Babies banned in Parliament: the controversial reprimand in the United Kingdom to a deputy who debated with her child in her arms

“She should not take a seat in the House (of Commons) when accompanied by a child.”

That was the message that the British parliamentarian received Stella Creasy, mother of a 3-month-old boy, after participating with her baby in a debate in Parliament last Tuesday.

The Labor Party legislator received an email with the details of the rule that she did not respect.

Lindsay Hoyle, the speaker House of Commons (the Speaker of the House), asked a committee of legislators to review the norms and said it was “extremely important” for parents to be able to fully participate in the work of the House.

“The rules have to be seen in context and change over time”, Hoyle said in a statement to MPs.

Conservative MP Scott Benton criticized Creasy on Twitter: “Parents who are paid a fraction of what you pay for childcare juggle responsibilities in order to get to work. What makes you so special? ”

“Neither seen nor heard”

Labor Stella Creasy told the BBC that she regularly brings her son, whom she is breastfeeding, to the House of Commons, and before he did so with his daughter.

But after being present with the little one in Westminster on Tuesday, he received an email saying that it was not in line with the recently published “behavior and courtesy” rules.

The Labor MP, who is encouraging more mothers to enter politics through a campaign called This Mum Votes (“This mother votes”), shared the email on Twitter, adding that mothers “seem to be neither seen nor heard.”

The rule book applies to the House of Commons and was updated last September.

“You should not sit in the chamber when accompanied by your child, or stand at either end of the chamber, between the divisions,” he says.

“I have not given up my brain”

Creasy stated that “this system does not work if you are not a man of a certain age and of a certain training ”.

“I don’t have maternity coverage, I don’t have labor rights to have maternity coverage,” she said, adding that the situation as it is “is bad for our democracy.”

While women parliamentarians are entitled to paid maternity leave for six months, some expressed that it is difficult to obtain enough money for adequate maternity coverage.

And legislators must be physically present in Westminster to represent the views of their constituents during the Commons debates, for example.

“I had a baby, I have not given up my brain or my ability to do things and our politics and our policymaking will be better by having more moms at the table”He added.