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.

So parents of well-behaved babies can work during maternity leave, but parents of criers/shouters/grabbers cannot? That has the potential to be unfair to anyone who is not a superwoman like Stella.

I wonder if one way forward would be that at the General Election, a deputy stands for each constituency to rotate in if the MP goes on mat leave, sick leave. Or just a snap election for a cover, without other parties standing, like happened when that MP recently was tragically killed.

That could be fairer as well to women who actually want to take their full mat leave and are not able or willing to juggle to the extent that Stella is.

So parents of well-behaved babies can work during maternity leave, but parents of criers/shouters/grabbers cannot? That has the potential to be unfair to anyone who is not a superwoman like Stella.

She doesn’t get maternity leave.

The bill that was recently passed only covered ministers.

I want my MPs to do the job they are being paid to do and to focus on it completely. The same as I expect my staff to and my Boss expects me to. Nursing a baby in the workplace is totally inappropriate and she is doing mothers no favours at all.

Why bother saying it then?

Because she is human and people often use common phrases in normal speech without thinking through their literal meaning.

@dementedma

I want my MPs to do the job they are being paid to do and to focus on it completely. The same as I expect my staff to and my Boss expects me to. Nursing a baby in the workplace is totally inappropriate and she is doing mothers no favours at all.

Presumably your staff are entitled to maternity leave.

I’m surprised that people on this board aren’t more supportive of SC.

Pregnancy, child birth, breast feeding and post natal care are things that only affect women, and lack of accommodation of those things is a real barrier to women and mothers being represented in Parliament.

I know SM doesn’t see eye to eye with me on ‘TWAW’, but I am very glad she is taking a stand on this.

There is more to being an MP than just following the whip’s voting instructions.

Sorry, SC, not SM.

Wow, glad to hear the feminism board is running along with my conflicted thoughts too.

On another thread I am on I felt like the only outlier.

I think theres so much scope to improve maternity conditions for working mums, like increasing pay from 6 weeks to 6 months. Or offering free/subsidised childcare from a younger age than 3. And I think these improvements should be made for everyone.

Not one exception made for SC to bring a baby to work; when she has the option of:

• full maternity pay for 6 months,
• has the option of a locum,
• has the option of a proxy vote by MP,
• the option of an onsite creche,
• a high enough salary she can get an aupair or a nanny

She literally has every single opportunity to her which many working mums would give an arm for; and yet she wants some kind of half in/ half out maternity and work arrangement. Again I am literally all for that - but every other self employed or working mother on maternity is not entitled to this. Go over 10 KIT days and thats it bam, no SMP - back to work, or don't.

So I am not asking for a race to the bottom here and saying SC cant because no one else can. What I am asking is that if this is deemed the only reasonable course of action for SC; then why isn't it deemed necessary for the plebs to also have these same options.

“- full maternity pay for 6 months,

• has the option of a locum,
• has the option of a proxy vote by MP,
• the option of an onsite creche,
• a high enough salary she can get an aupair or a nanny”

Only ministers get 6 months paid maternity leave.

MPs are elected and therefore are just expected to do their job.

Only ministers get 6 months paid maternity leave.
MPs are elected and therefore are just expected to do their job.

MPs are Ministers!

The problem for me is that

1. She didn't have backfill, so if she went off work then her constituencies would not be represented. She's an absolute champion to be doing both.
2. She's breastfeeding. We are all told "breast is best" but then often not supported to do this in the workplace. When I was breastfeeding it would have been impossible to leave my daughter with a nursery or childcare without damaging the breastfeeding relationship.

Only ministers get 6 months paid maternity leave

That's not correct. It's the other way round. MPs get maternity pay- Ministers do not. This is under discussion to give ministers the same right.

commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-9133/

Maternity provision for MPs

MPs taking maternity leave can apply to the Speaker of the House for a proxy vote which allows another MP to vote on their behalf. For new mothers, the duration of the proxy vote is six months.

