Speaker: Female MPs lobbied against babies in Commons

THE Commons Speaker says he has been “heavily lobbied” by female MPs not to change the rules on allowing babies to be brought into the chamber.

Sir Lindsay Hoyle asked for a review of the rules after Stella Creasy was told she was not permitted to bring in her son Pip after holding him during a debate in Westminster Hall on Tuesday.

The Walthamstow MP said it “has to be possible for politics and parenting to mix” because she is not granted paid maternity leave.

But Sir Lindsay said women MPs had told him they were against any changes.

“I have been heavily lobbied not to change the rules, by other mothers,” he told the BBC’s Newscast. “I have texts on my phone saying do not give in.”

Earlier this week he asked the Commons Procedure Committee to “look into the matter”. The committee, chaired by Conservative MP Karen Bradley, makes recommendations on practical operations in the House. Sir

Lindsay added that he would abide by its recommendations and in the meantime his deputies should “use some discretion”.

Ms Creasy has brought her children into the Commons on several occasions. However, after doing so on Tuesday, she later received an email saying it was not in line with recently published rules on “behaviour and courtesies”.

Ms Creasy said: “Mothers in the mother of all parliaments are not to be seen or heard, it seems.”

In February MPs voted to give ministers formal paid maternity leave for the first time so Attorney General Suella Braverman could take six months away from work after giving birth.

However, leaving out paternity leave for male MPs and a failure to extend similar benefits to backbenchers was criticised. The Government has previously pledged to bring forward more maternity protections.