Breastfeeding in public - email your MP

[wessexgirl]

I have just emailed my MP to urge him to sign the new Early Day Motion preventing harassment of mothers who breastfeed in public. If you want to do the same go to www.unicef.org.uk/campaigns and there is a standard letter you can fire off to your MP.

There is also a list of MPs who have already signed to spare you the embarrassment of contacting one who has already put their name down.

Got a reply from mine yesterday - wasn't signing, surprise surprise. Thinks the Scottish legislation is 'draconian' and that 'private businesses should be free to choose when breastfeeding should be allowed'.

Gotta love that 'allowed', haven't you?

I got a letter in the post from my MP in response to my email. First class as well! He's signed.

Ginger, your MP sounds a bit illogical. He only signs EDMs that directly affect his constituency...does he not have any breastfeeding mums in your neck of the woods then?

As for snafu's....words fail me (at least, non-swear words)....

dont know if anyones mentioned this but in scotland you can be fined (i think its £2K) if you ask a bf mother to stop or prevent her doing so, in a public place

Response from Caroline Spelman: Thank you for your email. I am not sure legislation is necessarily the best instrument to use to tackle the public hostility that still exists
against breast feeding in public places. However, I certainly support the aims of the campaign to tackle society?s attitude to breast feeding and to increase breast feeding rates in the UK having breast fed all three of my children.

Just what I expected really . Am only surprised she didn't refer to the Nanny State.

My MP's reply:

Many thanks for your e-mail to Ann Coffey in support of David Kidney's Bill on Breastfeeding. Ann has asked me to reply and to send you this link to the NHS National Breastfeeding Awareness campaign site. As you can see, this is an annual campaign to get the message out, often to the most disadvantaged new mothers, that breast feeding is the easiest way to feed their baby and that women have a right to breastfeed anytime, anywhere.

I understand your concern about the reported case in Norfolk, although I think it must be unusual for a complaint like this to be made. We have never had a mother approach us to say she felt pressured about not feeding her baby in a public place, although of course any such incident is most regrettable.

With regard to the Bill, as you will know it's a Private Member's Bill which means that it is very unlikely indeed to complete its passage through Parliament, due to the time constraints.

Do please contact me by phone if you would like to discuss any of this.

With best regards

I've emailed my MP, although I don't have particularly high hopes. Would like to be proved wrong, though.

OMG! What a cr*p response fromRichard Ottaway, MP for Croydon South:

"In my opinion, private businesses should be free to choose whether breastfeeding should be allowed. Even if mothers wanted to breastfeed their baby in a restauran, for example, I doubt they would want the restaurant owner to face a huge fine simply because somebody complained."

What an ignorant ar$e that man is!

Oh god, look at him!

yuk Tinker. if i looked like that i'd probably be an anti-social pompous knob-head too. seeing that in the mirror is bound to do something dodgy to your psyche...

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Soupie, dh went to school with RO. In dh's opinion, he was a twt then and he's a twt now. Allegedly, of course!

Sent email to Alan Williams my MP for Swansea, dated 15/12

This morning recieved a post card from House of Commons saying he has signed it

I assume your MP isn't a tory tw8t then?

My MP hasn't signed this one, but he has signed on proposing a state funeral for the last vertern of the great war. Fine, I have no issue with this (except it is a total waste of public money!) But he has not signed this bill. I will be emailling him.

BTW I am expecting a typical 'tory twat' response though

Done the email, I will wait a response

just done snail mailing mine yesterday. haven't i already mentioned that my MP doesn't have email? And do you think they ought to let them in Parliament these days without knowing how to use email? I met my new next door neighbour yesterday. He trained my MP as an electrician in the coal mines a long time ago. He also added that he was crap at that too! I await for a response.

Still NOT heard from my MP, emailed 5 December!

Me neither. Am going to draft third email later in the week.

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Have just got round to emailing my MP - tried when this thread was first posted but couldn't get the email to send and forgot about it

My MP is Douglas Hurd's son, Nick...so far, all mouth and no trousers.

My MP had already signed up.

My MP replied first thing:

"Thank you for writing to me on this subject and bringing the EDM to my attention. I personally need no persuading about the merits of breastfeeding. Increasing rates in the UK would have a material impact on our national health going forward. I am happy to sign the EDM."