Tulip Siddiq

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Parliament's party history for this member: Labour (7 May 2015 – present).

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1. 3 Nov 2026·Parliament·Tulip Siddiq

   Equality Act 2010 Guidance: Gynaecological Conditions

   I beg to move, That this House has considered the potential merits of adding gynaecological conditions to Equality Act 2010 guidance. It is a pleasure to serve under you, Ms Jardine. Gynaecological health should never cost a woman her livelihood, but almost a third of women with endometriosis are forced to leave work because of their symptoms. Behind the statistics are heartbreaking stories of women who struggle every day to get the support they need in the workplace. A defining mission of my time in Parliament, which is coming up to 12 years now, has been making the workplace fairer and safer for women up and down the country. One of my proudest achievements in Parliament has been leading the campaign for mandatory flexible working rights, which has enabled parents, particularly women, to thrive at work while balancing their commitments, especially their family commitments. Some people in the House might remember that in 2019 I delayed the birth of my son to vote against Brexit, because there was no other option. I had to come into Parliament because there was no other way to register the views of my constituents in Hampstead and Highgate. I am very pleased to say that afterwards proxy voting was introduced, which means that MPs can now ask someone to vote for them on the basis of parental absence. However, it should not have taken something like that for proxy voting to be introduced, and my experience showed the world how inaccessible even Parliament is for women. I am pleased to say that the rules have changed, but we still have a long way to go before we make workplaces fully accessible for women. When one of my very brave constituents told me how they were unfairly dismissed from work after many years of loyal service while they were suffering from crippling endometriosis, and then had to fight for years simply to establish that the law protected them, I was absolutely astounded by her story. That is because not a single gynaecological condition is included in the disability guidance of the Equality Act 2010.

   Hansard source
2. 3 Nov 2026·Parliament·Tulip Siddiq

   Equality Act 2010 Guidance: Gynaecological Conditions

   I thank the hon. Member for her intervention. She makes a very important point about people not quite understanding what endometriosis is about. I have to say that when my constituent came to me and started talking to me about her situation and her case at work, I had to look up endometriosis; if someone has not personally suffered from it, it can be easy just to dismiss it as something that does not cripple a person’s life. However, it does cripple people’s lives. I will expand on a few of the hon. Member’s points later in my speech. I am here in Westminster Hall today because of my constituent, who is in the Public Gallery today and who launched a petition, which has received over 110,000 signatures, calling for this situation to be changed. She is a formidable campaigner who I am proud to say lives in our constituency. The statutory guidance on the definition of disability names Meniere’s disease, epilepsy, schizophrenia, bipolar affective disorder and certain types of depression as examples of conditions whose effects are fluctuating or recurring. However, it is silent on endometriosis, fibroids, polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome and premenstrual dysphoric disorder. These are conditions that affect millions of women, and their effects are, by their very nature, cyclical and recurring.

