Heavily pregnant Labour MP Ellie Reeves is back at work to plan election campaign after ONE day of maternity leave
- Lewisham West and Penge MP finished work on Monday day before election bill
- But she returned to work on Wednesday after election was confirmed for Dec 12
- Labour MP, 38, faced deselection while pregnant over Chris Williamson row
A heavily-pregnant Labour MP had just one day of maternity leave before she was forced to return to work because of the General Election.
Ellie Reeves, 38, had her first day of maternity leave on Tuesday – four days before her due date.
The Lewisham West and Penge MP had planned to take six months off, but found herself back in the office on Wednesday after the Commons voted for a winter election, despite the fact she has still not given birth.
She announced the end to ‘possibly the shortest lived maternity leave’ yesterday, tweeting: ‘Back to work today planning my general election campaign.’
The mother-of-one continued: ‘It has been a privilege & an honour to represent my home in Parliament for the past 2 1/2 years and I hope that I will be able to continue to serve you.’
Heavily-pregnant Labour MP Ellie Reeves (pictured in the House of Commons) had just one day of maternity leave before she was forced to return to work because of the General Election
Ellie Reeves (pictured with husband and fellow Labour MP John Cryer) is back at work after ‘maternity leave’ despite still being pregnant
She announced the end to ‘possibly the shortest lived maternity leave’ yesterday, tweeting: ‘Back to work today planning my general election campaign.’
Her original tweet on Tuesday read: ‘9 months pregnant and 4 days before I am due to give birth, I have finally started my mat leave. For the next 6 months my vote will be cast by proxy.
‘There’s still a huge amount that needs to be done to make Parliament more family friendly which I will continue to battle for.’
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is due to give his first speech of the 2019 election campaign today, ahead of the vote on December 12.
The Lewisham West and Penge MP (pictured at the Labour Party conference in 2015) had planned to take six months off, but found herself back in the office on Wednesday after the Commons voted for a winter election
This is not the first political challenge Ms Reeves has faced during her pregnancy.
This summer she faced deselection after speaking out against Labour’s decision to re-admit MP Chris Williamson to the party after multiple complaints of anti-Semitism.
Ms Reeves was among 121 Labour MPs and peers who called for Mr Williamson to lose the whip after he said the party had been ‘too apologetic’ for anti-Semitism.
Allies of leader Jeremy Corbyn were accused of ‘bullying’ the pregnant MP after rumours of a no confidence vote circled.
Former Labour leader and the party’s longest-serving female MP Harriet Harman slammed the ‘bullies’.
She wrote: ‘Ellie Reeves elected in 2017 is not going to be deselected by UK Labour in 2019 while 5 months pregnant. We are not going to let it happen. Full Stop!’
Deputy leader Tom Watson also chimed in, saying: ‘My friend Ellie Reeves is a socialist, an ex-trade union lawyer who fought against injustices for working class people.
‘She’s campaigned against oppression internationally, e.g. trade unionists in Colombia for years. An excellent MP. Ludicrous no confidence motion should be binned.’
Ms Reeves was elected in 2015. Her sister Rachel Reeves and husband John Cryer are also both MPs for the Labour Party.
She married Mr Cryer, who is the chair of the Parliamentary Labour Party and represents Leyton and Wanstead in east London, in 2012. They have a son who was born in 2015.
Ms Reeves is pictured with former Foreign Secretary David Miliband at the Labour Party conference in 2009