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.

I would just like a voice to campaign for a return to traditional family values. I believe the decline in family values has resulted in many of the problems we have in society these days
You mean the traditional times when women were dependent on men and stayed with abusive husbands because they gave no means nor self esteem to leave them?

Imagine your husband not earning his fortune. A life on benefits, then minimum wage jobs until you are 67 because that's the only way to just survive

Oh the clueless life of the naive privileged! How about you do something to help struggling single working mums instead?

Absolute bullshit.

In what way!!??

Have you actually read the book?

It would depend on the local demographic. Personally, no I wouldn't vote for you. I want women in power in the workplace, not staying at home to raise a family. But that's personal preference. If there are enough people who support your viewpoint, then maybe you'd be successful.

It’s not bullshit. She even told me what I could do to do the same…

That’s what a councillor is for, not an mp

I don’t think it should be something people are forced to do, obviously. But I know multiple people who would love to be a SAHM but can’t currently afford to be. The government provides free nursery hours and breakfast clubs so that parents go out to work - why not provide more funding so that children can have their parent stay at home and look after them instead?

I wouldn’t vote for a one trick pony manifesto like that. You are supposed to represent all the constituents, not set them up against each other.

I know someone who is married to a former MP. He started as a councillor and then stood as an MP. The workload was immense, there were months in the year they barely saw him...it seems like quite a big leap from a SAHM

Absolutely, just because there isn't a SAHM as a Councillor doesn't mean there shouldn't be, every section of society should have a right to be represented, you have valuable experience to bring to the table..

The only issue is that as a SAHM, who will look after your kids when at meetings and surgeries etc? If you can cover that, go for it.

OP is there a reason you aren’t answering what you are currently doing within your local community? With your focus being on families there is quite a lot you could be doing locally to help support families on your area.
For example in our community we have a young woman who set up a food bank, runs a school holiday activity camp for local children using money from sponsors, helps people who live in substandard homes to get issues sorted, campaigned against the closure of local facilities used by families, after all her hard work she was elected as a councillor.

It really isn’t about what you have done before it is what platform you’d run on and what you’d bring to the role.

You’d have to sell what type of change that would bring your voters.

I don’t see why a SAHM couldn’t be a politician but are you not worried it might clash with your already demonstrated lived values.

The amount of hours politics takes from family life and that does seem to be one of the aspects of life you value.

Thinking about it, I have a family friend who has been involved with the Labour party for years. She currently works for a Labour minister. She aspired to be an MP for a long time but ended up turning down an offer to stand because she would never see her children.

Angela Rayner did it. Look at the abuse she got and still gets on the daily. The most vile, misogynist comments were made about her on a Telegraph podcast only last week.

You lost my vote at ‘women’.

If you’d said ‘parents’ you’d have interested me. How about supporting both parents to go part time? Why ‘women’?

There is nothing to stop a SAHM from becoming an MP. And if you're thinking of becoming a Reform MP, the bar seems to be extremely low, so I don't imagine that the lack of experience would be a barrier to your selection.

Whether or not you would be a fit person to contribute to the government of our country is an entirely different question.

I think it would be a massive change TBH .To go from a SAHP to being an MP would be huge! I often think that MPs are slated a lot but have quite a hard job. By all means go for it but be aware of what you are getting into first

SAHP!!!! Not SAHM!

What would you have to offer? What would your "unique selling point" be that would appeal to voters?

If you're interested in politics get involved with your local party?

You’re cutting carer’s allowance, but what you are proposing is a carer’s allowance in a different form.

I have not seen any evidence having a parent at home all day is associated with any of the things you’ve listed. If you’re basing it on your experience, then from my experience it absolutely not true!

I think it would be a huge backwards step for women.

This would be a massive turn off to me, and not very relatable to the majority of people you’d be seeking to represent.

Have you any idea of the demands of being an MP? Unless you already live in zones 1-2 in London you’d be away from your children 4-5 nights a week on average.

I would vote for a previous SAHM if she had done community work etc, voluntarily or otherwise. But I wouldn't vote for a Reform candidate with any background as I would just think you were racist and contributing to the degradation of my country. Also a bit dim. HTH.

How does the 'funding so that children can have their parent stay at home' differ from the welfare that you're planning to cut to pay for it?

Gosh, so self centred. “More money for my privileged family, paid for by cutting benefits to the disabled and terminally ill.” You won’t mind picking your way over the homeless masses on your way to Waitrose?

Yes! Surely this would be of huge benefit to the family life the OP is trying to encourage. It would only work if parents get a tax break if both (not just one or the other) work part time.