Is Louise Mensch's resignation a sad loss for politics? | Rowan Davies and Sarah Ditum

Rowan Davies and Sarah discuss Mensch Ditum decision to leave Parliament to spend more time with his family

Rowan Davies

: I have a secret admiration for Tory deputy

So goodbye to Louise Mensch, who has announced he will resign his seat in Corby, because nobody was able to combine work and family life. The political wing of the United Kingdom obsessive Internet was quick to point out that Mensch could fall on the sideline social networking start-ups, or his many media appearances, although his life had become so heavy.

Mensch doubt many complaints about these comments. Ruidoso, brief and colorful political career seemed firecracker reflect a woman who loved the spotlight. (If different, of course, for most of us, who hates the attention of any kind and certainly not falling over themselves to respond when requests local television news interview.) Despite its flaws I had a secret admiration for Mensch since he made an early exit from the Commons committee that the selection had to do school career. She was accused of grandstanding, but for me, she looked like a woman who needed to pick up their children, and he was not about to apologize

Many are trying to bury the case in many political and personal animosity to score points, but the simple truth is that being a good member is fundamentally incompatible with being a parent present and fully involved in both sexes. When members Mumsnet interviewed last year to see how their work affects their family life, the results were predictable and sad. More than a quarter of respondents said they had considered leaving the parliament due to the effect of work hours has had on their families. Anonymous comments that we received were clear: "I have a two year old daughter, and nobody cares if I do not," "I have not seen my children grow up, and I'll regret until the day when I die. "

Again and again, we complain that MPs are far from the concerns of ordinary people, too obsessed with the mysterious aspects of the party's strategy. But tolerate a parliamentary system which penalizes people who reflect human qualities such as love of family or other interests. Members get what we deserve. John Bercow has expressed its willingness to make changes in the work culture in parliament punish. Perhaps it is time to stop speculating about his relationship with his wife, and begin to address the most important.

• . Rowan Davies is a consultant campaigns and digital communications. Its customers include Mumsnet

Sarah

Ditum

: Mensch confirmed prejudices against women casually

Louise Mensch
knows that appearances count. More than most politicians, he learned to play the media. So when she said to leave his role as a member in the medium term because "I can not spend much time with my children as I want," she is fully aware that your comment will launch 100 items crunchy examination if are working women can really "have it all." But Mensch is a terrible representative for motherhood. It is not like the rest of us: if "have it all" means a career in Westminster, profile media a nascent social network, an outrageously rich husband in New York and three young children
man

a politician, "resigning to spend more time with my family" is a conventional topical. Mensch for playing mother's letter is just a way emotionally impeccable ignore the rights of voters who always seemed somewhat secondary to other interests. As we saw when she made an emphasis on the selection committee hearing, and somehow could not find a babysitter, Mensch treated their parliamentary work with less respect than the rest of we try a normal job we really need.
However, being a member of Parliament is much more than a normal work: it is a position of public trust, and it is broken. Remember, she already had children when he entered Parliament. Whatever the cause additional pressure to leave just the other responsibilities that you have chosen to accumulate, and there is a bad taste when a self-proclaimed "feminist" anti-women prejudices confirmed through mixing your own career and .

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