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Hi. Welcome to my "taboo" blog. My name is Steph, and when I first started this, I was still in my thirties. In 2017, I switch decades! I am a Christian, so underlying everything I do and say is the Word of God, and the foundational truths I have learnt over the years. This doesn't mean I'm perfect - I am human. It just means I recognise I need God's help to live this life and try to live out His way, as best I can. So that's me in a nutshell. Thanks for taking the time to read through my blog, I hope you draw strength, hope or encouragement from what you read.

Saturday, July 9, 2016

When Comments Condemn The People You Represent

Today's papers are reporting a statement Tory leadership contender, Andrea Leadsom has made about her future prospect as future leader of the Tories, and Prime Minister. Which if it is true, really is backward thinking to the highest degree.

And although she may have been comparing herself to her challenger, Theresa May, I feel that actually, she has condemned most women who are unable to have children. Yep. All of us!

"Being a mother makes me a better PM"
Here is a link through Facebook to the Sky News report showing a clip of the interview with these comments.

I'm sorry. But being a mother doesn't give any woman the edge over other women, in the slightest. This comes a few days after Theresa May spoke about her own sadness over not having children. If only Andrea Leadsom had any idea about how much her statement and comments will feel like someone just dug twisting a knife round in the deepest part of Theresa's wound!

Is this "playground politics"?
Haven't we had enough of this over recent months??

To try and say someone is better qualified based on her ability to conceive, condemns those of us who would love to have children, but haven't been blessed with such a gift. We may have failed in that one basic area of life, but don't try and say this would cause us to fail in other areas of life; because the maternal instinct isn't just alive and active in those who have been blessed with a family, the maternal instinct is very present in the rest of us. And we may not have a "long term stake" in the future of the country, not having children to produce grandchildren who will continue to reap from the plans and decisions we make today, but does that make our contribution to society any less valid? We still want the best for our nephews and nieces. And we still have dreams and ambitions we hope to fulfill. And some of us are still believing that one day we will have children and grandchildren who will carry on living life to the fullest after we have left this mortal planet!

I find the comments by Leadsom to be ignorant at best and archaic at worst.

I really hope these will not become the comments which define her, but may she come to know the battle of many of the women she represents as an MP. Women who have their own struggle with the battle of infertility. #1in3 women in the constituency she represents who suddenly find themselves at the wrong end of her opinion.

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