Portia Berry-Kilby

Portia Berry-Kilby previously worked as an attaché at the Holy See's Mission to the UN in New York. She now lives in Suffolk

Saturday

Portia Berry-Kilby

Why are doctors pushing contraception onto new mothers?

Six weeks after the birth of my first son in England, my GP asked about my plans for contraception. When I told him I didn’t want a prescription for contraception, he told me to 'be sure to use a condom'. His bluntness was jarring at best, and certainly didn’t respect my hopes for a growing brood. Here I was, a clearly besotted new mother, promptly being reminded how to prevent another little bundle of joy from entering the world. A bit poorly timed and infantilising, I thought, but I smiled and said nothing. But the insinuation that I should take precautions to avoid a future pregnancy wasn't limited to that occasion. At a home visit about ten days postpartum, my health visitor asked if I had given any thought as to what contraception I would use going forwards.

Tuesday

Portia Berry-Kilby

The Youth Parliament makes children of us all

When the British Youth Council (BYC) announced last week its imminent closure, people went near-hysterical, declaring it ‘devastating’ news and a ‘dark day’ for Britain’s youth. Of particular concern was the future of the Youth Parliament, one of the BYC’s flagship programmes. In all likelihood, the Youth Parliament will see new leadership rather than the graveyard. But the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport would be well advised to think twice before increasing its £750,000 grant for the project.  I say this not just as an old curmudgeon, but (for all my sins) as a former ‘Member of Youth Parliament’ (MYP). My criticism of it is not purely self loathing. From the outset, the concept was flawed.

Thursday

Portia Berry-Kilby

Is Jeremy Hunt’s childcare revolution something to celebrate?

Jeremy Hunt has announced plans to extend the 30 hours a week of ‘free’ childcare for three and four year olds to include babies as young as nine-months old. This expansion of childcare provision has been hailed by the Chancellor as a measure to allow mothers to return to employment if they want to; it will also, according to Hunt, help boost the economy. But has anyone paused to think about the impact on the children themselves – and families? The truth is that Hunt’s proposed changes aren't a win for mothers, children, and families as a whole. Why? Because the childcare plans suggest that a mother's worth comes from their economic output and active participation in the workforce. It also falsely assumes that children are better off with hired help than a loving parent at home.

Tuesday

Portia Berry-Kilby

Halsey and the cultural appropriation of Catholicism

I can’t say I have a terribly favourable view of the modern music industry. But when I heard that pop artist Halsey’s latest album If I Can’t Have Love, I want Power had an album cover inspired by Jean Fouquet’s Virgin And Child Surrounded By Angels, taken from the right wing of the Melun Diptych, I wondered if I’d find a sequin on the threadbare fabric of popular taste. Alas, I shouldn’t have got my hopes up. The American singer’s album was released last week and the cover depicts her and a baby in a pose resembling Fouquet’s Virgin and Child, bare boob and all.

Wednesday

Portia Berry-Kilby

Boris should follow New York’s example and ditch vaccine passports

Is making young people show vaccine passports to get into nightclubs a good idea? Boris Johnson's motivation in doing so appears to be that this is a good way to entice under 30s to get their jabs. In reality, the policy is illiberal, shows no gratitude for the sacrifices young people have already made during this pandemic, and should go against all of our British sensibilities. There's also a better alternative: one demonstrated in New York.  I’ve been based in the United States for the past six months and Boris could learn a thing or two from the freedom-loving Yankees. Here, proof of vaccination is not required for entry into nightclubs, as I experienced first hand last Saturday night.

Tuesday

Portia Berry-Kilby

The rise of vaccine virtue-signalling

I’ve bemoaned the 'no Tories please' line on dating profiles many a time. Closed-minded and over-used, it’s a banal way for university freshers to virtue signal their wokeness. It’s a phase many go through, and, more’s the pity, do not all grow out of. But as of late, a new, equally lacklustre profile-essential has emerged — one’s Covid vaccine record. Across the pond in the USA, where I’m currently based, twenty-somethings seem set on flaunting their team Pfizer, Moderna, or one-shot Johnson & Johnson credentials. And this begs the question of why? Because, to be quite honest, few things would make me swipe left faster.