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Dear reader,
Amid the avalanche of Brexit news this week, there was one story in particular that had me do a double take. Did you see the picture of Tulip Siddiq, a very pregnant member of Parliament waiting in a wheelchair to cast her vote against Theresa Mayâs Brexit deal? Did you see the headlines about how she delayed the scheduled birth of her son to be sure her vote was counted?
It seems I wasnât the only one completely baffled by the news, judging by the number of articles seeking to explain (and criticize) why this woman with gestational diabetes was at Westminster and not a hospital.
The Evening Standard explained that, typically, âheavily pregnant MPs, those with newborns and the sick are able to be âpairedâ with an opposition party member who also cannot vote so the overall result is not affected.â Siddiq lost faith in these types of unenforceable arrangements, the article added, after witnessing a colleague get burned. Last summer, a Conservative MP cast an important Brexit vote despite being âpairedâ with the deputy leader of the Liberal Democrats who couldnât vote â because she was on maternity leave.
âHe insisted it was a mistake,â HuffPost U.K.âs Jasmin Gray said. âBut it shows that something needs to change in order to ensure the voice of female MPs are heard.â
Some MPs, including Siddiq, have been pushing for proxy voting, which would allow sick or pregnant MPs to nominate people to vote on their behalf. In the meantime, Jasmin said, âpregnant women are still forced to choose between putting their health at risk, or potentially losing out on their vote altogether.â
Siddiq returned to Westminster again on Wednesday night to cast a vote of no confidence against May and was scheduled to deliver her son on Thursday. Iâm hoping her silence on Twitter is an indication that all is well and that she finally feels itâs safe to unplug.
Until next time,
Emily
For more on Brexit, follow HuffPostâs @JasminGray2, @singharj, @nedsimons, @paulwaugh, @REWearmouth and @HuffPostUKPol.
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