Stella Creasey forbidden from bringing her baby to Parliament

[ArabellaScott]

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-59396801

'"I've had a baby, I haven't given up my brain or capacity to do things and our politics and our policy making will be better by having more mums at the table," she added.'

Interesting to think how politics and daily life might be changed were it to be more mother (and child) friendly.

I'm not sure what I think about this tbh. Nobody's 3 month-old is reliably 'well-behaved'. There is a nursery available on-site. Most jobs don't really allow for feeding a baby while actually carrying out the job, even if it would be theoretically possible. I can't quite imagine breast-feeding in my classroom of 15 year-olds, for example. Has anyone actually suggested that having a baby has made her give up her brain or capacity to do things? Seems unlikely.

This shouldn’t happen. There should be a mechanism to allow MPs to take a proper maternity leave just as every other worker can.

It's her job to be an MP for which she receives a salary, she needs childcare just as a nurse, checkout operator or plumber does. There is a nursery on site. Even if there weren't it's not acceptable to take your baby to work.

This shouldn’t happen. There should be a mechanism to allow MPs to take a proper maternity leave just as every other worker can.

^ Oh but also this. I didn't know they couldn't!

I’m quite cross with her tbh. She is deliberately conflating mothers going back to work after they’ve had a baby with mothers bringing the actual baby to work. Not the same thing at all and she is in danger of giving an unhelpful impression of working mothers. Most of us recognise it is not sensible to bring a baby into the workplace.

(I’m also massively envious of her for having babies who sleep well enough for her to even consider this, which may be colouring my opinion).

Didn’t the NZ prime minister do this successfully?

I’m on the fence, part of me thinks she needs to be concentrating on the job and part of me thinks if she thinks she can do it then why not.

What would happen if she wanted a years maternity leave? Would her constituents be without a working mp for a year?

Women have fought hard to be taken seriously at work. It's ridiculous to suggest that looking after a 3 month old isn't a full time job. How can she be seen to be doing a good job whilst looking after her baby? She needs childcare like the rest of us plebs. She earns enough and there's a creche on site.

Whose going to employ a woman of child bearing age if there's a possibility they'll be doing their job whilst literally holding a baby? I can tell you for sure that I could not concentrate on a meeting whilst holding a 3 month old. I would be distracted during that meeting BY THE BABY THAT I WAS HOLDING. FFS.

I'm in the 'against' camp I'm afraid. I work very hard to be seen as a competent, capable professional on equal standing to my male colleagues. I work part time (3.5 dpw) because of young children, so it's no secret that I have a family. My husband is equally a parent and I think that by allowing or encouraging women to bring their children into work (particularly highly visible places like house of commons) it maintains the perception of women being solely mothers and caregivers rather than complex, multi-disciplined people who wear various hats.

Hmmm I agree. I think they should use childcare available. I couldn't work and look after my 3month old. I dont think in many jobs you could!?

@CovidCorvid Arden's husband is a stay at home parent, so she didn't need to take her child into the NZ parliament.

I also don’t know what I think about this, again maybe coloured by the fact that I had “spirited” babies who despised naps. I certainly could not have worked with them with me. And the Palace of Westminster is a crumbly old building that also has to have a lot of security, a lot of workplaces are not baby-friendly and maybe this is one of them (like an airport or a building site). But on the other hand, I had proper maternity leave, so if she doesn’t, I guess she is making a good point. What seems archaic is that MPs have to be on-site to vote in Westminster, even if they are ill, or just had a baby or whatever. That and the maternity leave policy needs to change.

She’s making a point and creating debate, which is a good thing in my opinion. However I am seriously jealous she still has her brain. Mine definitely fell out I was so sleep deprived, for about 3 years.

Someone decided to make an issue of this now. As Creasy has done it before and so had Jo Swinson.

@Mumoftwoinprimary

This shouldn’t happen. There should be a mechanism to allow MPs to take a proper maternity leave just as every other worker can.

They're classed as self employed, which is why up until now they haven't had maternity leave. They'll now get 6 months which is great, let's hope it extends to other self employed women who have to survive on stat mat pay.

@Franca123

Women have fought hard to be taken seriously at work. It's ridiculous to suggest that looking after a 3 month old isn't a full time job. How can she be seen to be doing a good job whilst looking after her baby? She needs childcare like the rest of us plebs. She earns enough and there's a creche on site.

Wait, there's a creche on site?

What is she moaning about?

She should find childcare like every other working woman has to. Ridiculous entitled women.

Exactly! It’s very clearly an inappropriate environment to take a baby into which is why there is adequate crèche provision on site covering voting hours. At a price that you an I subsidise. She is not helping anyone with this.

Sorry but this is wrong. Either all businesses set up that all mothers can bring their babies to work, or none. Why should she be able to take her baby to work when no other mother can, and when all other parents have to pay for childcare

She gets paid mat leave she can take, and there is a nursery on site she is entitled to use

She is doing working mothers no favours

I seem to remember an MP bringing in a baby for an important vote, but i think she just voted and left, so maybe different.

I do not think she should take her baby to work. As others said, in undermines what it is to care for a baby to suggest you can do not in between a full time job (or undermines what it is to be an MP). It is also not a safe environment for a baby who will not stay 3 months old: they will be rolling soon and crawling shortly after. Is she suggesting stair gates should be installed? What about the trip hazard to others of discarded toys (or the child themself)?

She was told prior to this that it wasn't an issue suddenly its an issue

It was Jo Swinson.

Everyone seemed quite enthralled by it, but perhaps because of the nature of the debate. I think MPs can only vote in person, so it's difficult for them to take leave.

metro.co.uk/2018/09/13/mp-becomes-first-ever-to-bring-baby-to-a-commons-debate-7942539/

www.theguardian.com/politics/2021/oct/31/stella-creasy-launches-campaign-to-get-more-mothers-into-politics

It's not as simple as some are suggesting. The Guardian has a slightly different explanation. The rules are set up around men... as a female MP she cannot use a maternity replacement to do her duties for example.

It is a much needed review

It is not really about her taking her breastfed baby into the HoC

What is she moaning about? Read the articles and find out!