Motherhood saved.

This past week in parliament a tiny seven-clause piece of legislation threatened to airbrush motherhood from the statute books.

A Bill extending maternity benefits to “pregnant persons” instead of “mothers” had been tabled by the government. And so, a truly shocking precedent was set to be created. If the Bill had become law, it wouldn’t have been long before “mother” was expunged from other legislation too.

But Lord Lucas tabled an amendment to replace “person” with “mother”. The government has now backed the amendment and accepted that pregnant persons are in fact mothers. Without exception. What a surprise!

The redefinition of marriage started this trend, airbrushing out the words husband and wife in documents. Politicians must realise enshrining a lie into law cannot change reality.

I am glad motherhood hasn’t been eliminated from the law. We can now still celebrate Mother’s Day on Sunday March 14.

Norman Plaisted

Newport