History in the making! Watch Parliament Live at 2.30pm!

[Sunkisses]

According to @SexMattersOrg on Twitter the Govt have backed down on the MOMA (Maternity) Bill and will now use the word 'mother' not 'person' in the legislation!

Women did this! We are winning!

Tune in live here at 2.30pm to see history in the making: www.parliamentlive.tv/Event/Index/3ca1efa2-16a5-489d-a5a0-5d929bff81f6

@McDuffy

I saw a screenshot/tweet from him that said he wasn't there

So an issue that was so, so, important to him, so close to his heart and one he was so, so outraged about the other day and yet he just couldn't find the time to turn up. What a trooper.

@ofcoursesis

Delighted by this.

Lord Winston is actually the reason I'm here. He was the medical professional involved in my mothers care when trying to conceive me. Won't give too many outing details but if it wasn't for him myself and DSis wouldn't be here. Neither would our DC.

I'm overjoyed he has supported this amendment along with the other lords.

As a PP suggested I think I will send my thanks, for not only helping to give me life but also for supporting my rights as a woman and as a mother.

Oh, this is so lovely!

[quote CaveMum]Full transcript now up hansard.parliament.uk/lords/2021-02-25/debates/DFB70DF3-ABA0-4168-8DBF-DBDA63BA4AEE/MinisterialAndOtherMaternityAllowancesBill[/quote]
Thanks for the link - it's a very worthwhile read. I was particularly heartened to see that their seems to be a cross-party group advocating for women.

Just the best news and loving the emperor has no clothes because really to me that is what it was all along; a myth created by those who wanted to write a very different ending our lives.

The whole of mumsnet seems determined that transwomen are the threat, though. Witness this thread. The level of glee and sheer hate is depressing.

What on earth are you on about, @toconclude ? This thread has nothing to do with transwomen.Nothing. It is about mothers. And women being happy that the word “mother” has been included in a Bill on maternity rights. What on earth do maternity rights have to do with transwomen?

@AbsintheFriends

What a lovely post ofcoursesis!

Please do get in touch with him to say that. I suspect it would mean an awful lot.

I'm going to contact him, definitely.

I'm 39 and DM has always driven home that if it wasn't for him, she wouldn't have us. We were her second chance at motherhood, again don't want to out myself, but by god DM has had it hard.

But she grabbed her second chance and didn't let go. She's been a fantastic mother. It's only now, realising the enormity of what's she's been through and the lengths she went to have us, that I see things really clearly. Especially now I'm a mother myself.

Was recently having a conversation with her about my tribulations as a mum, she said as long as you do your best and love you're children, that is enough, because children always know love. She is right.

Sorry, feeling a little emotional.

Robert Winston has provided the opportunity for women to love, and for children to be loved. And he gets that. He knows that only a mother, can give the love only a mother can give.

I've followed him for years, especially programmes like Child of our time. Always wanted to contact him. Now is the time.

Sorry for going off on a tangent. But really feeling quite emotional.

I'm confused.

This was about the new law to allow MPs to have mat leave when they have a baby, right?

Why did the libdem baroness, and two posters on this thread, who disagree with changing it from person to mother, start off by taking about trans women?

This is really nothing at all to do with transwomen. By definition. So why are they even being mentioned.

Why is celebrating that a maternity law will use the word mother rather than person who gives birth (or whatever) taken as a glee at doing one over on trans women?

My only guess is that it shows what we all suspected was correct.

That the changes in language are nothing to do inclusion of with trans men. They are to do with not reminding trans women that words like female, woman, mother, are not 'social roles' to do with make up, frocks, giggling etc. But are to do with our biology, which is what they have always meant. And that they are important as our biology is why we have always been, and to a greater or lesser extent continue to be, discriminated against and oppressed, all over the world.

@LangClegsInSpace

Absolutely bowled over by this!

On one level it's a tiny thing - a small change in the wording of a bill that gives maternity rights to government ministers. It wouldn't affect those ministers' maternity rights if the amendments had not passed and the HoC's acceptance of the amendments to replace 'person' with 'mother' / 'expectant mother' is a compromise. It would have been much much harder to get the amendments passed that sought to replace 'person' with 'woman' because of the legal fiction created by the GRA.

That's where we are - the government will not currently acknowledge that mothers and expectant mothers are women because Freddy is legally a man. But the courts have decided that Freddy is a mother despite being legally a man so we can have the word 'mother'.

