Quote:
|
Ms Harman said this system was "unacceptable", adding: "The baby needs time with the mother, the mother needs time with the baby and the constituency needs to be properly represented at all times."
|
If the constituency needs representing by their elected MP, how would that work? If an appointed person can take that role, why can't they also do it outside of maternity/paternity leave, ie all of the time? What is the difference?
If you assume the mother-baby time thing is true, doesn't that make a mockery of paternity leave? Either the mother-baby time is important and cannot be replaced by paternity leave or actually BOTH maternity and paternity leave are not necessary and anybody can look after the baby, just as they will do after any maternity/paternity leave has ended.
If MPs on maternity/paternity leave are allowed to vote without having heard discussions in Parliament or discussed it with other MPs, doesn't that meant the debates are irrelevant? You could do away with Parliament and MPs altogether.