LABOUR MP Stella Creasy has been trying to fly the flag for women this week, taking her baby into a Commons debate – and being reprimanded by Parliament for doing so. This is not the first time the Walthamstow MP has done this.
PAAs an MP, Stella Creasy is on a basic annual salary of £81,932 (plus expenses) — a salary that is way higher than that of the average working mum '/ ' She has taken part in other debates with three-month-old son Pip, and following the 2019 election was sworn in while holding baby daughter Hettie. I always like to be a cheerleader for women but I don't think Stella should bring her baby to work with her. After all, most workplaces do not allow staff to bring kids with them to work — so why should Parliament be any different? Female police officers don't take their babies on the beat. Female teachers don't take their babies into the classroom. And can you imagine if female surgeons took their kids into the operating theatre? You'd imagine a young woman who took her kid on a shelf-stacking shift at a supermarket would probably be sacked for doing so. 
AlamyFemale police officers don't take their babies on the beat '/ ' I am sorry to say this but much as I wish it were the case we could, the truth is you can't have it all. And although I went back to work pretty quickly after my children were born — something that I have since regretted, by the way — when I left the house I was very much in work mode. And that did not include holding a tiny baby prone to sudden mood swings, preposterously unpredictable outbursts and the desire to feed most of the time, so needing my full attention. In an ideal world, maternity leave is there to ensure you can stay at home with your baby and not take them to work. Since MPs do not get maternity leave, Stella says she was forced to take her son into the chamber to ensure her Walthamstow residents had representation. Clearly, and without doubt, that policy needs addressing, not least because it will encourage more women to work at Westminster. But in the meantime, I do not think the answer is for women to bring their babies to work. Most read in News COVID CHAOS UK hit by THIRD Omicron case as traveller from southern Africa tests positive FAMILY AGONY Dad-of-eight fighting for life in Covid coma as family 'broken beyond words' TIME OFF Schools may have to break up early for Christmas after surge in Covid cases OUTBREAK FEARS Twickenham rugby match may have been Omicron superspreader event IN YOUR FACE Face masks to return from TUESDAY in shops and public transport DECEM-BRRR Snow to fall for TWO WEEKS as freezing temps set in after killer Storm Arwen By far the biggest barrier to mothers working is high-quality, affordable childcare. As an MP, Stella is on a basic annual salary of £81,932 (plus expenses) — a salary that is way higher than that of the average working mum. So good childcare is a very realistic option for her. There is even an on-site nursery at Westminster. I understand that Pip is still breastfeeding and Stella feels he is too young to be left, which is her prerogative. But if she wants to go to work, perhaps she needs to bring a nanny with her to hold the baby while he is not feeding. In many ways I can see why she has decided to bring her son with her. No one is covering her work while her baby is young. And clearly she is committed to representing her constituency of Walthamstow. But while people have spoken out in support of Stella, Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle admitted he had been heavily lobbied by other MPs who are mothers, calling on him to "not give in" by changing the rules. Having a career and family is a choice Unfortunately, as a working mother your lot in life is to juggle — and to suffer from constant guilt — but to get on with it. The solution is to be organised and have very good help, not to take your baby into your work. Apart from anything else, babies need a routine. Most mums know there are sacrifices and compromises to be made when having children. 
