No, children are not welcome in the English Parliament. This was stated by the commission in charge of examining the regulation, on Commons Procedure Committee: “Members (of Parliament) they shouldn’t bring children to the House, Westminster Hall or general committees as they follow or intervene in the debates. ‘ The commission also acknowledged that children who, over the years, have been brought to parliamentary debates have never caused disturbance, but reiterated that the current rule should be applied, which provides for leaving them at home.
Great Britain therefore goes against the trend compared to several countries, such as New Zealand and Australia, which instead had changed the regulation on purpose to allow legislators to breastfeed their babies in parliamentary halls.
The commission gave its opinion after the parliamentary Stella Creasy, in November 2021, had received a letter of reproach to have brought her three month old baby with her to a debate in parliament. In a statement, the Commons Procedure Committee he said the “long-standing practice” of letting children out of debate should remain in place.
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Disappointed, Stella Creasy said this ban thwarts efforts to allow “politics and parenting to mix,” and particularly affects new mothers. This stance «once again reinforces the impression that Westminster is not a 21st century workplace, but a discussion club for the elite. This decision will not affect me – both of my children are now too old to be still and silent, but it speaks volumes about how determined some people are to get across the message that mothers are not welcome, unless they pretend their children don’t existCreasy wrote in a speech on Guardian.
And again: «Like many parents, I took both of my children to work, not for a demonstration, but out of necessity. The lack of adequate maternity or paternity coverage for MPs means that the alternative is that their constituents are not represented. Without such coverage, there is a risk that the public will feel that they cannot elect women. Despite the promises, almost a year after the birth of my second child, no work has been done on maternity policies, something on which, ironically, we legislate so that other workplaces are obliged to do so “.
Source: Vanity Fair
