A heavily pregnant MP said she had been left with no option but to delay the birth of her child to take part in tonight’s Brexit vote.
Tulip Siddiq revealed in yesterday’s Evening Standard that she faced having to postpone her caesarean section because of “antiquated” rules.
It prompted the Speaker John Bercow to demand that Conservative and Labour whips introduce a proxy system so she did not have to go through the division lobby in a wheelchair. But Ms Siddiq said she has not received an offer from the Leader of the Commons Andrea Leadsom to vote by proxy.
It means the Labour MP for Hampstead and Kilburn, who has gestational diabetes and is having an elective c-section, has now moved the birth from today to Thursday.
Tonight Ms Siddiq’s husband Chris will take her to the doors of the Commons in her wheelchair and then a Labour MP will take over and push her through the voting lobbies.
Usually, heavily pregnant MPs, those with newborns and the sick are able to be “paired” with an opposition party member who also cannot vote so the overall result is not affected. But Ms Siddiq said she had to vote in person because she did not trust the system.
Conservative Party chairman Brandon Lewis was accused of breaking a pairing arrangement with Liberal Democrat Deputy Leader Jo Swinson in July 2018.
Ms Siddiq, 36, said: “Nothing has changed overnight. Brandon Lewis once did not honour the pairing system with new mum Jo Swinson so I don’t think I could be blamed for being paranoid about it.”
Mr Lewis said he broke the arrangement with Ms Swinson by accident.
Labour MP Harriet Harman said today it was “totally possible” for the Conservatives to have introduced proxy voting for Ms Siddiq overnight.
Labour said they could not request a proxy vote for Ms Siddiq because the system does not exist. Andrea Leadsom said they are working on introducing one. She said: “I am determined to ensure that these changes are brought forward as soon as possible.
“On the particular case of Tulip Siddiq, we would of course facilitate necessary voting arrangements if requested by the Labour party.”
