Stella Creasy and Kemi Badenoch brought their ‘babies of the House’ to Parliament on Tuesday (Picture: Parliament TV/EPA)

Babies of the house came to Westminster this week as MPs returned or were welcomed for the first time after the general election.

Labour MP Stella Creasy and Tory MP Kemi Badenoch were both sworn in to take their seats in Parliament while carrying their newborn babies.

Conservative education minister Kemi held the King James Bible while her daughter was strapped to her body, while Stella’s daughter Hettie was also held in a sling during her visit to the chamber.

Both mums are on maternity leave but needed to appear in Westminster in person to take an oath or solemn affirmation of allegiance to the Crown.




Until the oath or affirmation is taken, an MP may not receive a salary, take their seat, speak in debates or vote.

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Conservative MP Kemi Badenoch, and her baby, as she is sworn in as an MP in the House of Commons (Picture: AFP)

Labour MP Stella Creasy held her baby Hettie in a sling as she was sworn in as an MP (Picture: Parliament TV)

The pair were among the hundreds of MPs who went through the same process on Tuesday after re-elected Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle officially re-opened Parliament

The Commons erupted into a chorus of ‘ohs’ when he reminded MPs that until they take the oath or affirm they ‘will not receive any salary’.

The actual title of ‘baby of the House’ falls to the youngest MP, who is now Labour’s Nadia Whittome, 23.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson was among the first Tory MPs to be sworn in followed by Home Secretary Priti Patel, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, Lord Chancellor Robert Buckland and Commons Leader Jacob Rees-Mogg.

Chancellor Sajid Javid opted to affirm, as did Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, shadow women and equalities secretary Dawn Butler and ‘Mother of the House’ Labour’s Harriet Harman.

Ms Creasy also took her baby along as she regained her seat of Walthamstow on election night (Picture: AFP)

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Shadow defence secretary Nia Griffith chose to complete the swearing-in process in both English and Welsh.

Labour MP Afzal Khan wrote on Twitter: ‘Today at the swearing-in ceremony, I recited my oath in Urdu to honour my father who served in the British Indian Army.’

Conservative MP Anthony Mangnall became the first of the newly-elected MPs to complete the swearing-in process, despite being told by the Speaker that the latest recruits would be sworn in today.

Chris Loder, Greg Smith and Paul Bristow were also among the new Tories to complete the swearing-in process.

Labour’s Tahir Ali – who replaced Roger Godsiff as Birmingham Hall Green MP – was the first of the party’s newly-elected 2019 cohort to be sworn in.

What is the oath of allegiance? ‘I swear by Almighty God that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, her heirs and successors, according to law. ‘So help me God.’ Members may make a solemn affirmation instead of taking the oath, using the words: ‘I do solemnly, sincerely, and truly declare and affirm, that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, her heirs and successors, according to law.’

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