Western Daily Press (Saturday)
MEN ATTACK MATERNITY LEAVE MP
AFEMALE MP has received a series of angry messages from male constituents who attacked her for taking maternity leave.
Siobhan Baillie received emails which criticised her for not speaking out about Dominic Cummings during her time off.
One constituent was so outraged that he wrote an email to his local newspaper about the Conservative MP for Stroud in Gloucestershire.
He said he was “sympathetic” to the MP taking time off, but that he was “astonished and concerned” that she wasn’t publicly deriding the controversial Government aide.
Harriet Butcher, senior parliamentary assistant to Mrs Baillie, has been replying to constituents on the MP’s behalf, and shared some of the messages.
One person wrote to Ms Baillie: “I am amazed she has the nerve to take maternity leave when she has only been in the post for five months.”
Another wrote: “I don’t accept that you are working for the ordinary people of Stroud because even on maternity leave you can at least make a decision whether to support ordinary people or Dominic Cummings.”
While another wrote: “Why will my MP not respond to me, given the gravity of the Cummings affair and the impact this is having of public trust? I don’t care that she has just given birth.”
In the email to the Stroud News and Journal, the man wrote: “Whilst sympathetic to her taking time off after childbirth, I am astonished and concerned that she is not active or engaging on Stroud constituents’ behalf in this matter at a time of unprecedented national emergency.
“As my Member of Parliament I expect Siobhan to act in the national interest and act in the interest of her constituents by engaging now in person and taking a pro-active stance in these matters.
“I am wondering where is my MP and what is she doing in this national emergency.”
In reply, Ms Butcher wrote: “Sadly, Siobhan has received several such emails along these lines – the vast majority from men - who seem to think the 2010 Equality Act does not apply to a woman because she is an MP.
“It does apply and Siobhan has an absolute right enshrined in law to take maternity leave.
“Presently, it is her intention to do so for a minimum of four weeks, which is considerably less than she is legally entitled to.
“Comprehensive arrangements have been made with her staff and with other Gloucestershire MPs, if necessary, to help any Stroud constituent during the short time she is away.
“These have been widely publicised, including in the Stroud News and Journal, and are also available on her website.
“Why anyone would be ‘astonished’ a mother would not want to take time off to care for and bond with her daughter we find incredible, especially when thorough arrangements have been made to ensure it is very much business as usual while Siobhan is away.
“As an office we are concentrating on doing our job and on all the many thousands of good wishes Siobhan has received since the birth of her daughter.
“We know the views of [the letter writer] and a few others are thankfully very much in the minority.”
Ms Butcher said every email that the MP receives is being responded to with full maternity details, and her staff are dealing with all the issues raised by constituents.
Mrs Baillie also has an MP acting as a proxy for her in Parliament for votes.
Why will my MP not respond to me, given
the gravity of the Cummings affair?
EMAIL WRITER