Rachael Bews’s UK Parliament petition seeks paid breastfeeding and expressing breaks and suitable workplace facilities. The Government says employers should support breastfeeding mothers but has no plans to introduce paid breastfeeding time. The evidence supports a clear policy disagreement, but does not establish the scale of the problem or the petition’s level of support.
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- Politics
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- INSIGHT
- Published
- Oct 2, 2026, 02:00 AM
Verified facts: Rachael Bews, an Edinburgh-based entrepreneur and mother of three, has lodged a petition with the UK Parliament calling for a statutory right to paid breastfeeding and expressing breaks, alongside suitable workplace facilities. The petition states that breastfeeding parents in the UK have no statutory right to such paid breaks and argues that this can force people to choose between feeding their baby and participating fully in work. Bews says she began the campaign after being unable to attend a professional development programme because she could not bring her then five-month-old breastfed daughter. She also says women have told her they expressed milk in toilets, weaned earlier than planned, lost income, declined opportunities or left work. The petition would require a Government response if it receives more than 10,000 signatures, while more than 100,000 signatures would lead to consideration for debate in Parliament. A UK Government spokesperson said employers should be compassionate and support mothers returning to work, but confirmed that the Government has no plans to introduce paid breastfeeding time.