Tory MP criticised for taking maternity leave during coronavirus pandemic

A newly-elected Conservative MP who has recently given birth to a daughter has been criticised for taking maternity leave.

Siobhan Baillie, 38, who represents Stroud in Gloucestershire, became a mother for the first time a week ago.

But rather than receiving emails of congratulations, some people have criticised her decision to take time off during the coronavirus pandemic. 

The married mum-of-one has received ‘unpleasant’ emails, mostly from men, criticising her decision.

A constituent described her being on maternity leave as a ‘dereliction of duty’.

A person wrote to the MP: ‘This is a time of national crisis and it is not acceptable that the constituents of Stroud have no MP to represent them and that their correspondence will be ignored for a month.

‘We have a legal right to an MP. Please inform of where I direct an official complaint regarding the Stroud constituency currently having no MP.

‘I believe there is now a breach in our democratic law which needs to be addressed immediately.’

Another added: ‘I am amazed she has the nerve to take maternity leave when she has only been in the post for five months.’

Others wrote to Mrs Baillie’s constituency office expressing their anger at the Dominic Cummings affair, and demanding a response from her.

‘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,’ they wrote.

Another said: ‘Maternity leave is not an act of God – it is a normal life’s circumstance that should have been planned well in advance for. Why does the office have no-one in place to act up for Ms Baillie?’

Mrs Baillie, who is planning to take only four weeks leave, has received support from fellow MPs including Harriet Harman, Stella Creasy, Flick Drummond, Caroline Nokes and Ruth Cadbury.

Harriet Butcher, who is Mrs Baillie’s senior parliamentary assistant, said: ‘Sadly, Siobhan has received unpleasant emails, the vast majority from men, who seem to think the 2010 Equality Act does not apply to a woman because she is an MP.

She added: ‘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.’

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