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 assume the reason she doesn't use the creche is because she's breastfeeding. But I'm really not mad on MPs bringing their babies to work. Other people don't. And in any case, how long is it really practicable?

[quote Werehamster]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/[/quote]
I mean it was Jo Swinson who brought a baby in before and everyone seemed happy about it but perhaps there was something different about that time.

MPs don't get paid maternity leave. If she wanted to take time off there wouldn't be an MP for walthamstow in the house of commons. I'm for it.

No one else brings their baby to work, why does she need to, and why does she think everyone will be fine with it? Yes they need more mothers and parents there, but this is not the way to get the point across.

I think there are many work situations where it's just not quite appropriate to bring a baby with you even if you physically could i.e. a dentist or a hairdresser would physically not be able to do their job while caring for a baby but would you want your psychotherapist or solicitor to be feeding an infant while working with you, either? You can't fully concentrate on work if your baby is on your lap.

I thought the ability to take maternity leave and have cover or the ability to vote otherwise was already sorted not too long ago when a minister was pregnant? Or was that just for ministers?

They need more mothers and they have created conditions to enable that which are vastly better than those available to the huge majority of their constituents so this is just a stunt to draw attention to the issue, but a stunt that seems to backfire on her as it’s clearly so utterly inappropriate to take a child into the chamber particularly when there are so many other options available

There is no need for her to take her baby to work. She can well afford a nanny or other childcare.

@LunaDeet

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.

I can relate.

I think if nothing else all these conversations need to be had. Some jobs and some babies mean it's not possible to work, but if someone wants to and can, and it won't interrupt the work, then maybe we could accommodate that?

Just looked up the Jo Swinson thing as I was puzzled I didn't know about it

I was ill in hospital.

Good thing nobody told me then, I'd have made myself more ill with rage 😂😂

If there’s a nursery how is she prevented from being in her workplace? And if it is OK to bring children into the commons, at what age would that stop? 16?

@Chloemol

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

She does not get paid maternity leave.

She can't have someone come into vote on her behalf. She can't trust that pairing with the opposing side on a vote will be honoured. She can't vote electronically. Those things need to be addressed.

Depending on the type of job, bringing a baby in during a keeping in touch type day isn't exactly unheard of.

I don't think she was arguing for it as a permanent child care alternative was she? A sleeping or nursing baby in a carrier isn't disruptive.

@lazylinguist

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!

The report says they have 6 months paid maternity leave.

@Noodleted

MPs don't get paid maternity leave. If she wanted to take time off there wouldn't be an MP for walthamstow in the house of commons. I'm for it.

The report says MPs get 6 months paid maternity leave. And presumably at full salary, not SMP.

The report says MPs get 6 months paid maternity leave. And presumably at full salary, not SMP. It also explained how locums are paid and what work they can and cannot do on behalf of an MP!

OP "but if someone wants to and can, and it won't interrupt the work, then maybe we could accommodate that?"

We already do.

If you're saying we should accommodate children at work, no.

I didn't consider myself a feminist in my 20s and 30s because I mostly connected it with stuff like this.

It's been problems relating to violence, sentencing and gender that brought me to it.

There are so many labels attached to different types of feminism, maybe there's one for mine and I don't know it? Polite answers will be welcome 😂

What's the problem with having a baby in the chamber?

When my baby was 3 months old I absolutely would not have wanted to leave him in a nursery- he needed to be with me. Therefore I would not be able to be an MP with a small child. Don't we need mothers to be MPs?

Taking her baby in a sling to a debate is different than the other work settings mentioned. It's not as if the baby was interrupting.

@SomepeopleareTERFSgetoverit

If there’s a nursery how is she prevented from being in her workplace? And if it is OK to bring children into the commons, at what age would that stop? 16?

Do you seriously not understand the difference between a breastfed 3-month-old and a teenager?

If MPs get maternity / parental leave then Stella Creasy is U IMO.

She certainly should not be allowed to take her baby into the chamber. As an aside, her language about a 'well-behaved baby' is extremely offensive and potentially affects mothers with PND. A 3 month old baby who cries is not being naughty FFS!

@HoardingSamphireSaurus

The report says MPs get 6 months paid maternity leave. And presumably at full salary, not SMP. It also explained how locums are paid and what work they can and cannot do on behalf of an MP!

You are mixing up 2 separate issues.

It was said on here that MPs don't get maternity pay- they do.

What have locums got to do with this? A locum can't possibly attend and vote at the Commons.

@Alltheprettyseahorses

She certainly should not be allowed to take her baby into the chamber. As an aside, her language about a 'well-behaved baby' is extremely offensive and potentially affects mothers with PND. A 3 month old baby who cries is not being naughty FFS!

Did Stella Creasey use the word “naughty”?

Or was that just you?

@Alltheprettyseahorses

She certainly should not be allowed to take her baby into the chamber. As an aside, her language about a 'well-behaved baby' is extremely offensive and potentially affects mothers with PND. A 3 month old baby who cries is not being naughty FFS!

Agreed.

Not everyone is willing or able to leave their babies with strangers at 3 months old. I appreciate that this was more normal in the past when maternity provision was crap, and more normal in the USA still, but I don't think it is a particularly reasonable expectation when most people are entitled to Mat Leave of longer than that in this country.

It wasn't unreasonable for her to expect to be able to bring her baby with her when another MP brought their baby in before. But clearly someone had taken issue with that and wanted the rules on babies clear and enforced.

@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.

This is what I feel as well. We need to stop prioritising work over everything else. This feeds into a culture of work work work no matter what, even if you have to bring your kid in.

I understand that things pop up for eg childcare falling through. But the work culture should be one where parents are allowed to take time off to look after them.

Did Stella Creasey use the word “naughty”?

Or was that just you?

Stella Creasey made an utterly ridiculous comment about her "well- behaved" 3 months old baby.

No 3 months old child is "well-behaved" or "badly- behaved"

It's ludicrous to attribute the concept of choosing how to behave to a 3 months old baby.