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Kate Plummer
Apr 21, 2022
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Stella Creasy has received an outpouring of support after she was criticised for wearing a backpack in parliament.
The Labour MP for Walthamstow was defended by people on social media after barrister Molly Giles took a photo of her computer screen while watching proceedings yesterday and took umbrage with her getup. She wrote:
"Jumper, trousers, backpack scrolling through phone. Looks like Creasy is waiting at a bus-stop rather than sitting in one of the most privileged seats in the country."
Wearing trousers is probably for the best rather than not while being an MP and we are also pleased Creasy has found a suitable receptacle to carry her stuff to the commons. As for the jumper, given it was quite toasty yesterday that is the only thing we think Giles has a point about...
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It was nonsense, then, and other MPs have acted in a far more controversial manner in parliament (remember when Jacob Rees-Mogg reclined and looked pretty arrogant?). So, people supported the MP:
Wait until you hear about Desmond Swayne.pic.twitter.com/DjA6peIA8b— \ud83d\udc96Dame Katie Of All This And That\ud83d\udc96 (@\ud83d\udc96Dame Katie Of All This And That\ud83d\udc96) 1650455892
Lololol Have you seen what the PM looks like?!https://twitter.com/mollygiles2015/status/1516467389214433281\u00a0\u2026— Ayl (@Ayl) 1650490183
Yeah, imagine the kind of twat that disrespects Commons benches like that.pic.twitter.com/e9zlQlSIYZ— Mike Holden \ud83d\udc99 (@Mike Holden \ud83d\udc99) 1650445194
If you think a busy MP looking like a modern working women is inappropriate in HoC, just wait until you find out who\u2019s sitting opposite her!— Fran \ud83c\uddec\ud83c\udde7\ud83c\uddea\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde9\ud83c\uddea\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6\ud83c\udf39 (@Fran \ud83c\uddec\ud83c\udde7\ud83c\uddea\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde9\ud83c\uddea\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6\ud83c\udf39) 1650438603
Not a jumper! And trousers!! Pass the smelling salts because this really is the worst thing that\u2019s happened in our esteemed Parliament this week, I know right? https://twitter.com/mollygiles2015/status/1516467389214433281\u00a0\u2026— Jo Elvin (@Jo Elvin) 1650435723
A rather stuffy, old-fashioned point of view.\n\nReminds me of a manager at Ford in the mid-90s (when the company moved to 'business casual' attire) who stupidly said "If you dress sloppy, you work sloppy".\n\nFocus on the person's work & output, not on their dress sense.https://twitter.com/mollygiles2015/status/1516467389214433281\u00a0\u2026— Pete Blanchard \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6 (@Pete Blanchard \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6) 1650526894
Creasy wrote:
someone just tagged me in this post and ...OH MY GOD! A WOMAN WORE TROUSERS IN PARLIAMENT! \n\nI mean the Prime Minister broke the law and is refusing to resign, but I had a BACKPACK on rather than a briefcase! \n\nThank GOD the cameras didn't catch me wearing flat shoes ey.....https://twitter.com/mollygiles2015/status/1516467389214433281\u00a0\u2026— stellacreasy (@stellacreasy) 1650409094
Speaking to indy100, she added: "If women wearing trousers creates more comment than a prime minister lying it tells you why so many feel politics isn’t for them. Mums in particular are comparatively absent which is why we set up the thismumvotes and motheRED funds to support them to stand for parliament and ensure in future there are many more women with backpacks on the backbenches."
It is not the first time Creasy has been criticised for her surely quite uncontroversial conduct in parliament. In November last year she was told off for bringing her three-month-year-old son to parliament and was told it was against the rules.
It is 2022 and yet being a woman in the House of Commons still appears an absolute minefield.
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