AIBU to wonder if a stay-at-home mum could become an MP?

[Questionsssss]

Do you think a degree educated, middle class 30 year old SAHM without any notable work history would ever have a chance at becoming a local councillor or MP? I feel like most MPs have either a local council or highly skilled professional background (law, finance etc). I’ve googled and I can’t find a single MP who has a SAHM background.

Yeah go for it op and see what happens. What do you have to lose (aside from the whole SAHM thing).

Keep us updated on your journey won't you?

I don’t understand how you will make this work whilst still raising your children in a way that is acceptable to you?

You are only 30 so your kids are presumably still pretty young. But you want to get a job that typically involves a 60 to 80 hour a week workload and seriously unsocial hours and large amounts of travel. (Where do you live? It is obviously easier to be an MP from a travel perspective if you live in Luton than if you live in Newquay.)

Will your husband give up work? Is he ok with this? Can you afford to live in an MPs salary? C£99k so not low but you mentioned that your husband is a high earner so maybe still a big cut for you. Are you ok with the idea of being a very hands off parent?

It's difficult to take better precautions when you're raped.
And how are women supposed to ensure their husbands abstain given how recently marital rape was legal?

You’d need to get involved in your community, and show a genuine desire to improve things locally. I have been involved in local politics for over a decade, have ran in marginal seats and lost even though I’d secured considerable funding (all
voluntarily). Campaigning is tough but actually really fun and interesting. I am not trying to put you off but it’s about representing all communities so you can’t really have your own agenda. I think if you feel the urge then definitely explore it. Are you a member of a political party, as you have to be a member for a certain amount of time before you can stand. I don’t think your lack of experience is a barrier as long as you show you’ve done something locally, join local residents groups, litter picks, community meetings etc. I am talking about being a councillor though as that’s the best path for where you are imo.

Tax cuts for families with SAHMs? What about those with SAHDs? Although you sometimes use the term 'SAHP', it's clear you mean families like yours; those with SAHMs.
As a full time working, high earning mum with a SAHD husband the inconsistency in your terminology alone would make me feel you wouldn't be a good choice to represent what I consider important, despite how similar our family set ups are.
I think you need to get a lot better at politician speak to get support, and focus on wider scope of issues that are important to your local community, not just you and your SAHM friends.

Have you ever tried to get PIP? Trust me, it isn’t easy at all!

How would your families with SAHMs benefit from a tax cut if Reform get in and privatise the NHS? How would they have more money to enable this if they had to pay out £££s in private health insurance every month?

How will ordinary families benefit from a party that only wants cut taxes on the very rich? The money has to come from somewhere, and that somewhere is them and the public services they use.

@Questionsssss This probably won't be your cup of tea at all but do me a favour and watch the below video about the NHS and possible future. First section highlights why we need it and what it was like before. It's important that you see all viewpoints, and even the Conservatives always knew that messing around with the NHS wasn't a vote winner. The ordinary families, with or without SAHPs aren't going to have a better future without healthcare, or with extortionate healthcare where you are always wondering whether it is covered or what the co-pays will be every time you use it. Look at America, all it takes is for a business to fail or having an unaffordable, unexpected medical expense and that's it, you are bankrupt and living in poverty and that's including with insurance because it doesn't cover everything. It can happen to anyone, it happened to a friend of a family member. They had a lovely, comfortable life with their children, with high earner partner, much like yours, and their whole life collapsed due to business failure.

I have a comfortable life, which I never take for granted. You cannot bank on these things lasting forever and that's why we need safety nets, including healthcare.

To add to the posts above from @notthisoneagainnow : Farage is very open about believing in private health care and favouring the American way of doing things.

Presently the average cost of health insurance in America for a family of four is over $27,000 - that is, over £20,000 - pa. That is not a typo.

The alternative is to go without, risking pain, bankruptcy and death.

Honestly no way. Most people who do these jobs and are selected by the local party in my area have a longstanding track record of community involvement. I wouldn’t vote for you if you’d been sitting around pleasing yourself for twenty years no matter how clever and articulate you are. 5 years is nothing in the world of work. There’s nothing wrong with the life you’ve chosen but it is not a platform to be an elected representative.

apologies if repeating others- but I think you are being very idealistic. Have you got the stats on ';stay at home mums on benefits' impact on their family life including children's education? Having a non working parent does not necessarily bring about the positives you're quoting (Prepared for howl down and / or contradictory information)

We’ve been waiting days for any sources to back OP’s claims

You think cutting welfare payments will reduce mental health issues - explain!!

Because she is a SAHM with a high earner DP - so she will benefit and she is reform after all

No I would not vote for somebody spouting this stuff.

So its not SAHMs you want to encourage, its trad wives - you will make a perfect MP - you are completely out of touch with most people, living your priviliged life with your high earning DP and living your perfect life!

Yes why not, l had a councillor who stayed atv home for over two years to look after her premature daughter. To be a councillor, or an MP all you need is to be interested in people and their problems, obviously being an MP requires you to be in the House regularly , so might not be ideal for a SAHM.
Many, many politicians come from extremely priviledged backgrounds- at least you would understand about running a household and budgets etc, but you would probably have to choose your constituency carefully.

Find a party of which you want to be a member. Join. Volunteer with them. Stand as a council candidate. If you can stick that, becoming an MP could be another step.

Wow… I can’t believe that you have actually written this!

Working mothers are by your terms people who don’t feed their children nutritious food and cause them mental health problems?

This seems to be your personal view, but absolutely isn’t based on any facts or evidence!

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jun/24/having-a-working-mother-works-for-daughters

Obviously with views like this you are a Reformed supporter… especially as you want to remove the basic state support given to the most vulnerable in society.

I personally find your opinion abhorrent and those of Reform disgusting…

Can see why not when, quote (not my words) ‘Queer Tamil Immigrant’ has been elected as a Green MSP in Scotland despite not having ‘right to work’ in UK. He’s here on student visa and has started crowd funding to raise money to pay for his visa despite fact he’s going to be on salary of £77k! Couldn’t make it up. Go for it!

I have a son with severe LD & autism. Doubly incontinent etc. I work full time partly to give myself a mental break, partly to give us a quality of life and couldn't do it without help from grandparents in their mid 70s. The day I went back to work I stopped getting any carers allowance at all, it doesn't even taper down and if it wasn't for my parents free help, I don't know where we would be. The idea that someone would claim anxiety so their partner could stay at home for £84 a week is ridiculous.

I mean you could, but if you think a political party other than the loons would allow you to stand with no background of doing something for them then you aren’t being particularly realistic. And you couldn’t be a SAHM any longer if you actually were elected by the people….

If she attended Parliament as many times as Farage does, she could probably still be a SAHM as he doesn't bother to attend most of the time.

She sounds vacuous and self-serving, and would only champion policies that would help families just like hers and sod the rest of us.

I agree. It would be much better if women relied on men and had no career so they can’t leave when they are abused or get a good salary the man can’t work. What would you do if the man was injured, let’s say quadriplegic, and mum who is home with a traditional large family he’s benefits capped at 2 kids with no PIP for him. Of course there won’t be any carers in your world as they will have “gone back where they belong”.
Its one thing to toughen up the benefits testing and another to speak in absolutes.
The main issue this country has is a spiralling pension, nhs and social care cost. Get the young to work. Make the wealthy pay for their own care. Means test pensions.

Your husband is a high earner.
You don’t work.
You think your family should pay LESS tax
You think you can be an MP
You're a racist.

Good grief.