Stella Creasy Is Threatening To Sue Parliament After Being Denied Full Maternity Cover

Stella Creasy is threatening legal action against Parliament after her request for full maternity cover was denied. The Walthamstow MP is currently seven months pregnant and hoped to have someone fulfil her duties in full while she’s on maternity leave.

In 2019 when Creasy was pregnant with her first child, she was used in a pilot scheme that allowed her to pick a ‘locum’ that could cover her duties in full. However, the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (Ispa) – which regulates MP’s pay and expenses – has denied her request for this same type of cover second time around.

Ispa provide £60,000 to MPs per year pro rata to hire extra staff when an MP needs maternity leave, however Creasy argues she should have a ‘like for like’ replacement in order to maintain the quality of representation for her constituents. Without it, she fears voters will be discouraged from supporting female candidates of childbearing age in future.

Ispa told Creasy that her request was ‘misconceived’ and that ‘constitutionally, no-one can take on the full roles and responsibilities of a member of Parliament, who is an office holder elected by the general public.’

She says they offered her £35,000 to cover extra costs over seven months that would pay for staff who could ‘escalate matters to the MP’. Of course, escalating matters to a woman meant to be on leave is not exactly being on leave.

'Constituents will be short-changed or my baby will lose me for six formative months – this would be illegal in any other real workplace setting,’ Creasy said. ‘Either my constituents will be short-changed or my baby will lose me for six formative months – this would be illegal in any other real workplace setting,’ Creasy said.

More than 30 charities, businesses and campaigners have signed a letter to the interim CEO of Ispa, Ian Todd, requesting he overturn the decision. It comes after the government pushed through a bill this year that gave ministers access to six months maternity leave on full pay. However, Ispa argues that as it is against the constitution to have someone unelected fulfil all roles of an MP, ‘it is up to parliament to decide if the law should be changed.’

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