Voices on ... mummy wars

“Delia [Smith] ... hasn’t had the advantage of having children like I have, because you don’t half get the truth. As I’ve got children I’m very lucky because they will say: ‘Don’t do that again, mum’.” Mary Berry “A comment like that ... is enough to curdle creme fraiche at 50 paces. Any woman, like me, who longed to become a mother, tried and failed, knows the enduring heartache it adds to your life. “The last thing we need is the smug mum brigade claiming they have the jump on us.” Amanda Platell, Daily Mail “Berry’s remarks do nudge at a broader, brutal truth: that being a mother gives you a unique perspective on life ... Only a mother really knows what it is to love unconditionally and to fight like a lioness for the things she holds most dear. There is nothing more selfless or unwavering than maternal love.” Angela Epstein, The Telegraph “I have several published books, made countless television appearances. Does the fact I happen not to have procreated mean that I’m not qualified for the job? Berry seems to think so. “The assumption that unless you have children running around the house, you cannot gain insight into the world or be a fullydeveloped human being is a silly notion that should be thrown away with the soggy bottoms.” Kate Mulvey, The Telegraph