wealthy men with SAHM wives and no health conditions.

I don't know how a feminist can't see this.

@ABCeasyasdohrayme

Why was it ridiculous?

She was doing her job, the baby was asleep on her. Nothing was disrupted. Is the mere sight of a baby in a workplace somehow offensive?

It may have been asleep at the time, but may not have stayed that way for the duration. Appreciating that we should be campaigning for maternity leave in all work environments, in places where it does not exist due to tradition or bloody-mindedness, parents should be making alternative arrangements

@forinborin

Disgusting remark. Ehhh? What is disgusting about it? I stopped with both of mine. All my friends did. It is impractical when you need to be out of the house for 10+ hours. Not ideal, yes, but not the end of the world.

A woman should not be forced into giving up breastfeeding. Especially for a 3 month old baby. Especiallg while supposedly on maternity leave. Especially when there is a workable solution, I.e. voting by proxy or online - a solution prevailed of by men when it suited their circumstances.

And yes, the sight of a baby at work may be offensive to some people for any number of reasons.
Many people would like to bring their pets to work, but can't because others find them offensive
Or aged parents...
(that was a joke btw)

@wtaf37 She is campaigning for proper maternity leave in all work environments. It makes the point a lot better than campaigning by "making alternative arrangements".

A woman should not be forced into giving up breastfeeding. Especially for a 3 month old baby. Especiallg while supposedly on maternity leave. Especially when there is a workable solution, I.e. voting by proxy or online - a solution prevailed of by men when it suited their circumstances.
Welcome to the real world. Women also should not be forced to place their children into childcare; not find any time to spend with them, exhausted from work; feed them quick ready meals instead of wholesome home-cooked meals etc. But all those are quite standard compromises in the life of a working mother. I can't understand the faux outrage about the topic.
A woman's career will always be at some expense of her children. And I am saying it as a woman with children and a career.

@forinborin The best way to tackle all of those issues is to ensure that people experiencing them can work as elected representatives in charge of law-making. Like Stella Creasy.

I am livid about the reactions to this. Why shouldn’t she take her child, just because she gave birth and is a woman, why should she not be able to do her job which involves sitting down and voting?! The House is known to be out of touch and anti-women. Look at how Theresa May was treated. But the most depressing thing is how women are hating on women because their own lives have been hard! Wake up, your life is hard because of the system e.g. main earner was always male! This is exactly why we should do everything we can to support women to the fullest, not to necessarily bring babies to all workplaces, but to give women options. To empower women! We are fighting every day against discrimination, against the demands of being the multi-tasker who can meet children’s needs as well as our own earning needs. Until we start supporting EVERY woman, we will be held back. And not all men like it, but it is time we stood up for each other, starting here with Stella Creasy.

[quote AudacityBaby]@forinborin The best way to tackle all of those issues is to ensure that people experiencing them can work as elected representatives in charge of law-making. Like Stella Creasy.[/quote]
I was just expressing my view as the (presumed) target audience and no, I don't feel that Ms Creasy is actually furthering the cause with her actions. Quite the opposite, I strongly feel that she's actually destroying the credibility of working mothers, I explained earlier why. And judging from the thread, I am not the only one.

Why shouldn’t she take her child, just because she gave birth and is a woman, why should she not be able to do her job which involves sitting down and voting?!
Her job does not involve only sitting down and voting.
Kate Middleton can do her job with a baby on her, as her main duty is being a poster woman for the cause, a baby is not an impediment to that - maybe even an asset. An MP actually has to work (read, analyse, write, communicate), not just sit, smile and push buttons.

There will always be haters where politics is concerned. I didn’t say it only involved that but we are talking about sitting in the actual House with a very young baby.

Plus, it is quite possible to work flexibly writing documents around baby’s naps or late into night. Flexible working is key to keeping women in the workplace so we begin to see more women aged 40/50+ in white collar jobs. A little flexibility goes a long way to helping women.

@forinborin

A woman should not be forced into giving up breastfeeding. Especially for a 3 month old baby. Especiallg while supposedly on maternity leave. Especially when there is a workable solution, I.e. voting by proxy or online - a solution prevailed of by men when it suited their circumstances. Welcome to the real world. Women also should not be forced to place their children into childcare; not find any time to spend with them, exhausted from work; feed them quick ready meals instead of wholesome home-cooked meals etc. But all those are quite standard compromises in the life of a working mother. I can't understand the faux outrage about the topic. A woman's career will always be at some expense of her children. And I am saying it as a woman with children and a career.

So because you suffered, future women must also? What about men's careers, are they at the expense of their children?

We need more mothers of young children in Parliament to represent us working mothers, to tackle these issues, and Stella is campaigning to remove unnecessary barriers that are keeping them out of politics.

@Neveragain990

Plus, it is quite possible to work flexibly writing documents around baby’s naps or late into night. Flexible working is key to keeping women in the workplace so we begin to see more women aged 40/50+ in white collar jobs. A little flexibility goes a long way to helping women.

