Which lovely MNers can come and serve tea to the great and the good at the Party Conferences this year?

[KateMumsnet]

Hello Everyone

We're joining up with the White Ribbon Alliance to put on another Mum's Cafe at two party conferences this year, in order to highlight Maternal and Newborn Health. Horrifyingly, a woman dies from complications related to pregnancy and childbirth nearly every minute - and 99% of these deaths occur in developing countries.

The Cafe will be very like the one we pulled off with such aplomb at the Houses of Parliament in March, when Carrie spoke so brilliantly to an audience of assorted politicos, activists and the lovely Annie Lennox. Then, some gorgeous Mumsnetters dressed up in fine retro style, pouring tea for thirsty attendees to universal acclaim - and that's exactly what we plan again.

This time non-Londoners will get a look in, with the Labour Conference event taking place on Tuesday 28th of September in Manchester, and the Conservative one the following Tuesday 5th in Birmingham. If you're wondering what happened to the LibDem event, I'm assured that this was all planned much earlier in the year, when the political landscape was rather, ahem, different.

So who's up for dressing up in a pinny, a headscarf and some retro red lippie, and spending an hour or so pouring tea to the great and the good in support of a very good cause? Scroll down our campaign page to see a photo of what, precisely, we're asking of you!

One issue to highlight - the WRA are hoping to start both Mum's Cafes pretty darn early - at about 9am . This is because there is more chance of grabbing the grandees at this hour - so let us know if you can make it then, but also if you could make it, but not that early!

Perhaps we can all still go - but the politicians serve us tea & cakes?

I'd even traipse all the way to Brum for that

What a rubbish idea! Can they pinch the little ladies bottoms too?

I can do the birmingham one!!

The bottom of the barrel must have been well and truly scraped be about a millimetre thick for this to be thought of as a good idea.

OMFG!
who came up with this crap, and frankly sexist idea?...
little women serving the great and good anyone?

Or perhaps we could dress up as geishas? Or host a burlesque night?

Notice noone from mnhq has been back since it kicked off...

attend and support a damn good cause is one thing - but serving tea?

"who's up for wearing a pinny... and red lippie" WTF?

Have the irritating Feminist Topic posters seen this yet?

There will be bloodshed

I've got it!!! Playboy bunnies!! Lets all don fluffy tails!

*irritating imo of course.

Maybe the "girls" should bow and back away after serving the "great and the good"?

I've been thinking about this and actually I'm quite appalled by this.

How does someone dressing like a simpering ninny aid the course of women dying in childbirth - it seems to make a mockery of the whole thing. Oh yes, hahahah lots of women die having babies..... bourbon cream?

So here's something to go with your tea:

Pinnies, headscarves and lipstick? Wow - way to not only distract from the campaign but also to reinforce stereotypes, all in one fell swoop.

An obvious idea, but why couldn't you just theme it white to match the White Ribbon Alliance? A heavenly haven of a cafe would be far more noticable and attractive to conference attendees. No-one would have to go as far as dressing up as angels, although you could encourage others to join you in being one by pledging to take action (and I'm sure we can all think of politicians who would jump at the chance of being seen as more angelic!)

The simplest ideas tend to stick in people's minds. "Whatever your political colours, wear a white ribbon".

I understand that we don't want to see mortality rates of the 1950s (if that was your point) but surely it's easier to get people comfortable with really thinking about this very serious issue from a relaxed atmosphere rather than one of ridicule, however slight or well intentioned.

You should move with the times Mumsnet, and ask the dads to serve the tea. In pinnies and headscarf.

I'm sooo glad there has been this reaction because last time I was thinking "WTF? is this not completely demeaning and, well, a bit weird?" and then decided I was a killjoy with no sense of humour and was missing some massively obvious point somehow.

But it is demeaning and a bit weird. And I don't get it. Why? Why 1950s? Why tea and pinnies? How on earth is it relevant to the cause? Do you really want to equate worthy Mumsnet activism with pointless stereotypes? Why?

Hello

Dads are very very welcome to come and dress up in headscarf, pinny and lippy. To be perfectly frank, I was horribly successful in channeling Grayson Perry at the last one, so any real men in drag will fit right in.

Very sorry if we gave the impression that you'd be there to hover at the table, batting your lashes and keeping resolutely schtum. We should clarify that you will be briefed by the WRA on the key issues, and encouraged to engage with the attendees (only if you're up for it, of course - there'll be WRA activists to hand if you get stuck.)

The tea-lady/retro schtick arose as an extension of the idea of the Mum's Cafe, which the WRA had already had great success with at a previous party conference. They served tea to interested conference-goers in mismatched vintage china cups, and provided copies of The Mum, a red-top spoof which carried articles about maternal mortality, pieces on Sleb supporters etc.

So the tea ladies idea was a fairly logical development of that. I think it's fair to say that it also refers, in a very tongue-in-cheek way, to the more wild-eyed media perceptions of what Mumsnetters are - a bit bossy admirably forthright - and was a send-up of that. Events like these are directed at the media, as much as policy-makers, and it made a good photo.

Overall, I'm afraid that it didn't occur to us that this could be perceived as demeaning. Not because we're not aware of the symbolism of women serving tea to men, but because it was so palpably silly. Also, we guessed that the tea-drinkers, who included sympathetic members of the public and activists as well as politicos, would be predominantly female - which is pretty much how it turned out. 'The great and the good' was ironic, to reflect the important distinction between the various groups who'll be attending.

Thanks, though, for pointing this issue out. We're probably a bit far down the line to do an about-turn, but we will definitely bear it in mind if we do something similar again. We do hope those who are available and are interested in this issue will continue to sign up .

It is not going to take long to ask everybody to wear white to reflect the ribbon, as suggested by another poster.

Turning around now would be a wise move.

It will distract from the cause, seem utterly pointless, it is silly, and will portray mumsnetters in an unfortunate light.

Who do you think is going to "get" the intention?

This is like an "in joke" spread to the wider public. Nobody is going to get it.

I agree with QS, it absolutely plays to the public perception of mumsnet that all we care about is one's choice of biscuit.

I did this last time.

I really enjoyed myself.

It is IRONIC!

We met Justine MN. We had our photo taken with Annie Lennox. Annie Lennox thought it was IRONIC!

The actual tea serving lasted about 30 minutes.

I cannot remember being nearly so politely treated by my customers when I was a real waitress when I was a teenager.

Afterwards all the MNers went out to lunch at a cafe nearby, some of us with DCs from 1-4.

It was really nice to meet some actual people from the board.

And a couple of thoughts on effective lobbying:

Whoever said 'make the politicians serve us tea and cake' - well, I will pay good money to see the photo of David Cameron or whoever pouring tea for an MN-er, but the opportunity has to be there in the first place for him and his pals to be persuaded to do it.

Those who lobby politicians don't often employ a lot of humour and/or gentle irony - more often shouting and/or satire - and that is the reason that this sort of approach is attractive to them.

Can I just say it was SO much fun meeting other Mners at the on at the HoP, even though it was an extremely sobering event, given why we were there...sign up people

It's not just the costumes that are offensive but the whole premise. Why "Mums" cafe?

And what are the chances of getting a male MNer to come and serve tea?

Awful, degrading and sexist.

I am embarrassed on your behalf.

MrsB, we met Carrie.....

Oh and KateMN is right about not keeping shtum...I was VERY vocal to those who were getting served by me. I can understand others reservations though

MrsBaldwin, ironic like the Beta bus-stop campaign 'career women make bad mothers'?

Irony is so often used to justify slick image-making at the cost of real thought.