MPs continue to receive full pay for six months whilst on maternity leave. MPs on maternity leave can also apply for funding for additional staff. This means MPs may be able to hire a member of staff to cover their constituency duties. However, some MPs have said that they still struggle to obtain funds for maternity cover

Also, although she used a locum after her first pregnancy, that was a pilot scheme which won’t be repeated.

I really feel my understanding would be improved if I could know exactly what maternity provision MPs are entitled to. Does anyone know where I can find out?

Ah I see, it was in the link Kimikos put up. Thanks.

@KimikosNightmare

Only ministers get 6 months paid maternity leave

That's not correct. It's the other way round. MPs get maternity pay- Ministers do not. This is under discussion to give ministers the same right.

commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-9133/

Maternity provision for MPs

MPs taking maternity leave can apply to the Speaker of the House for a proxy vote which allows another MP to vote on their behalf. For new mothers, the duration of the proxy vote is six months.

MPs continue to receive full pay for six months whilst on maternity leave. MPs on maternity leave can also apply for funding for additional staff. This means MPs may be able to hire a member of staff to cover their constituency duties. However, some MPs have said that they still struggle to obtain funds for maternity cover

Sorry, you are right that they are still paid.

However, that isn’t comparable to normal maternity leave because the role of an MP can’t legally be deputised.

If an MP has 2 children in an electoral term and takes 6 months leave each time, that would be a year of leaving constituents without proper representation.

I think the only reasonable alternative is a compromise that accommodates the needs of MPs who have recently given birth.

MP's are entitled to take paid maternity leave, but are not guaranteed any cover, meaning that many do not take any leave and carry on working. As there is a creche in Westminster, then that could well be an option for SC to use. There are many jobs where it is just not practical to be working and looking after a young baby at the same time. How is it possible to concentrate on jobs which are public facing and demand high levels of concentration and accuracy, with a young baby demanding attention?

www.theguardian.com/money/2021/feb/04/uk-cabinet-ministers-to-be-given-six-months-maternity-leave-on-full-pay-suella-braverman

Ms Creasey should make arrangements for child care and not bring children into the chamber. It has nothing to do with her being an MP or her baby being "well-behaved".

If she were a waitress, would it be acceptable for her to bring her infant to her workplace? Or a teacher? Or a firefighter?

If she were a waitress, would it be acceptable for her to bring her infant to her workplace? Or a teacher? Or a firefighter?

No, because the employer hires another waitress/teacher/firefighter while the employee is on maternity leave.

That's not what I asked. I asked if it would be ok for other people to bring their infants to their workplaces.

I can really sympathise with her trying to make it work (working with baby in lap) if there is no maternity cover. Parliament has to figure out a way to provide that, it might take a bit of working out but it’s hardly rocket science.

@merrymouse

If she were a waitress, would it be acceptable for her to bring her infant to her workplace? Or a teacher? Or a firefighter?

No, because the employer hires another waitress/teacher/firefighter while the employee is on maternity leave.

Or as more likely the rest of the employees and the employers simply carry the extra work themselves.

I do not believe that the MP should have taken the baby to the House of Commons, I do not think work in general is a place for children or babies. When people are at work they are there to do a job not look after their child.

There should be in this case a way of ensuring that the constituency is represented whilst the MP is on maternity leave - and there should be proper maternity provision.

@AlfonsoTheUnrepentant

That's not what I asked. I asked if it would be ok for other people to bring their infants to their workplaces.

They wouldn’t need to, so it’s not clear why your question is relevant.

In this case she has been specifically elected to represent her constituents.

The baby happened to be asleep so she was able to talk uninterrupted.

I’m self employed but work within a business. I’m a specialist so couldn’t get maternity cover so I often brought my baby to work / worked from home / did conference calls with baby all from when she was a few weeks old. It was horrid for me (and probably her!), but I felt I had to in order to keep my clients and to ensure I had work to come back to after maternity less work (not leave!) I imagine she feels that she has to keep going in order to ensure she gets re-elected ?