Childless politicians: is it an issue?

[Chocchops72]

There have been lots of posts popping up on my Twitter feed pointing out that many of the leading politicians in Scotland do not have children. From Nicola Sturgeon to many of the leading Scottish Greens (who seem to be in the news and setting the pace more than other SNP MSPs).

Is this an issue? Do / would childless politicians put different policies in place compared to those with children?

I have two children, my sister has none. While she’s a great aunty and loves them deeply, I’m aware that we don’t have the same priorities in life. Her interests basically extend as far as her and her partner having a good life after they retire. She’s very much of the opinion that ‘you chose to be a parent, don’t expect anyone else to prioritise the things that you do’. An example being inheritance… I’m kind of hoping (but not banking on) an inheritance from my parents that will make my kids life easier (and my parents definitely want that). My sister is totally dismissive of this: she and her partner already have enough for them and that it’s. I totally expect her to leave all her wealth to the cat and dog home tbh, whereas DH and I are very motivated to pass as many assets and advantages as possible onto our own children. And we would favour any tax or other legal policies that support that.

what do you think?

The irony OP is that you’re essentially accusing childless people of being selfish and then your legislative wish is one of the most selfish things I can imagine!

Inheritance tax is so important for redistribution of wealth yet you don’t want anyone else to benefit from your luck.

Unbelievable.

Well when people with children have attitudes like the OP, I’m grateful that some politicians don’t have children or the country would be stuck with a parliament full of self-righteous egoists with their heads so far up their arses they can almost see daylight.

i must remember this thread for future reference when someone tries to claim that being a mother makes you selfless and a better person, and that choosing to be childfree is a selfish decision.

OP. By your logic if politicians are not living in poverty they are not able to represent the poor.

Have you got any idea how offensive and selfish you sound OP? I really hope this is a deliberately goady post (and that you’re not running for election).

AFAIK she didn't choose to not have children.

Sort of, I find a few childless people utterly clueless when it comes to the needs of children "can't you just pop out" well no I can't actually I can't leave them alone can I 😂 the better example would be childcare costs childless friend was appalled to find out how much childcare costs I got back apparently I was "making money" off having children then I sent her my invoice bit eye watering almost eight hundred pounds for the month she was staggered I only got two hundred back I had to pay it out first and that was why I couldn't afford to work

YES I chose children but I was MARRIED at the time childcare wasn't needed

And having politicians who do have children lead to good outcomes? Have you been living under a rock for the past few years?

@Oblahbla , I think some of the politicians probably haven't raised children.

I don't think it's absurd to discuss it. It's true parents may have completely differing priorities, indeed OP raised a couple she has with a sibling.

Our political parties should be representative of society and if there are large swathes of politicians that will not represent issues to do with parents/children then we have a problem. As it stands, they are all a bunch of twats who are self serving and it doesn't matter whether they have children or not.

Honestly, all we need from politicians is compassion for humanity and care for the environment.

We can argue it both ways when people do and don’t have kids. No kids means more time for building relationships in the wider community. It also means you aren’t thinking about what’s best for your kids, you’re thinking about humanity in general.

With kids, you can argue that there’s more worry about the future of humanity because you’re worrying about what your child’s life will be long after you’re dead.

@Theunamedcat

You seem ghastly

It annoys me that people make assumptions about people who have children and people who do not have children.

In Scotland 6 out of the 7 Scottish Greens don’t have children. The SNP are beholden to the Greens, who are partly responsible for some of their batshit policies. Admittedly Named Person was an SNP only policy.
I actually felt that mothers in Parliament didn’t represent me at all, as I used to be A SAHM, and could never understand women who could work away from home with small kids. ( Not knocking those that do -it was just how I felt).
I certainly don’t think that only parents should be politicians, but I do think that policitians shouldn’t try to exert control over families in the way that the Named Person would have, or the Gender bill going through in California is, especially if they don’t listen and understand parents POV.

This. Not everyone is child-free by choice.

Oooh, Andrea Leadsom has joined Mumsnet

Not everyone is child-free by choice.
Exactly. Those who are child-free do not necessarily have lots of free time and lots of spare money either. They may have other caring responsibilities.

Having children doesn't necessarily mean that someone has no free time or spare money.

Horrible attack on women that have suffered infertility and loss.

But surely patenting isn’t one homogenous experience? How can a super rich father like Boris Johnson with his wife doing most of the child raising along with paid help possibly know what it’s like to be a single parent on benefits with a disabled child.

Make them joint Kings of the UK immediately. Their fecundity is proof of their good character.

OP is this a genuine qn or just to rile up posters without kids? What about politicians who have kids not representing those who don't? What about politicians witwhos kids don't have medical or leaning needs, they don't represent me and my kids!

If you can only do your job because you have direct experience of every aspect of it, you're not very good at it.

I remember thinking how good it was that David Cameron must understand the importance of the NHS and the stress and strain and expense of having a disabled/sick child.

Yeah. That turned out well.

@MavisMcMinty , that sounds like a cheap dig. The Camerons suffered a tragic loss of a child.

I don't really understand what you're getting at with your sister.

You say she's dismissive. Do you mean that she's suggesting that you shouldn't inherit from your parents to make your kids lives easier, or do you mean that she thinks that that their money should go to pay for any care they might need rather than burdening the health and care system?

I suspect it's the latter. The reason I suspect it's the latter is because people without children tend to look at things from a more societal perspective, whereas those with tend to look at things in terms of how they and their kids will benefit. It would be better for the taxpayer and the NHS to not have to fund your parents' care, even if it means that your kids won't inherit a fuckton of wealth. That kind of thing.

You're being massively unreasonable but I'm curious as to what on earth has prompted you to post this.

Ouf.

1. I apologise for using the word childless, rather than childfree: that was clumsy of me.

1. If anyone reads my OP properly I don't actually say at any point that I think it IS an issue: I'm genuinely asking what you all think! I saw the posts popup on my Twitter feed and thought 'is this really an issue? I don't know... I'll ask MN - might be some interesting ideas on there'.

1. I am Scottish, and it does make a difference - from Nicola Sturgeon proclaiming herself to be the Chief Mammy of Scotland (grrr), then getting into bed with the bampot Greens to keep the SNP in power. As a couple of posters have said, the majority of the Scottish Green MSPs are childfree and I am really not a fan of them or their policies. But maybe that's got nothing to do with them being childfree (which is what I was asking you lot your opinion on).

1. I'm really surprised at how much stick I've got for saying that DH and I would aim to give whatever advantage we could to our children. Would the majority of posters on here really want to see, for example, a 100% inheritance tax and all assets being passed to the state, nothing passed onto your children? That's the kind of thing I was referring to.

There's a massive difference.

Politicians who don't have children are dishonest, corrupt, self-serving scumbags.

Politicians who do have children are self-serving, corrupt, dishonest scumbags.