Commons baby rule hopelessly outdated

THE row about whether MPs with babies should be allowed to take their babies into the House of Commons chamber does seem as if it comes from another era.

In recent decades there has been an increasing understanding that the lack of gender balance in the UK Parliament is damaging to our democracy because it does not reflect the composition of our society.

With that recognition has come the realisation that changes are needed in order to make it easier for women politicians to undertake their work.

More “family friendly” hours have been introduced, although late-night sittings have not been eliminated entirely.

While strictly speaking there has been a ban on babies being brought into the chamber, it seems that the authorities were turning a blind eye when it happened.

Earlier this week, however, Labour MP Stella Creasy received a letter in which she was told that by bringing her baby son into the chamber she was in breach of Parliamentary rules.

The message surprised Ms Creasy and other women MPs – one of whom, Pontypridd’s Alex Davies-Jones, had been assured by the Speaker at the time of her election two years ago that feeding her baby in the chamber would not be a problem.

As has been pointed out by Catherine Fookes of the Women’s Equality Network, the persistence of such rules is a factor that puts many women off the idea of standing for Parliament.

It’s unclear what prompted the Parliamentary authorities to contact Ms Creasy.

It’s possible that a vigilant official decided that bringing her baby into the chamber was something that shouldn’t be ignored.

Another possibility is that the reprimand was solicited by an MP of the old school who – although he wouldn’t admit it publicly – fundamentally resents the presence of women MPs and disapproves of the presence of a baby in the chamber.

Whatever the origin of this episode, it has undoubtedly been damaging for Parliament’s image. The situation is not irretrievable. Lindsay Hoyle, the Speaker, has called for a review of the rule, and we hope the outcome will create greater flexibility for women MPs.

There are no grounds for maintaining the status quo and a new rule that works should be easy to draft.