This is not flexible working. This is, effectively, working two full time jobs at the same time.

So because you suffered, future women must also? What about men's careers, are they at the expense of their children?
We are specifically discussing women here, no? But everything is equally applicable to men.
I of course don't want women to suffer but I want them to be realistic. Bringing a baby to work and insisting you can do it all simultaneously is not a solution. I absolutely cannot see what is to be applauded here.

@AudacityBaby

I'm extremely sensitive to the MN version of feminism that's really about mothers, not women, and to workplaces that deify parents at everyone else's expense - but this is not that, OP.

The baby is a red herring. Stella's constituents need to be represented in a vote. Stella can have mat leave but she cannot have mat cover. She has to either turn up with the baby, or not do her job. She chose the latter, and if I were her constituent I'd be really glad she did. The rules need to be changed to allow people with different life circumstances - not just maternity, things like disability, illness - to become representatives. It is the only way to achieve a democratic elected body that represents the electorate as a whole, not just the wealthy men with SAHM wives and no health conditions.

I don't know how a feminist can't see this.

You are very right @AudacityBaby

I'm a constituent of Stella Creasy. I've been annoyed lately that everything she's spoken up about has been about her and her own issues rather than the many many other concerns that we have in our borough. But I suppose a lot of the time she's been in parliament when she shouldn't have been. She should really have been on maternity leave.

I think what you say is right. Of course it is. 100%.

But I think there is also a balance with Stella. What she is standing up for is part of everything you mention. But she doesn't mention any of that other stuff. You do. She doesn't.

Stella needs to bring in this part: The rules need to be changed to allow people with different life circumstances - not just maternity, things like disability, illness - to become representatives. It is the only way to achieve a democratic elected body that represents the electorate as a whole, not just the wealthy men with SAHM wives and no health conditions. of the discussion to make what she is standing up for now credible and relevant to the rest of us.

@forinborin

So because you suffered, future women must also? What about men's careers, are they at the expense of their children? We are specifically discussing women here, no? But everything is equally applicable to men. I of course don't want women to suffer but I want them to be realistic. Bringing a baby to work and insisting you can do it all simultaneously is not a solution. I absolutely cannot see what is to be applauded here.

That's exactly the opposite of what she's doing. She's bringing her baby into Parliament to highlight that this is not sustainable, and that the rules need to be changed to allow proper maternity cover as well as maternity leave. She's not campaigning for women to bring babies into workplaces!

If she could have cover that could vote and be paid the same I don't suppose she'd have been in Parliament at all.

Still don't understand why anyone would resist remote debating & voting for MP's in specified circumstances.

That's exactly the opposite of what she's doing. She's bringing her baby into Parliament to highlight that this isnotsustainable, and that the rules need to be changed to allow proper maternity cover as well as maternity leave. She's not campaigning for women to bring babies into workplaces!
But there's already a system she can use. Called childcare. Every other mother in a situation similar to hers uses it. She's in a much better position than most of them as she gets fully paid 6 months of maternity leave, and she has an on-site nursery where she can drop in as often as she likes.
What is wrong with the system as it is?

@forinborin what's wrong with giving her maternity leave a vote and the same pay?

@Neveragain990

I am livid about the reactions to this. Why shouldn’t she take her child, just because she gave birth and is a woman, why should she not be able to do her job which involves sitting down and voting?! The House is known to be out of touch and anti-women. Look at how Theresa May was treated. But the most depressing thing is how women are hating on women because their own lives have been hard! Wake up, your life is hard because of the system e.g. main earner was always male! This is exactly why we should do everything we can to support women to the fullest, not to necessarily bring babies to all workplaces, but to give women options. To empower women! We are fighting every day against discrimination, against the demands of being the multi-tasker who can meet children’s needs as well as our own earning needs. Until we start supporting EVERY woman, we will be held back. And not all men like it, but it is time we stood up for each other, starting here with Stella Creasy.

^ This. And I'm a man.

[quote Notonthestairs]@forinborin what's wrong with giving her maternity leave a vote and the same pay? [/quote]
I'd imagine the vote thing is because they are not elected democratically, and don't hold the mandate. The pay have no idea, in the industry maternity cover jobs are usually higher paid than the original job itself, so it must be an issue very specific to this situation.

@youvegottenminuteslynn

As a "radical feminist" you think its incompatible for women of children bearing age and mothers of young children to be elected representatives?

This. OP you're having a bit of an identity crisis if you think you're a radical feminist.

This with bells on!

There's a lot more to radical feminism than being gender-critical y'know.

@Dishwashersaurous

And actually it is not just maternity leave. There should be a process for MRS on long term sick leave, or compassionate leave or any other reason away from work.

There should be a process for ensuring that the work is done and the constituents represented.

She had a locus MP to cover her constituency work.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-49922613

*Locum