Labour has officially backed a campaign to get more mums in to Parliament, in a bid to tackle the toxic culture in the Commons.
The MotheRED project has issued grants of up to £2,000 to help mums with the cost of standing for selection as Labour MPs - with a 14 being named in the second round of funding on Monday.
The candidates, picked by a group of ambassadors from across the Labour Party, including Cherie Blair and Shami Chakrabarti, include social housing barristers, small business owners and disability rights activists.
Labour MP Stella Creasy said: “Without action parliament will continue to be a place where the views and voices of mums are rarely heard - changing that starts with tackling the barriers they face in being selected.
“The cost of selection and childcare so they can go to campaign meetings mean many don't stand in the first place.
“When they do they often report facing patronising questions about childcare which their male counterparts never get.“
Among the women funded in the second round are:
- Emily Darlington who, since being awarded the grant, has been selected as Labour’s candidate in Milton Keynes South
- Helen Whitehead, who is an autistic woman and single parent who serves as Deputy Leader of Thanet Council and previously had to drop out of a selection process
- Nasima Begum, who works in the education sector alongside running a business with her husband, and is Deputy Mayor of Lowestoft
Ms Whitehead said: “Standing for selection even within your own party can require a huge financial commitment and this commitment can discourage single parents especially from standing, when above all else we need Parliament to be fully representative of our society.
“Politics should belong to everyone and initiatives like this help to make that a reality.”
Ms Creasy added: “Having the backing of the Labour Party formally now to tackle these barriers sends a powerful message that Labour values mothers in the mother of all parliaments'
- The project is announcing a final round of funding ahead of selections anticipated to being in September. To be eligible for this funding, candidates must apply at this link by Sunday 4th September.
Meet the mums who won funding in the second round
Descriptions are provided by the MotheRED project.
Rita Begum: "Rita is the daughter of Bangladeshi immigrants. She’s a member of the Labour Party and several trade unions. Rita won 3 of 4 elections, with wins as a local councillor, first inWestminster and now in Brent."
Leah Webster: "Leah is a proud mum to three children with SEND, and a disability rights activist. She is active in her community support those in need and fighting inequality through her charity work."
Kate Ewert: "Kate is a Councillor on Cornwall Council, and lives in East Cornwall with her husband and two children. She is a passionate campaigner for social housing and better maternity care."
Sarah Sackman: "Sarah is an experienced barrister and campaigner, who has spent her career fighting for social housing and environmental rights. She lives in London with her husband and two young girls."
Lizzi Collinge: "Lizzi is a County Councillor, community activist and mum of two young children. She is passionate about health and care services, especially preventative healthcare and maternity services."
Celia Hibbert: "Celia is the proud mother of two girls and the first Black Councillor for Penn,Wolverhampton. She is a strong voice for community cohesion and gender equality nationally and internationally."
Helen Dallimore: "Helen lives in Exeter with her two young children. As a former employment lawyer she has experience advising on family friendly rights, harassment, and discrimination, and says Parliament needs to catch up."
Nasima Begum: "Nasima is a mother to two young children, she works in finance in the education sector and runs a local business with her husband. She is also Deputy Mayor of Lowestoft."
Emily Pomroy-Smith: "Emily lives in Wiltshire with her husband and five year old. As a disabled parent has a special interest in increasing representation of disabled people in both local and national government."
Helen Whitehead: "Helen is a single parent, Deputy Leader of Thanet Labour Group, and previously a Deputy Head teacher specialising in SEN. She has led and been Deputy Leader of her Council as an openly autistic woman."
Shama Tatler: "Shama Tatler is single mum of a 13year old daughter. She is a former history teacher and is currently a Councillor and Cabinet Member in Brent."
Emily Darlington: "Emily is Deputy Leader of Milton Keynes Labour Group and, since being awarded the grant, has been selected as Labour's candidate in Milton Keynes South."
Nadine Peatfield: "Has spent the last decade fighting to deliver the Labour government communities like hers desperately need. She has gone from teenage parent supported by Labour policy, to senior trade unionist and is passionate about education and child poverty."
Sajidah Patel: "Sajidah is an experienced campaigner who is currently a charity director aiming to raise the aspirations of young people from minority communities. She has previously set up a youth council on domestic violence, worked in an MPs office, and taught in a secondary school."
