A cross-party committee has ruled that MPs shouldn’t bring their babies to the Commons chamber.
Sir Lindsay Hoyle, Commons Speaker, asked the Procedure Committee for a review of the rules after Labour’s Stella Creasy was informed in November 2021 that she could not take her three-month old son with her.
The review found that the “long-standing practice of excluding babies from Commons discussions should be maintained.”
However, it did add some discretion that should be used “sparingly”.
Ms Creasy expressed disappointment at the results. Ms. Creasy had previously stated that it was possible for “parenting” and “politics to be mixed.”
She said that “This committee did not speak to any one outside of Parliament, despite many people encouraging them to do so.”
“So, I don’t think they are surprised that they don’t recognize who is offended by Parliament’s antiquated rules.” Only when we listen to others outside of the status quo will there be any change.
Chair of the committee, Conservative Karen Bradley, said Thursday that “people didn’t think this place was suitable for kids”.
“Members wanted the opportunity to spend time with this new person, as well as adjusting to being a parent. They didn’t feel obliged to bring a child here because that was becoming the norm.
She added that babies can still be brought into Commons if they are required by “exceptional circumstances”, at the discretion and agreement of the chair.
The issue was brought up by Ms Creasy, her son, to a Westminster Hall debate last November.
According to the Labour MP, she said that she had taken her son, and her daughter, into the Commons chamber.
However, Commons officials emailed her to inform her that she could not bring children to debates.
This ban should be continued by the Procedures Committee if the MP concerned wants to “observe and initiate, speak or interfere in proceedings”.
It said that chairs would retain a certain degree of discretion that should be used sparingly. However, the firm expectation should be that members don’t participate in proceedings while caring to a baby.
Alicia Kearns, a Conservative MP, argued that the Commons was not the right place for a baby when the review was ordered.
“In no professional workplace would your baby be fed in a meeting of your chief executive, pitch to new clients or on a stage before shareholders.”
On Thursday, the Rutland-and-Melton MP, who announced her second child’s birth in January 2021, told the Commons that she was concerned about the possibility of abuse of the chair’s discretion on the issue.
She stated that “the pressure that I’ve been under during this period was quite strong, so I fear that chairs and members of committees might feel they have been forced into allowing babies”.
Kirsten Oswald, SNP’s Kirsten, said that she was concerned about the possibility of people with diverse backgrounds and younger people being expelled from the role of MP.
Stella Creasy was the only person who spoke to the Procedures Committee regarding the rules for babies.
Ms. Bradley admitted that the social media debate was “toxic”. She stated that the issues must be dealt with in “reasonable circumstances”.
Jacob Rees Mogg, Brexit Opportunities Minister, said in a BBC interview that he sympathizes with MPs who want to allow their children to enter the Commons.
“The House of Commons can be viewed as a place of work. Therefore, you need to evaluate each situation individually and the specific needs. There are many difficult questions that families must answer in relation to childcare.
Jo Swinson, a former leader of the Liberal Democrats, is believed to have been the first member to bring her baby into the chamber during a discussion when she cradled her child in the Commons in 2018.
The committee also requested that MPs who are on parental leave be allowed to vote by proxy for those with “serious, long-term illnesses”.
Ms Bradley demanded that a debate be held on the issue before the summer recess.
