Helen Grant Vows To Make Parliament More Family Friendly If She Becomes Deputy Speaker
2 min read
Helen Grant would make history again by becoming Parliament’s first ever Black deputy speaker. “Another glass ceiling will come crashing down,” says the former minister.
Grant was the first Black female Conservative MP and later minister under David Cameron’s Coalition government.
Setting out her stall to MPs, Grant – who has been an MP for 14 years – says she is committed to modernising Parliament. “The proxy vote that Cheryl Gillan and others fought so hard for is a good example of some positive changes that have happened in recent years,” she explains.
But she recognises there’s an “awful lot more” to do, such as introducing further support for MPs and their families. “[Parliament] is a very special place, but it is challenging. Family breakdown here is high.”
Supporting Members’ family units would be a priority for Grant. She would look at whether Parliament’s creche can be expanded to provide more childcare flexibility. “How it can be expanded, if it can be expanded, I don’t know. But it’s those sorts of opportunities that I will be eyeing up for our MPs and their staff.”
In 2015 Grant campaigned against a group of MPs who wanted to close the creche and replace it with another bar. “We dealt with it, but this is an aspect of the culture that is still here,” she explains, pointing out the problem with the culture in Parliament.
“There’s an awful lot more work that needs to be done,” says Grant. “Things are a lot better now than in 2010 when I became an MP, but we certainly can’t take our foot off the pedal.”
This goes for inside the Commons Chamber too. “There isn’t always the level of respect between Members that I would want to see,” she explains.
Grant promises to grant a voice to all MPs. “It’s all about justice, impartiality and fairness for me – these go to my core.”
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