UK MP told not to bring her 3-month-old baby to parliament chambers
London, Nov 25: The Speaker of the House of Commons on Wednesday announced a review of the rules around babies being allowed into the Parliament chamber after a parliamentarian complained she was banned from carrying her three-month-old into the House.
Opposition Labour Party's Stella Creasy was informed it was against the rules to bring a child to a debate at Westminster Hall within the Parliament complex after doing so on Tuesday.
Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle asked the Commons Procedure Committee to look into the matter as he noted that it was "extremely important" for parents to be able to participate fully in the work of Parliament, which also has a nursery on the premises.
Rules have to be seen in context and they change with the times," he said in the House of Commons.
This House has to be able to function professionally and without disturbance. However, sometimes there may be occasions when the chair can exercise discretion assuming the business is not to be disturbed, Hoyle said.
Creasy, who took to Twitter after receiving an email informing her about the rule, has received the backing of British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on the matter.
We completely understand the difficulties faced by MPs who are new mothers, new fathers or adopted parents and parliament has made some positive changes to becoming more family friendly in recent years, including on proxy voting, a Downing Street spokesperson for Johnson said.
We want to make sure that all work places are modern, flexible and fit for parents. This is obviously a matter for the House. I know they have issued a statement on that today, but we very much do want to see further improvements, the spokesperson said.
Creasy told the BBC she had regularly taken her son who she is breastfeeding and before him, her daughter, into the Commons chamber.
But after appearing with her son at the adjoining Westminster Hall on Tuesday, she received an email from the Private Secretary to the Chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, Dame Eleanor Laing, which said this was not in line with recently published rules on "behaviour and courtesies".
The rules, which were issued by the Speaker and deputy speakers and apply to the chamber of the House of Commons and Westminster Hall, was updated in September.
It reads: "You should not take your seat in the chamber when accompanied by your child, nor stand at either end of the Chamber, between divisions."
Creasy has been backed by other female parliamentarians who say that the system does not work for women in politics.
Apparently Parliament has written a rule which means I can’t take my well behaved, 3-month old, sleeping baby when I speak in chamber. (Still no rule on wearing masks btw).
— stellacreasy (@stellacreasy) November 23, 2021
Mothers in the mother of all parliament are not to be seen or heard it seems….#21stCenturyCalling pic.twitter.com/rKB7WbYQrL
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EC meets representatives of political parties in West Bengal; maximum two-phase polling sought
Kolkata (PTI): Representatives of various political parties in West Bengal met the full bench of the Election Commission on Monday, and several of them sought a maximum of two-phase polling for the upcoming assembly elections, a senior official said.
Representatives of the TMC, BJP, CPI(M), Congress, AAP, NPP and Forward Bloc, among others, met Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, who was accompanied by Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, and West Bengal CEO Manoj Agarwal at a hotel in New Town near Kolkata.
"A wide range of issues concerning the conduct of elections in the state were discussed. Several parties suggested that the elections be held in one or two phases and assured their cooperation in ensuring that the polls remain peaceful," the EC official said.
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The parties urged the EC to take stringent measures to curb the activities of anti-social elements and prevent intimidation of voters during the elections, he said.
"They emphasised the need for strong security arrangements, including deployment of Central Armed Police Forces in adequate numbers, to curb violence and ensure that voters can cast their ballots without fear," he said.
Some parties also raised concerns about the possible use of crude bombs, illegal firearms and money or muscle power during the elections, he added.
During the meeting, the CEC assured the parties that elections are conducted strictly in accordance with the law and all necessary steps would be taken to ensure a free, fair and transparent election in the state, the official said.
"The Election Commission has zero tolerance towards violence. We will not leave any stone unturned in ensuring impartial, transparent and peaceful elections," Kumar told the pre-poll consultation meeting, according to the official.
He also reiterated that the SIR exercise had been conducted in a transparent and unbiased manner, stating that Forms 6, 7 and 8 can still be filed for inclusion, deletion or correction of entries in the electoral rolls.