On another level this is a huge thing - as one of the speakers said, it's a line in the sand. Every piece of primary legislation has to not only pass in the HoC but also in the HoL and HoL are now on it.

There have been so many brilliant speeches this week, covering all sorts of aspects of this recent assault on women and girls' rights and there has been such overwhelming cross-party support (except lib dems). All of those amazing speeches will be recorded in Hansard and form part of the public record.

hansard.parliament.uk/lords/2021-02-25/debates/DFB70DF3-ABA0-4168-8DBF-DBDA63BA4AEE/MinisterialAndOtherMaternityAllowancesBill

That means that any politician, from any party (except lib dems), in the coming days, months and years, can draw on these speeches and know that they are quoting a respectable source. It gives the green light for all other peers, MPs, councillors, assembly members bla bla - everyone who identifies as our representative and gives the slightest shit about women and girls - to be a bit braver (except lib dems, obvs.)

The HoL has overwhelmingly declared, on public record, that the emperor has no clothes. That's why this is huge.

I think the (except lib dems) parts of this elevate it to classic, tbh. 👌

@toconclude

This is NOT ABOUT MEN/MALES.

Women are disadvantaged from birth. We are murdered in the hundreds of thousands. We are murdered by males or because we are not male.

Let that sink in then tell me I women should make more space for men.

I've already had a personal reply from Lord Lucas! I only sent him the email a few hours ago. What a

Nothing on BBC parliament about this. They must be having a right panic.

JK, are you on here tonight? Hope you are smiling.

The whole of mumsnet seems determined that transwomen are the threat, though. Witness this thread. The level of glee and sheer hate is depressing.

You know what? Once and for all I would like to see the wording of the actual, explicit 'hate' that is levelled at women here.

What are the words? Copy the sentence. Show me the paragraph.

Such excellent news. Lord Winston absolutely spoke from his heart. For someone who has made the treatment of women his life’s work, it’s absolutely right that he should have been able to speak on this bill.

Am I late to the party at realising that the BBC are not as unbiased as they would have us believe

What a wonderful day in the real world - and on mumsnet (not personsnet. Never thought I'd be thanking the Lords but I truly do, and all those women who refuse to sit down and shut up.

God yes, I hope that bloody marvellous Joanne Rowling knows exactly what has gone on. I hope somehow Magdalen's atoms feel a positive vibration from this. I hope every one of you who have posted on here, and on Facebook and Twitter and dealt with rape threats and name calling and fear for your family and livelihood know you have made a difference in this.

It's nowhere near over, wims. But if I've learned anything in my life, it's to bloody relish the good moments.

These are for everyone. Proud to stand with you xx

Brilliant news. I have downloaded the Hansard for my bedtime reading.

As for the LibDems... totally captured and fucking useless.

I don’t think Mistress Ploppy will be back after the drive by wokescolding 😬

Kind of an own goal though.

FWR in raptures about women specific language being used in reference to maternity.

Kindly soul drops by to scold us for being mean to transwomen.

FWR point out that no one mentioned transwomen.

And that there isn’t supposed to be a conflict between women’s rights and trans rights.

Oh my goodness Lord Hunt just linked to this thread on Twitter!

“We have to understand that there are many things we still do not yet to recognise, but it seems critical that we should recognise the need to praise maternity, support mothers and do all we can for women who are pregnant, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds.”

Thank you lord winston

Thanks @LangClegsInSpace especially for reminding us that we are not out of the woods yet... the amendment was not to allow us to be called women, but only where we have performed a specific part of womanhood that also defines us as mothers.

The right to be called woman without being accused of being a bigot or exclusionary remains with * .

The shame of this situation we find ourselves in is that I am afraid to state who gets to call themselves women because I fear that my post will be deleted.

I'm so happy. Good people literally standing up and being prepared to be counted. Thanks also to the good people who have worked so hard for so long to raise the issues.

I know she is far too gracious but I really wish Baroness Nicholson would blow a raspberry at Lord "ludicrous speech" Adonis.

Lord Hunt has just tweeted a link to this thread They know where to look for the true feelings on these issues.

Good evening Your Lordship, and thank you.

Excavating on bbc.com turns up a deeply buried story that was put up about 15 minutes ago:

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-56204865

It doesn't say much.