Harriet Harman: Give MPs six months' paid maternity leave
 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-41211741

In most workplaces, if a woman takes maternity leave, someone else is paid to take over the job for that period.

Obviously not easy when it's an MP they have to replace, not many agencies have ex-MPs from every constituency of the correct political flavour on their books.

So should the MP stand down as they won't be doing the job and can't be replaced without a by-election?

Ditto paternity leave of course.

---------- Post added at 20:45 ---------- Previous post was at 20:39 ----------

She obviously seems to think being an MP is a job, not a calling to represent her constituents.

Re: Harriet Harman: Give MPs six months' paid maternity leave
 

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.