Urgent - Ministerial Maternity Bill this Thursday 11/02

[ConservativesForWomen]

#SixWords
For the word ‘person’ substitute ‘woman’

It is beyond belief that it has taken governments 103 years to notice women in government may have babies. We are very pleased to see long overdue recognition of this fact.

But it is unacceptable that this bill talks about ‘pregnant people’ and makes no mention of women at all. This is not a situation that will ever apply to a male minister, so why the obfuscation of language?

The Equality Act 2010 is very clear; it talks about pregnancy and maternity using ordinary language. Women. She. Her.

We are encouraging everyone to contact their MP as a matter of urgency; there is less than 48 hours before this bill is presented. See our example letter here:
docs.google.com/document/d/1B24BPG-OL9-3I3vvm_mfR6UnVjVAkVXj6KI2gHG_dUY/edit?usp=sharing

Amend it as you see fit, even telephone your MP if you are able to. Language matters. Sex matters. Women must not be erased. Please email or call your MP TODAY. Share this post across your networks; it affects all women and all political parties.

This excellent article by @MForstater gives more detail. (Thank you Maya).

mforstater.medium.com/pregnant-people-in-parliament-62adaa521c2d

“Giving birth is not like chairing a meeting. It cannot be done by a person of either sex.”

Less than 48 hours to go. #SixWords (with respect to @JohannLamont) and with thanks to @StoatlyL for initiating this and providing the draft email text.

twitter.com/CforWomenUK/status/1359109798944534537?s=20

www.facebook.com/Conservatives-For-Women-104300591505734

I have just emailed my crusty old MP.
May I ask that ALL men on MN make a point of emailing.
(You must be sympathetic or why are you here?)
Show solidarity with the sisterhood!

Written to my MP, who has been receptive previously. Still can't believe we've got to do this stuff.

@MerchedCymru

FPFW have unearthed this appalling bit of 'gender-neutral' misogyny.

@fairplaywomen
The government is erasing women from legislation. Only women miscarry.
Section 3(2) “a pregnancy loss occurs when a person's pregnancy ends and, after being parted from the person, the foetus does not breathe or show any other sign of life”
legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2019/12

Truly dehumanising.

Dehumanising, upsetting and should not be allowed to go ahead.

I emailed my (labour, female) MP last night, have not received a response. Am still waiting for a response to my email last week following Alex Sobel's tweets. I'm not holding my breath

Emailed my MP. He’s SNP but not part of the woke brigade.

This was discussed on Politics Live programme today on BBC2. I gather it was Penny Mordaunt who has something to do with this Bill and possibly the one responsible for the 'person' word.

Imagine if your MP was a Liddem - you know what they are like on the trans bandwagon - and not only that but the leader of the daft party.

Proposed amendments have been published
publications.parliament.uk/pa/bills/cbill/58-01/0255/amend/ministerial_day_pbc0210.pdf

Proper descriptive words - women/minister not person. Hope this carries because it will matter for other bills where they try to use person instead of woman

Bugger. Not been on MN for a fair few days. Sent it this morning.

Brushed aside by Stella Creasy on Today a few minutes ago.

Here is the list of speakers (page 9 onwards):
commonsbusiness.parliament.uk/document/45181/pdf

We hope to live tweet once the debate starts at approximately 12.45pm and we are suggesting people tweet their MPs throughout the morning, especially the ones who are listed to speak, or have tabled amendments.
Emails clearly had an effect, let's keep the pressure up!

@CforWomenUK

Great idea to keep tweeting MPs - and can we please have an extra barrel-load of support for Welsh MP Tonia Antoniazzi who is speaking for the amendment. @ToniaAntoniazzi

Thank you Tonia

Allison Baileys pre hearing is today and tomorrow. Fingers crossed on both counts. Also for Tonia

It's all happening innit! Think an #AllisonBailey hashtag is being used on twitter. to Allison too. So many courageous and determined women out there...

Excellent news. Lord Phil of Brum (his Twitter name, I can’t look it up atm) had a question tabled as well I think.

