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.

Oh just saw update-

Apparently leader of house even didn't know about rule change in September.

That's just so iffy. I would love to know who suggested change and how/ who signed off. ( My money on JRM being involved).

Speaker has ordered review.

inews.co.uk/news/politics/stella-creasy-baby-house-of-commons-rules-children-in-chamber-1316405

@MaMaLa321

No she shouldn't be taking a baby into the HOC. She should deal with it like the rest of us plebs do. But then, SC just oozes self-entitlement, IMO. Also, she has no interest whatsoever in protecting women's spaces in other situations. So she's a hypocrite as well.

Precisely this. She only seems to realise the hassles that come with being female when it affects her personally - she's the absolute worst.

I think babies that age are best not exposed to the risk of infection from a busy workplace with many people coming and going. They should be settling into a routine and tucked up at home. No one is thinking about the welfare of the baby here in all this.

There is a surge in RSV, just this week one of the A&E sisters was telling me that the paediatric ward at my hospital is full and babies are being transferred to other hospitals out of the area wherever there is space.

www.gov.uk/government/publications/respiratory-syncytial-virus-rsv-symptoms-transmission-prevention-treatment/respiratory-syncytial-virus-rsv-symptoms-transmission-prevention-treatment

@Turangawaewae

Lots of NZ Mp's take their babies into the chamber. Check out the video of our speaker here: trevorfeedingababy

It seems to be occasional, and small babies, not rampaging toddlers. Jacinda took her daughter with her when she was young - but with other people to look after her. Thankfully, our press agreed not to photograph or film her breastfeeding but she certainly did discretely at events.

It's a non issue here.

I wonder what hours the creche at parliament is open -- would it cover late night votes for example?

Yes, I just don't see why it would be issue to have a tiny baby there in the first three months, when they need to nurse often. Clearly there would need to be another parent or nanny but to me mums with tiny babies should just be taken for granted as a unit.

@FannyCann

I think babies that age are best not exposed to the risk of infection from a busy workplace with many people coming and going. They should be settling into a routine and tucked up at home. No one is thinking about the welfare of the baby here in all this.

There is a surge in RSV, just this week one of the A&E sisters was telling me that the paediatric ward at my hospital is full and babies are being transferred to other hospitals out of the area wherever there is space.

www.gov.uk/government/publications/respiratory-syncytial-virus-rsv-symptoms-transmission-prevention-treatment/respiratory-syncytial-virus-rsv-symptoms-transmission-prevention-treatment

That's a result of babies spending the last year and a half at home, though, rather than going out like normal.

She is making a point, ok. However, most average people could not bring their children to work?

@LobsterNapkin
Yes, I just don't see why it would be issue to have a tiny baby there in the first three months, when they need to nurse often.

Except that she was still taking her baby into the chamber when it was 7 months old. So not a tiny baby and no problem leaving her in the creche.

That's a result of babies spending the last year and a half at home, though, rather than going out like normal.

Whilst it is true that coming out of lockdowns has contributed to the rise it is beside the point. Lots of winter bugs around, coughs, colds, flue. A busy place like the HOC is no place for a baby. And I don't think it's normal to be carting babies around at night. I was blessed with good sleepers, DD1 slept 7-7 from eight weeks and DD2 from 12 weeks. Having a routine helped them develop their own routine and everyone benefits. I wouldn't have dreamt of taking them out at night and interrupting their routine.

[quote madisonbridges]@LobsterNapkin
Yes, I just don't see why it would be issue to have a tiny baby there in the first three months, when they need to nurse often.

Except that she was still taking her baby into the chamber when it was 7 months old. So not a tiny baby and no problem leaving her in the creche.[/quote]
So maybe there should be more flexibility for very small babies.

3 of the the last 4 prime ministers have had new babies during their term of office, and Boris Johnson is about to have his second. There is no way to stop pregnancy, child birth and the post partum period being more of a burden for women, and I don’t think an elected politician will ever be able to take full leave from work in the way that other people can.

However, this kind of flexibility can make things easier.

The goal is to enable women to participate in democracy on as equal terms as possible.

I wouldn't have dreamt of taking them out at night and interrupting their routine.

Even just having older children can force you to give up things like sticking to a routine religiously.

Sorry, 3 of the the last 4 male prime ministers!

Creasey has an income and IPSA provides facilities which give her the options of childcare which many, many working mothers can only dream of.

The job she does is not a neat 9 to 5 where a temp can cover it. She knew that when she took it on. Her baby doesn't have to be clamped to her permanently.

The job she does is not a neat 9 to 5 where a temp can cover it. She knew that when she took it on. Her baby doesn't have to be clamped to her permanently.

