My thanks to MPs from across different parties in the House of Commons for their goodwill and best wishes as I voted, at 40 weeks pregnant, in today's close division on giving Parliament a meaningful vote on Brexit (govt maj 16 votes, sadly my side lost). However... (1/3)
This is no way to run a Parliament in a modern democracy. Deciding matters of state, or which parts of the country will have their voices heard, should not be determined by which MPs can be discharged from hospital or happen to be in childbirth. We need proxy voting. (2/3)
And to everyone saying nice things about me coming in to vote on Brexit while 9 months pregnant....
I've done what I could this week, can you do yours by joining the People's March on Saturday to fight for a People's Vote and an #ExitfromBrexit? (3/3) libdems.org.uk/liberal-democr…
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Just how low will your govt stoop @theresa_may? When @andrealeadsom delayed proxy voting motions, she *assured* those of us who were pregnant that we would be paired when necessary. Today your govt broke that agreement - @BrandonLewis paired with me but voted. Desperate stuff.
Don't try any nonsense about a mistake - this is calculated, deliberate breaking of trust by govt whips @JulianSmithUK to win at all costs. Brandon abstained in afternoon divisions, but voted in the two crunch votes after 6pm. There's a word for it - cheating.
54,000 women lose their jobs each year in the UK due to pregnancy & maternity discrimination. Despite claims to want to fight "burning injustices", govt response to this problem has been shockingly poor, so perhaps it should be no surprise they treat MPs on mat leave like this.
Today I viewed the 'sectoral analysis' in the @DExEUgov Brexit reading room. I was handed two hefty lever arch files. During my slot I managed to look at 24 of the 39 separate papers. (1)
Of these 24 sectors, the papers show that in 21 of them, industry has concerns about skills gaps, attracting talent and labour mobility post-Brexit. (2)
The papers detail calls from many sectors to remain part of existing EU institutions, programmes or agreements, such as EASA, Euratom, IEM, Horizon 2020, Erasmus and SES. (3)