PACommons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle admitted he had been heavily lobbied by other MPs who are mothers, calling on him to ...not give in' by changing the rules '/ ' So many know that, for example, if you wheel your buggy on to a bus and all the space is taken by other mums' prams, you have to wait for the next one. Yet Stella complained about this happening to her on Twitter earlier this month. Frankly, when you have kids there are some things you just have to get on with. I am a different person at work than when I'm being a mum, as most of us are, especially if you are in a position of authority. You have your home personality and your work personality. The trick is not to let one drain the life out of the other. I never took my kids to board meetings and it was never even a consideration to do so. Having a career and a family is a choice. You can't blend the two and you can't ask your employer to bend the rules to suit you. Celebrity misery is a turn-off 
RexFrankie Bridge undertakes a trial '/ ' I STOPPED watching I'm A Celebrity . . . Get Me Out Of Here! after only two episodes. It's not that I hardly recognise any of the celebrities in this series (Ant and Dec are the two most famous people in there!). It's just that everyone seems utterly miserable and cold (they so need to get back to the jungle), and they are getting weaker and wetter by the day. Yes, they must have known what they signed up for – either eating endless rice and beans or pig's penis, and being chained down in coffins with rats or wading through rotten fish. We know it's not always fun for them, but it usually is fun for us watching. But actually, watching people who look freezing and miserable – and in some cases frail – just isn't very enjoyable at all. Jessie's talk of loss is so vital 
GettyAdmiration for Jessie J, for revealing she has had a miscarriage '/ ' I HAVE so much admiration for singer Jessie J for revealing, on Instagram, that she has had a miscarriage. "I decided to have a baby on my own because it's all I've ever wanted and life is short," she wrote, before explaining that doctors were unable to find a heartbeat during her third scan. She added: "I'm still in shock, the sadness is overwhelming." A few hours later, she broke down in tears on stage. My heart goes out to her. Given that one in three pregnancies ends in miscarriage, we really do not talk about it enough. Many years ago, I had one and it's such a sad time. I found it really hard to talk about it openly – and still do. I guess because there is some kind of shame or a sense of failure attached to the loss. It's tough because it is a bereavement. So the idea of not feeling able to discuss it is so counter-intuitive. But maybe if more people spoke openly about their losses then that would not be the case. And the more that high-profile women talk publicly about miscarriage, the better. SICKENING ATTACK HOW shocking to read about the gay couple who were attacked with a hammer by a balaclava-clad gang – for holding hands. It's sickening, actually. Ryan Winnard, 21, and his boyfriend Max Green, 18, were surrounded by a group of men in Radcliffe, Gtr Manchester, on Tuesday evening. First the gang shouted homophobic abuse at them. Then, as they tried to walk away, the group attacked them with a hammer. What cowards these people are to hide their faces and overpower two men. Unsurprisingly, and very sadly, Ryan and Max say they have been left scared to hold hands in public again after the terrifying ordeal, which I suppose is partly the aim of attacks like this. What a shocking and awful thing to happen in 2021. Share the jab IT can't be a surprise that there is a new strain of Covid considered the "worst ever" – a variant that could make vaccines 40 per cent less effective. Because, to date, just 4.5 per cent of people across low-income countries have received their first Covid jab. And despite commitments from wealthy nations to donate vaccines, less than 15 per cent of the 1.8billion doses promised have been delivered. The knock-on effect is that Covid-19 has been allowed to run rampant across the world, hence new mutations of the virus will flourish. No one is safe until everyone is safe. So let's get these vaccines out across the world and support the proposal at the World Trade Organisation to temporarily suspend intellectual property barriers on all Covid technologies. The vile perpetrators need to feel the full force of the law. Street e-scoot menace 
AlamyFor some reason E-scooter riders seem to think that the normal rules do not apply to them '/ ' SURELY I cannot be alone in hating E-scooters? These days, it sometimes feels like you are taking your life into your own hands just walking down a London street. The speeding menaces can emerge seemingly from nowhere, on both streets and pavements. For some reason E-scooter riders seem to think that the normal rules do not apply to them, so it is no surprise to hear that injuries caused by them have surged over the past year, according to new government figures. More pedestrians were hurt in crashes with these infernal items in the 12 months leading up to June than during all of 2020, when records began. Unsurprisingly, the figures also revealed that teenagers and older children were the most likely to be hurt riding E-scooters. I did not know this but they are illegal to ride in public areas outside of designated trial sites. People caught riding them on public roads or pavements can face a £300 fine and six points on their driving licence. So, let's start enforcing that, shall we? We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun news desk? Email us at exclusive@the-sun.co.uk or call 0207 782 4104. You can WhatsApp us on 07423 720 250. We pay for videos too. Click here to upload yours. Click here to get The Sun newspaper delivered for FREE for the next six weeks. Source:
MP Stella Creasy is on £82k… unlike most mums she can afford childcare
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Top News | MP Stella Creasy is on £82k… unlike most mums she can afford childcare
LABOUR MP Stella Creasy has been trying to fly t...