And women are under represented in Parliament because of this.

This is what I mean when I talk about sex based rights - accommodations, services and rights, without which women are at a disadvantage compared to men.

I know SC doesn’t see eye to eye with me on all things related to sex and gender, but that is irrelevant. Rights and equality aren’t just for people in your tribe.

Nonsense. Creasey has a maternity cover package which very few other women could dream of.

Here's Sarah Ditum's take on this.

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/dc3a28a0-4ef2-11ec-9bc6-5abf98655bc4?shareToken=6d229a7f1e19528dcc0e6f34e97a1f60

Nonsense. Creasey has a maternity cover package which very few other women could dream of.

Most other women don’t have a duty to work when they have a very small baby. It’s not comparable.

That Sarah Ditum articulates everything I think about this! Thanks for sharing @KimikosNightmare

@merrymouse

Nonsense. Creasey has a maternity cover package which very few other women could dream of.

Most other women don’t have a duty to work when they have a very small baby. It’s not comparable.

Creasey has plenty of options available to her for childcare. The baby doesn't have to be attached to her 24 hours a day.

From the Times' article

For one thing, the House of Commons has a nursery, and it’s subsidised. MPs are entitled to seven months’ maternity leave on full pay, as well as £30,000 to cover six months’ extra staffing costs for their constituency work. And you can arrange for another MP to cast your vote by proxy for the time that you’re away

There’s just one point where regular workers have the advantage over MPs: they’re entitled to a full year of leave, though not on full wage

I had 1 month off before returning full time. 6 months is still generous given the other elements in Creasey's package.

The Speaker is apparently being lobbied by other female MPs to not agree to change the rules.

He is still a very small baby, and if he is fast asleep and unobtrusive, what is the problem if he is attached to his mother?

Sarah Ditum, while clearly not a fan of SC, does agree that “There’s probably a better compromise to be had on maternity leave”.

If women are to be better represented in government, the relevant comparison is not other mothers, but male MPs.

I had 1 month off before returning full time

Whether or not that was a deliberate choice, most women who want to have children would not choose to do that and would avoid any career or job where that was expected. That is a problem when you want more women to become MPs.

@merrymouse

I had 1 month off before returning full time

Whether or not that was a deliberate choice, most women who want to have children would not choose to do that and would avoid any career or job where that was expected. That is a problem when you want more women to become MPs.

Sometimes reality has to be factored in.

There is nothing in that very generous package being offered which should prevent any woman deciding to be an MP.

I really don't understand the 'it's fine because he was asleep/quiet' argument. If she's saying that him not being allowed in would leave her constituents unrepresented then surely he needs to be allowed in even if he's screaming the place down - their representation shouldn't depend on a baby's nap! It's either vital that she attends or it isn't.

I do think her decision to make her locum being paid the same salary as an MP the hill on which she would die was either bizarre or self- promoting. It's really not that odd for the person covering a mat leave to be paid less than the permanent employee (I'm on mat leave currently and my mat cover is being paid less than my salary) and if anyone else said they therefore wouldn't take mat leave on principle the reply wouldn't be that they should just bring the baby to work as an alternative!

@merrymouse

The job she does is not a neat 9 to 5 where a temp can cover it. She knew that when she took it on. Her baby doesn't have to be clamped to her permanently.

And women are under represented in Parliament because of this.

This is what I mean when I talk about sex based rights - accommodations, services and rights, without which women are at a disadvantage compared to men.

I know SC doesn’t see eye to eye with me on all things related to sex and gender, but that is irrelevant. Rights and equality aren’t just for people in your tribe.

Doesn't the baby have a father? Where is he in this? Just like male MPs' partners have to step up to do the majority of childcare because of the odd hours MP's work., why can't male partners? Why isn't he taking shared parental leave to have the baby til it's one. Why are you not demanding that form of equality?

I will note, though, that the nursery in parliament is a proper nursery, not a drop-in creche, so I think she would need to book a regular space, she couldn't have just decided to drop him in that day while she did her speech

@merrymouse

He is still a very small baby, and if he is fast asleep and unobtrusive, what is the problem if he is attached to his mother?

Sarah Ditum, while clearly not a fan of SC, does agree that “There’s probably a better compromise to be had on maternity leave”.

If women are to be better represented in government, the relevant comparison is not other mothers, but male MPs.

But when she made the speech about NI, she wasn't holding a tiny sleeping baby. She was holding a seven month old that kept making noises. Still well-behaved and it could have been so much worse, but how can you concentrate on what you're saying whilst you're trying to keep your 7 month old quiet?