Let’s hope the proper wording goes through - I notice some concerning people like Maria Miller and Wera Hobhouse in the list. I note that my mp is there on an unrelated matter - I hope my mp received my email and will back use of the proper language.

Lord Philip Hunt (@LordPhilofBrum) question:

twitter.com/labwomendec/status/1359774258285711361?s=21

These are the MPs who are supporting amendments in our favour, in case anyone wants to thank them!

Amendment 16: Clause 1, page 1, line 14, leave out “person” and insert “minister”

Jackie Doyle-Price Conservative
Sir John Hayes Conservative
Ben Bradley Conservative
Tonia Antoniazzi Labour
Rosie Duffield Labour
Cherilyn Mackrory Conservative
Andrew Rosindell Conservative
Fiona Bruce Conservative
Stephen Metcalfe Conservative
Bob Blackman Conservative

Amendment 18: Clause 1, page 1, line 14, leave out “person” and insert “woman”

Sir John Hayes Conservative
Miriam Cates Conservative
Lee Anderson Conservative
Alexander Stafford Conservative
Ben Bradley Conservative
Tom Hunt Conservative
Sir Edward Leigh Conservative
Karl McCartney Conservative
Brendan Clarke-Smith Conservative

Tonia Antoniazzi Labour
Rosie Duffield Labour
Andrew Rosindell Conservative
Andrew Lewer Conservative
Fiona Bruce Conservative
Danny Kruger Conservative
Chris Loder Conservative
Robbie Moore Conservative
Dr Kieran Mullan Conservative
Stephen Metcalfe Conservative
Bob Blackman Conservative
Martin Vickers Conservative

Amendment 17: Clause 1, page 1, line 16, leave out “person” and insert “minister”

Jackie Doyle-Price Conservative
Sir John Hayes Conservative
Ben Bradley Conservative
Tonia Antoniazzi Labour
Rosie Duffield Labour
Cherilyn Mackrory Conservative
Andrew Rosindell Conservative
Fiona Bruce Conservative
Stephen Metcalfe Conservative
Bob Blackman Conservative

Amendment 19: Clause 1, page 1, line 16, leave out “person” and insert “woman”

Sir John Hayes Conservative
Miriam Cates Conservative
Lee Anderson Conservative
Alexander Stafford Conservative
Ben Bradley Conservative
Tom Hunt Conservative
Sir Edward Leigh Conservative
Karl McCartney Conservative
Brendan Clarke-Smith Conservative
Tonia Antoniazzi Labour
Rosie Duffield Labour
Andrew Rosindell Conservative
Andrew Lewer Conservative
Fiona Bruce Conservative
Danny Kruger Conservative
Chris Loder Conservative
Robbie Moore Conservative
Dr Kieran Mullan Conservative
Stephen Metcalfe Conservative
Bob Blackman Conservative
Martin Vickers Conservative

Apologies for formatting, best I can do on here. Obviously some MPs are supporting more than one amendment so they appear more than once

Pleased Jackie Doyle Price is speaking. She's confidently GC and tweets a lot on the importance of keeping women and girls safe and not changing our language to appease a noisy minirity

Fingers crossed for this and Alison

Just emailed! Fingers crossed.

Just emailed too. Very late in the day but I thought, even if it's too late for today's bill, it is worth it to let my MP know that her constituents feel strongly about this.

Used the example letter and added a sentence of my own at the start. Only took a couple of minutes.

My MP is recently returned from maternity leave herself so I am hopeful that she is already taking an interest in this.

Good intervention from Tonia. Direct and to the point. Thought Jackie was a bit vague.

The opening statement by Ed Leigh was a corker though:
"Can her majesty government confirm that only a biological woman can have a baby.will the minister therefore explain to me why this bill refers. to a person and not to a woman. If we are going to adopt extreme ideology . Why is the government going it by stealth and why can we not have transparent debate which insults the dignity of many women?"

for Leigh.

I emailed my MP (Conservative) too, early yesterday evening, got a reply saying it was forwarded on to him

and not changing our language to appease a noisy minirity 2Rebecca made me laugh

Joanna Cherry 🙌🏻🙌🏻