Gareth was sat on the same table as Khan at the event and saw no signs of what came next "You're loved, you're beautiful," he told her. Moments later she lost consciousness. Speaking on the eve of the second anniversary of the chilling attack, Gareth said he has been left with PTSD and still suffers flashbacks every day about the ordeal, in which Saskia's co-worker Jack Merritt, 25, was also killed. In his first newspaper interview, he told The Sun on Sunday: "What Usman Khan did will forever live with me and everyone else. "I can still picture Saskia, after she'd been stabbed, falling into my arms. As I lay cradling her, my only thought was just to try to make sure she felt as comfortable as possible. "I gently told her she was loved and was beautiful. I just hope she heard those words before she slipped away. "Khan took away two angels that day. Saskia and Jack were the kindest souls you could ever wish to meet. Most read in The Sun TIME OFF Schools may have to break up early for Christmas after surge in Covid cases IN YOUR FACE Face masks to return from TUESDAY in shops and public transport SOAP DODGER I only wash & use deodorant once a week - my man calls me a soap dodger ANT AND WRECK I'm A Celeb stars evacuated after tree crash & may be off air for days EVACUATED I'm A Celeb chaos as stars are REMOVED from castle and returned to quarantine RAD PURCHASE Mum-of-22 Sue Radford shows off fancy £750-a-piece mattresses for kids' rooms "They were only interested in helping people. They will forever be missed by everyone who knew them." And Gareth — a reformed criminal who was released from jail in 2017 after serving a six-year sentence for robbery — insisted that last month's killing by an apparent terrorist of Tory MP David Amess as he held a constituency surgery showed that the Government must maintain its focus on the threat from Islamist terror. He said: "We must not let terrorism win. David Amess's death brings back the importance of staying vigilant and making sure terror suspects are properly rehabilitated." 'Khan was shouting, I'm going to kill you all' Today 34-year-old Gareth recalls how he spent the day talking to his friend Jack before he was killed, and bravely tackled crazed Khan after he had stabbed six people — helping to prevent any further killings. On November 29, 2019, Gareth met Jack at Cambridge train station before they travelled together to an event at London's Fishmongers' Hall organised by rehabilitation charity Learning Together, where they both worked. Research assistant Gareth had sat next to Jack at work and credited his friend for helping him to turn his life around. Recalling their final journey together, Gareth said: "I was a bit late for the train that day but Jack waited for me, while some of the others we were travelling with went ahead. "That was typical of Jack — he was full of kindness. It meant it was just Jack and me on the train. He was in great spirits, laughing and smiling. "He was full of plans and ambition. We were both looking forward to the event and to the year ahead in 2020. We spent most of the journey just chewing the cud, talking about what we wanted to achieve and all the work there was to do." The pair knew that convicted terrorist Khan, 28, would be at the event that day. He was regarded as one of the charity's biggest success stories and had become involved in Learning Together while serving an eight-year prison sentence for plotting a jihadi training camp in his parents' homeland of Pakistan and planning to bomb the London Stock Exchange. In 2018, while Khan was still in prison, Gareth had even arranged for the fanatic to attend an event, which had gone well — so the pair had no concerns about his attendance at Fishmongers' Hall. But hours later, all those hopes and ambitions were brutally snuffed out by Khan. After brunch and a successful start to the conference, Gareth, who sat on the same table as the killer, was standing on a balcony inside the hall with John Crilly, another ex-prisoner, and retired judge John Samuels, when they heard a commotion below. Gareth rushed down the stairs to find a scene of absolute horror. Saskia, a Learning Together volunteer who he had met at Anglia Ruskin University where they both studied criminology, had just been attacked by Khan. Only minutes before, he had been calmly chatting to her. Gareth said: "Saskia had been stabbed and had gone pale. She fell into my arms. "I'd only