Opinion-in-brief: An outdated vision of motherhood plagues our Parliament

Babies will be banned from the House of Commons after several MPs complained they are “distracting”. The debate started after Labour MP Stella Creasy brought in her then three months old son Pip during debates.

“Mothers in the mother of all parliaments are not to be seen or heard it seems”, commented Creasy after the Commons Procedure Committee’s decision.

The rule will disproportionately affect women in Parliament, as childcare responsibilities generally fall with them. Many MPs have come out in favour of Creasy, with Dominic Raab saying he wouldn’t be distracted by that at all.

The cross-party Committee has allowed a “degree of de-facto discretion”, but the culture it nurtures is surely not one of inclusion for mothers and their children. It also looks outdated compared to the progressive environment that many workplaces in the private sector are embracing.