Babies in the workplace.

Very unpleasant OP. A woman’s place is in the world. It’s 2022 not 1922.

MP’s don’t get cover for mat leave, so keep working through pregnancy, then take the infant with them to support bonding and breast feeding. They should be able to vote remotely, it’s nonsense to have to stay to the early hours to walk through a lobby.

The cost of child care is huge. It should be subsidised, with high quality care available pre school, the before and after school and school holiday provision available, again, subsidised.

Iam64
* The cost of child care is huge. It should be subsidised, with high quality care available pre school, the before and after school and school holiday provision available, again, subsidised.*
Agree, not just for MPs either. For many parents, including me, childcare can take up an enormous amount of earnings and although maternity or even paternity leave is now available at the start, paid leave doesn’t continue.
Where will the money for subsidies come from? If it’s tax payers, what about childless people whose taxes will contribute? Will it be obligatory for all jobs or just MPs?

I think it's one of those things like healthcare, or social care of the elderly, that we should all pay for, in the hope that we won't need it, but in the expectation that we might, and if we do it will be covered.

I think that every able bodied adult should be taxed (or obliged to contribute in other ways) from the end of their education to the beginning of their pension, and in return have the use of things like libraries, roads, transport (which I would also subsidise) as well as education, health, access to social housing and a decent pension free at point of use. Childcare would be part of that package.

Fair enough, unfortunately not everyone would live to claim a pension, fortunately not everyone needs social care or a lot of expensive health treatment etc, but those who do should not have to worry about paying for it.

There could be solutions found for people who think there is no point in having children if they are in nursery or playgroups for a couple of years. They could volunteer in the evenings or something. The detail would need to be sorted out, but the principle seems to me fair. From each according to ability, and to each according to need. Access to the benefits of living in a first world country would not depend on income, as it would be entirely contributions based (however that worked out), but taxes would be based on income, so that those on higher income paid more.

Mollygo, of course, yes, the point of having an inclusive society is to support each other. So childless people will support children through their taxes - you can't opt out of paying for schools just because you don't need one for your child. Nor can you can opt out of contributing to Cancer treatment because you are lucky enough not to need it.
And yes, high quality child care should truly be available to everyone.

We all contribute through taxes to public services. Childcare should be part of that. Research is clear, high quality early years care leads to better outcomes for children. Those children will be our doctors, carers, scientists, inventors and more so it’s our investment in a positive future.

I so agree, Iam