briefly met her before but I just tried to say something to comfort her the best I could. ...I don't know if it helped her. I hope it did. But as I held her, she lost consciousness. "Khan was standing at the bottom of the stairs and I could see he was armed with knives. ...Even though Saskia had lost consciousness I didn't want to leave her on her own so I shouted to another man at the conference to come over and hold her. ...As I stood up and looked at Khan it was hard to believe it was the same person who had been taking part in the conference minutes earlier. There had been no sign of what he was about to do." Despite the huge risk to himself, Gareth then charged at Khan, who had two knives and a fake suicide belt. He said: "I instinctively ran towards him. He was shouting, 'Allahu Akbar' and 'I'm going to kill you all, you're all f***ing dead'. My first thought was we had to stop him from getting up the stairs and hurting anyone else. "I grabbed his arm and pushed him back as hard as I could towards the door and out of the building." Gareth then helped tend to more victims while others arrived at his side to help take on Khan. John Crilly raced down from the balcony and yanked a fire extinguisher off the wall while kitchen porter Lukasz Koczocik grabbed a spear known as a boarding pike, which was hanging on display in the Grade II-listed building. 'I want a job. I don't want to live on handouts' Two others, Stephen Gallant, a murderer out of prison on day release, and Darryn Frost, a Ministry of Justice communications officer also at the event, piled in too and forced Khan out on to London Bridge. Cops then shot him 20 times, fatally wounding him – just as he appeared to move his hands towards what officers suspected was a suicide belt. Moments later Gareth discovered Jack had been fatally stabbed in the attack, which also left three others injured. He said: "At that point I'd no idea Jack had also been killed. I'd gone back into Fishmongers' Hall expecting to find him. I still can't believe he's gone. ...I think about Jack every day. People have since described me and others as heroes. "I'm not. I did what I could but I don't want a pat on the back. Jack and Saskia were heroes. ...They made me realise I can help to change things that are wrong in the world. They were only interested in hope." It later emerged that MI5 had concerns Khan may commit an attack after his prison release but failed to share the intelligence. This week Gareth bravely returned to London Bridge for the first time since the attack. Yet two years on, he admits his life has fallen apart and says he feels let down. Despite having a first-class degree, he had been working for an agency making deliveries for John Lewis but lost the position when his past was disclosed. Gareth also created a criminal justice consultancy with Jack's support — but the work has dried up, meaning he has been forced to claim benefits, a situation he is desperate to get out of. He said: "Everything has turned on its head since that day. "The incident itself has had grave consequences on my mental health and I've been forced to rely on the welfare system. "But I don't want to be like this. I want a job. I don't want to live on handouts or benefits. "I want to be paid to do things that need to be done and that my experiences and my studies have made me qualified to do. "But I can't even hold down a pot- washing job right now. I really don't know how to move forward. ...I keep asking for mental health support, I keep applying to different agencies, but the support hasn't been there." He adds: "I'm just trying to live my life by the ideals Jack and Saskia set. I'm trying to live by their principles. "They made me realise I can help to change things in the world. We can't throw that away. To do that would be an insult to their memory." 
AFPUsman Khan was known to security services before the attack '/ ' 
AFPThe attack in 2019 was the second terror spree at London Bridge '/ ' 
AFP or licensorsGareth tried to comfort charity worker Saskia Jones as she lay dying '/ ' 
AFP or licensorsJack Merritt was also killed by Khan in the 2019 attack '/ ' We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun news desk? Email us at exclusive@the-sun.co.uk or call 0207 782 4104. You can WhatsApp us on 07423 720 250. We pay for videos too. Click here to upload yours. Click here to get The Sun newspaper delivered for FREE for the next six weeks. 
