Week-old baby Theo joins MP mum Emma Reynolds on campaign trail
New mother Emma Reynolds has hit the election campaign trail, revealing she did not think twice about fighting to retain her seat – despite having given birth only eight days earlier.
But she confessed: "Theresa May is not my favourite politician for calling an election at this time. I'm pretty tired right now but I'm up for the fight."
The Wolverhampton North East MP was staggered at the Prime Minister's announcement of a snap election last Tuesday, just four days after she and husband Richard welcomed son Theo into the world on Good Friday.
Her mother broke the news to her as she was breastfeeding, she disclosed. "I hoped it might be a late April Fool's joke. I didn't think Theresa May would do it.
"She made very strong statements about political stability during the Brexit negotiations and she's totally gone against all of that.
"She's taken people by surprise, and I do think it's political opportunism, but we're the opposition and there's an election and I didn't hesitate for a moment – I was always going to stand. We're going to throw everything we can at it."
The 39-year-old politician had been looking forward to six months off with her first-born, while husband Richard had planned to take two months paternity leave in September to help ease her return to the cut and thrust of Westminster life.
Instead she has been forced back into the political fray immediately while her solicitor husband brings forward his paternity leave to enable her to campaign.
"At the moment I'm going to carry on breastfeeding but there's only so much you can try and do.
"I'm not going to sacrifice the bond with my baby, it's about striking the right balance. I won't be able to campaign in the way I would have done otherwise but I'm never going to have this time again.
"It's difficult because obviously you want to do as much as you can."
Ms Reynolds, who has a 5,495 majority, said she was not expecting an easy ride on the campaign trail.
