MNHQ here: webchat with MPs Jess Phillips and Flick Drummond

[BojanaMumsnet]

Hello,

We’re pleased to announce a webchat with Jess Phillips MP and Flick Drummond MP, co-chairs of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Women and Work, on Monday 23 January at 2pm.

Monday sees the release of the APPG’s first annual report, which explores the broad theme of ‘women returners.’ It has considered ‘a range of diverse issues which impact on the ability of women to return to the workplace, particularly after taking maternity leave or fulfilling caring responsibilities.’

Jess Phillips is the Labour MP for Birmingham Yardley. Before this, Jess spent five years working for Women’s Aid, and served on Birmingham City Council, where she was appointed Birmingham’s first ever Victims’ Champion. Since being elected to Parliament in 2015, Jess has served on the Women and Equalities Select Committee and the Backbench Business Committee. Last year she authored a guest post on Mumsnet in support of the Reclaim the Internet campaign.

Flick Drummond is the Conservative MP for Portsmouth South. Prior to her election in 2015, she worked as an insurance broker, Ofsted lay school inspector and was a member of the TA Intelligence Corps. Flick now sits on the Women and Equalities Select Committee, where her work has included contributing to the Gender Pay Gap inquiry, in which she called for more flexible working conditions to be offered at the start of employment. Flick cites her own experience of re-entering the jobs market after raising her children as important in giving her a first-hand account of the unique difficulties that women face in the workplace.

So if you'd like to talk to Jess and Flick about women and employment, returning to work, their experience of being women MPs (or just plain MPs), sounding off on Twitter or anything else that takes your fancy, do please join us on Monday. As always, please do keep in mind our webchat guidelines - one question each (follow-ups if there’s time) and please be polite!

Thanks
MNHQ

Thank you Flick, I will read your link when I get a toddler/baby free chance!

Thanks for answering my question Jess. As a follow-on, and similar to what HarrietMWelsch asked, do you sympathize with employers (especially small businesses) who are being asked to provide more and more flexibility and better parental leave?

@PlonitbatPlonit

What is your view of the NMC's decision to abolish their midwifery committee and to end statutory supervision of midwives? Are you aware that this rejects the overwhelming view of respondents to their consultation?

Midwives and women are very fearful (and reasonably so) that this is the end of midwifery as a distinct profession.

Also, can you tell me why the NMC has prevented self-employed midwives insured via IMUK that they can't work because their insurance is inadequate, but also refuse to state the level of insurance they would accept? Are you aware that the complaint against these midwives was raised by a commercial competitor UK Private Birth Centres?

I don't have all the information, but having had four children, I'm very aware of the importance of midwives in our country. I'll have to do some research into what's replacing statutory supervision -- please email me with any info.

Jess, can I tell you about a woman (the female kind) I know?

She was sectioned as she was delusional - she was utterly convinced that all men were going to hurt her, to the extent that she was terrified of her husband.

She was put on a ward with a delusional male who believed he was female.

Guess whose rights took priority.

Thanks both. Just feels like parliament works in a way that specifically disadvantages women but it's good to see MPs (of either sex) working across the floor

@JaneBand118

Thanks for answering my question Jess. As a follow-on, and similar to what HarrietMWelsch asked, do you sympathize with employers (especially small businesses) who are being asked to provide more and more flexibility and better parental leave?

Yes - it is difficult for small businesses, but you get much more loyal and hardworking employees if you're able to compromise.

@TresDesolee

How did you two come to work together on this? I've read that legislatures with more women tend to display higher levels of cross-party cooperation and are more efficient at getting reaching consensus and (ya know) getting stuff done. Do you think that's true?

We worked together on the Women and Equalities select committee, and realised we're largely on the same page. I have done huge amounts of work with Tory women on issues, none more so than Maria Miller, who I have seen use cross-party forums to really push for change on things like compulsory SRE which previously I had little faith would happen, as it's not their government party line.

Thanks very much, it's been fascinating. With any follow-up, get in touch with the Women and Work APPG. Sorry if we didn't answer all the questions. Off to try and push childcare as an industrial strategy this afternoon.

Thank you very much for all your questions. Do follow up any specific issues in our Women Returners annual report, which you'll be able to read at the APPG here.

Thank you for answering my question Jess.

Thank you for coming.

Thank you for answering my question

Good god, that was so rude.

No it wasn't imo.

" we undertook an enquiry into issues facing trans and non-binary people and heard some heartbreaking accounts of discrimination and hardship"

There are many heartbreaking accounts of gay men and boys facing discrimination and hardship. Should they too be allowed into womens spaces for their own safety? . Do you agree that individual cases of gay men must be risk-assessed and managed to ensure that womens experience is not undermined by allowing them entry? Is there any group that women are allowed to exclude from their spaces? Or must woman be forced by law to always put male needs before their own?

MNHQ, has Hairylittlepoet been banned?

Please could MNHQ explain why some posters appear to have been blocked from MN as a result of this thread, and yet there posts are still visible?

It wasn't rude. I expect they have to avoid those questions or follow a party statement - that would no doubt follow the current trans agenda.
And I expect both would love being hung out to dry as TERFs and bigots, with all the accompany threats... Because that is what would happen. They were not anonymous remember.

why some posters appear to have been blocked from MN as a result of this thread, and yet there posts are still visible?

AFAIK this has always been the case unless a thread is deleted.

Lifelong Labour voter here, won't be voting Labour again until they answer women's concerns.

That was embarrassing.

until they answer women's concerns.

They were answering women's concerns.

This wasn't a gender-identity webchat and you don't speak for all women.

If you think the MPs were rude, what word would you use to describe the behaviour of the posters who kept up the barrage of trans posts? Personally I'm going for 'fucking embarrassment' which is admittedly two words

Derailing a web chat about an issue that keeps women in poverty/food off the table/women out of power - slow handclap. No, really, well done. When you've completely destroyed Mumsnet do remember to put the smoking ruins in the appropriate recycling bin.

All the question about women and working and childcare were answered though. Even the stupid biscuit question. Why is it wrong for women to be concerned about the erosion of sex based protection?

Even the stupid biscuit question. Why is it wrong for women to be concerned about the erosion of sex based protection?

Not wrong at all.

The way some posters have gone about it , however is very wrong.

That was appalling.

But at least we know what their favourite bloody biscuit might be.

The fact that no one will answer the bloody question just SHOWS this emperor has no clothes. If they answer us truthfully they are being transphobic. So best not say anything at all.