MPs on baby leave set to be allowed to vote by proxy in Commons shake-up
3 min read
MPs caring for a newborn baby could be able to nominate a colleague to vote on their behalf under new plans backed by the Commons.
A motion calling for new parents to be able to nominate a colleague to vote by proxy was unanimously backed following a debate.
The proposal will now be considered by Parliament’s procedure committee, but is expected to be approved in what would be a major break with tradition.
At the moment, MPs who have taken time off to look after a new baby are unable to take part in Commons votes.
But today's debate heard numerous MPs explain why the rules needed to be modernised.
The debate featured personal stories of the difficulties of combining parenthood and the duties of an MP, with many describing the verbal abuse, exhaustion and healthcare issues they had suffered.
Labour's Luciana Berger spoke of a rival candidate who took to Twitter to criticise her for not attending an election debate in the run-up to the snap election earlier this year:
“He accused me of being timid for my refusal to attend an election debate," she said. "I told him I was not being timid, but with a newborn baby evening debates were near impossible and I would gladly take him on any day."
Her colleague, Tulip Siddiq, spoke of the difficulties she faced while juggling the demands of new motherhood with the responsibilities of being an MP.
The Hampstead and Kilburn MP, who spent nine days in hospital after the birth, added: "During those nine days I had to answer emails and sign things off from my office, simply because there was no one else to do it. I could not really nominate someone to deal with crucial matters for me."
Male MPs also spoke of the trials they had faced after becoming fathers.
Labour’s Darren Jones told the chamber despite assurances to his wife that he would not win a seat in the snap general election, he was in fact elected and lost his right to paternity leave.
Gavin Shuker said he was never asked about his childcare schedule by whips when his four-year-old daughter was very young.
Commons leader Andrea Leadsom said the debate was long overdue and reminded her of the “horror” of her early days as a parent.
She said one suggestion which had been put to her was a “memorandum of understanding” for all parties to help formalise proxy votes for new parents.
“All political parties represented in the House could agree a memorandum of understanding, agreeing to the same terms which would allow their MPs to take parental leave and formalise pairing arrangements across all parties,” she added.
Ms Leadsom encouraged all colleagues to submit their views to the procedure committee when they began an expected inquiry into baby leave.
She also pledged her “total commitment” to drive forward whatever proposals were agreed by both sides of the House.
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