MPs outraged by infant ban

Several British politicians demanded a change in parliamentary rules on Wednesday after a lawmaker was told she couldn’t bring her three-month-old baby into the House of Commons.

Labour Party legislator Stella Creasy said she had received a letter from Commons authorities after she took her infant son Pip to a debate.

She said she had previously taken both Pip and her older daughter to Parliament without problems, but had been told the rules had changed in September. MPs are now advised that they “should not take your seat in the chamber when accompanied by your child.”

Creasy said the rule undermined efforts to make politics more family-friendly.

“There are barriers to getting mums involved in politics, and I think that damages our political debate,” she told the BBC.

Parliament has changed in recent years. One of the building’s multiple bars was converted into a nursery for the children of politicians and staff.

Lawmakers get maternity benefits, but without the ability to have someone cover their job while they are away, most can take only a short time off.

Green Party lawmaker Caroline Lucas said the baby ban was “absurd.” She said babies were “far less disruptive than many braying backbenchers.”

Speaker Lindsay Hoyle said he had asked Parliament’s procedure committee to review the rules.

There are barriers to getting mums involved in politics, and I think that damages our political debate. STELLA CREASY LABOUR PARTY MP