Alicia Kearns

Alicia Kearns is the Member of Parliament for Rutland and Melton.

Friday

Alicia Kearns

The Alicia Kearns Edition

35 min listen

Alicia Kearns is the Conservative MP for Rutland and Melton, and the first female chair of the foreign affairs select committee. Alicia built a reputation as a foreign policy powerhouse working in communications and counter-terrorism for the civil service. After leaving, some time was spent in the private sector before Alicia decided to become an MP. In 2019 she was elected in the Conservative safe seat, Rutland and Melton where she now lives with her family.  On the podcast, Alicia talks about why she left the civil service and the time she ‘came out’ as a Conservative. She also shares her love for her Rutland and Melton, describing her constituents as ‘her people’.

Wednesday

Alicia Kearns

No, babies shouldn’t be allowed in the Commons

Babies have no place in the chamber. I've asked to leave debates to feed my child a few times and have never been turned down. This is a debate about childcare that is wrongly being presented as one of rights and representation. Is this a question of being banned from doing our jobs unless babies are allowed? No. The ultimate way MPs have their say is when we vote. New mums have proxy voting for six months, where we tell someone else how we want to vote each time so we don't have to be in parliament. But what about MP mums wanting to take part in debates? You can — I came into parliament for a few crucial debates while my baby was under six months.