As an MP and a mother I’ve found out how sexist Westminster is

As an MP and a mother I’ve found out how sexist Westminster is

Parliament recognises the need for flexible working patterns in legislation, but in practice it is still deeply unfriendly to women with children


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Jeremy Corbyn, Rupa Huq and her son



As far as the trustworthiness of occupations goes, MPs are rated down in the gutter alongside used car dealers. The public has no sympathy for us and, as someone who was in a non-political job until May, I can understand this. It is an out-of-body experience in many ways to be elected to the mother of parliaments. Suddenly people you grew up watching on Spitting Image become your colleagues and supposed equals – I’m serving on a delegation with Ken Clarke and Peter Mandelson next week. Your workplace is the Palace of Westminster; it is awesome in the true sense of the word and deeply humbling. But as a mum I can tell you it is definitely not family-friendly.


This is not an original observation. The 2010 speaker’s conference on parliamentary representation identified the “inflexible and unwelcoming attitude of the house towards families” and a Mumsnet survey from 2011 found that 91% of MPs would not describe their job as family-friendly. Indeed the hours are anything but. On Mondays, the Commons can sit until half past midnight and you don’t know until the day itself when you’ll get away. Woe betide anyone who might have any kind of wider family obligations at either end of the age scale.

Some simple adjustments could help, such as allowing breastfeeding in the Commons, as has been suggested, and aligning non-sitting periods with school holidays. This week we’ve had a three-day recess as parliament has not sat, yet a fortnight ago it was half term. I was forced to bring my 11-year-old with me to work. I wasn’t the only one with a child in tow but I was met with dirty looks at every turn. When waiting in the chamber for several hours to speak in an all-day debate I asked if I could dive out to make sure my son had eaten and was told that I would invalidate my claim to speak if I did as “it’s about choices”. It seemed a particular slap in the face given that we were debating tax credits which were supposed to allow people to work and where cuts will hit women hardest. I was finally called to speak when it was getting on for 7pm.

The right of parents to demand flexible working arrangements has been legislated for by parliament, but parliament seems to be one workplace where this does not apply. Flexibility in the face of a whipping system is a surefire collision course. Add in weekend constituency engagements and it’s a 24/7 job. It’s an incredible privilege, but incompatible with any decent work-life balance.
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http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/nov/13/parliament-women-mps-sexist-mothers-westminster