Tory MP says Rachel Reeves isn’t eligible to be a Cabinet minister because she’s pregnant

A Tory MP has attacked Rachel Reeves, Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary, for planning to take maternity leave after the general election.

Reeves is due to have a baby in June and has said that she will take maternity leave prior to that – as she is legally entitled to. Reeves explained to the Mail that if Labour win in May she already has a clear plan about what she’ll do prior to and after her maternity leave:

‘The first thing I would do is to abolish the bedroom tax. That’s something I can do really quickly. My baby’s due in June, and I want to cancel the bedroom tax before I go on maternity leave. That would be a great start for when I come back in September.’

However, Tory MP Andrew Rosindell offered his own thoughts on the matter, implying that being pregnant makes you unqualified to be a minister:

“I don’t want to say someone who is having a baby is not eligible to be a Cabinet minister, but I certainly think perhaps the demands of that particular job will require someone to give it their full attention.”

“I don’t expect Rachel Reeves to be in the Cabinet after the election because I expect the Conservatives to win, but clearly people need to be put in the positions they can handle.”