Written evidence submitted by Ellie Reeves MP (PVX 01)

On 30th October 2019 my original submission to the proxy voting enquiry, which I am attaching for reference, was published.[1]

I make this further submission having now started my proxy vote. My experience is that the scheme is deeply flawed and needs urgent reform. 

I commenced my proxy vote on 29th October. This was a couple of days before my due date, which was the latest I could commence it so I didn’t feel it would make a great deal of difference by that stage. Unfortunately, I had to return to work the following day as the general election was called. In effect, I had one day’s maternity leave.

My baby was due on 3rd November (the latest I could commence my proxy under the scheme) and Parliament was dissolved on 5th November, at which stage I was no longer an MP. Due to being in the middle of an election campaign I worked right up until my baby was born on 11th November. I returned to some work within a day or two of having my baby and two weeks after he was born, I was back.

I was also told that in order to reactivate my proxy I would have to go to Parliament to swear in. I did that on 18th December. It is therefore only at that point, with my baby almost 6 weeks old, that I was able to start my maternity leave.

Despite this, I was informed that the clock would be ticking on my 6-month proxy vote period despite the fact that:

1. Parliament was dissolved

2. I was not an MP

3. I had not been able to take any real maternity leave.

My proxy vote will expire on 28th April so I would have had less than 4.5 months maternity leave rather than 6. My baby will be less than 5 and a half months old when I will be forced back to work. This is completely out of step with maternity rights outside of Parliament. It is also causing me a great deal of anxiety, distress and upset.

The irony is that originally, I calculated that my due date was 11th November, but the hospital brought it forward by 8 days to 3rd November. If my due date had remained on 11th November it would have fallen within the period of dissolution and as such, I would not have had to commence my proxy until Parliament had returned and I had sworn in. Therefore, I would have got the benefit of the full 6 months and would not have to return until 18th June.

I am attaching as part of this submission various news articles where I talk about the extraordinary situation of the clock ticking on my maternity leave despite the fact that Parliament was dissolved, and I hadn’t taken any leave.

Daily Mail 31/10/19: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7634339/Labour-MP-Lewisham-West-Penge-Ellie-Reeves-MP-one-day-maternity-leave-election-call.html

i Newspaper 1/11/19: https://inews.co.uk/opinion/maternity-leave-mps-general-election-2019-ellie-reeves-824719

Mirror 7/12/19: https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/labours-ellie-reeves-takes-new-21046614

Furthermore, since late February I have returned to some daytime constituency work such as casework, surgeries, meeting local groups and campaigning. The flexibility of these work activities means I can look after my new-born as well as attend to these duties and I am very happy with this situation.

However, the current structure of Parliamentary voting does not offer the same amount of flexibility. The times when votes take place are the exact times, I am breastfeeding my son, putting him to bed as well as looking after my other son returning from school. I want to be able to do this for my children for the full 12 months as I would receive in a workplace outside of Parliament and I firmly believe this option should be offered to all new mothers.

With all of this in mind I therefore ask the committee to urgently review the following:

• Ensure that the Proxy Voting scheme is in line with maternity practises in the workplace i.e. the ability to take up to 12 months Proxy Voting.
• Introduce a measure which pauses the proxy voting period during dissolution so that any other women in this position, can have the full amount of proxy voting envisaged by the scheme.
• Remove the need for an MP on maternity leave to physically attend Parliament to swear in.
• The date at which an MPs proxy vote commences should be set by the individual (as male MPs can currently do) and not capped by the due date set by medical practitioners - which rarely corresponds to the actual birth date.