   Hansard source
3. 3 Nov 2026·Parliament·Tulip Siddiq

   Equality Act 2010 Guidance: Gynaecological Conditions

   I am pleased to see the hon. Member attend every debate in the Chamber; he has not stopped doing that and he is always fighting for the rights of women in any of the debates that we have. He is right to say that we do need to settle what is happening in the workplace, but we also have to look at the healthcare system as well and make sure that it does not become a postcode lottery where women have to travel in order to get treatments that should be available for everyone. In response to my constituent’s petition, the Government acknowledged that such conditions can affect women’s performance at work, but said they had no plans to amend the guidance. That is why I am standing here today, urging my colleagues in the Government to reconsider that decision. When a woman’s condition is missing from the guidance, she starts every conversation with her employer and the human resources department, as well as every claim, on the back foot. That is because courts and tribunals must take the guidance into account. HR departments and managers will use it as their checklist. It opens the door to legal protection, fairer workplace adjustments and a fairer system for millions of women across the country. Last month, hon. Members may have seen that the all-party parliamentary group on endometriosis published its “Endometriosis (Not) in the Workplace” report. The results were sobering. Evidence was gathered from more than 6,000 employees with confirmed or suspected endometriosis, and from 250 employers. The inquiry provides one of the most detailed pictures yet of the condition’s impact on working life. These are some of the facts: 97% of employees worked with severe pain; 94% believed employers lacked understanding of the condition; 62% were worried about losing their job; 47% had lost income and 39% were experiencing financial hardship; 49% had difficulties progressing in their career after the condition; 28% had been forced to leave their job altogether; 49% had received no workplace adjustments at all; and 72% of employers said they had no training or guidance on women’s health conditions, such as endometriosis. It is fair to say that women with endometriosis have been failed by the employment rights system. It is damaging their lives, their families and the economy. With only 11% of employers in the UK having a menstrual health policy, employers are not making the reasonable adjustments to accommodate people with endometriosis, who are forced to suffer in silence. That shocking statistic highlights why there is such widespread discrimination of women with endometriosis. That is why gynaecological conditions must be included as impairments with fluctuating or recurring effects in the Equality Act 2010 guidance on the definition of disability. By doing that, we will strengthen workplace protections for women with disabling gynaecological conditions, including endometriosis, fibroids, PMOS, PMDD, severe menopausal symptoms and other menstrual disorders. One of the biggest challenges we have—I have learned a lot of this from my constituent who suffers from this issue—is the unpredictable nature of those conditions. Women can experience severe pelvic pain, debilitating fatigue, heavy bleeding that leads to anaemia, bowel and bladder symptoms, bloating, nausea, loss of appetite and other complications that can fluctuate in severity. For example, a woman with endometriosis may be able to function absolutely fine one day, but the next day cannot get up from her bed. Employers should take that into account. It is overwhelmingly evidenced in medical statistics, but my constituent tells me it is being ignored by employers because the conditions are not listed in the guidance, which is what we are fighting for. I ask the Minister, who I know is passionate about this topic and has been in touch with me about it, to consider four practical steps. First, will she update the Equality Act 2010 guidance? It is issued by a Minister under section 6 of the Act, so no primary legislation is needed. Gynaecological conditions should be named among the examples of conditions that have recurring or fluctuating effects. The guidance should include worked examples of what a flare can look like in a working day, and it should discuss pain that stops a woman travelling, standing up or concentrating, heavy bleeding, fatigue, anaemia and recovery from surgery. Secondly, will the Minister look at the Equality and Human Rights Commission guidance and set out in the employment code examples of reasonable adjustments for such conditions, such as flexible and hybrid working, adjusted hours on bad days, access to facilities and rest breaks, time off for medical conditions and a phased return from surgery? It is incredible that women have to fight for those things—of course they should have a phased return after surgery, but lots of women do not have that option in the workplace. A lot of those things would cost little or nothing, but they would make the lives of those who are suffering so much easier. Thirdly, I ask the Minister to give employees something tangible to take back to their managers or to human resources. A simple standard workplace adjustments passport, backed by ACAS guidance, would record what has been agreed so that the woman does not have to explain her condition over and over again every time her manager changes, which is exhausting in itself, and the managers know exactly what is expected of them. Fourthly, I would build on the Employment Rights Act 2025. Large employers will soon have to publish equality action plans that include support for employees who are going through the menopause. The plans should extend to menstrual and gynaecological health. The Government’s Keep Britain Working agenda and their workplace health system should expressly include women with long-term fluctuating conditions. Those changes would help not only women with such conditions but everyone living with a non-visible chronic condition whose effects come and go. Those basic changes could save jobs and so much money, and relieve so much anxiety for countless women across the county who are disabled by endometriosis and are not given reasonable adjustments in the workplace. By doing that, we can be a Government who ensure women have workplace protections and the right to reasonable adjustments for their conditions. As the Minister knows, I was a part of the Treasury, so the economy is always on my mind. This is not just a question of fairness; it is actually about a strong economy and sound business. Endometriosis alone is estimated to cost the UK economy £8.2 billion a year in treatment, lost work and healthcare costs. The Office for National Statistics found that women with endometriosis earned about £4,500 less over the five years after receiving a diagnosis. The Fawcett Society found that one in 10 women who worked during the menopause left their job because of their symptoms, and many others worked on reduced hours. The PMDD Project found that nine in 10 reported that PMDD significantly or extremely affected their everyday lives—particularly employment. They can be perceived as unreliable, inconsistent or unable to manage their workload, when in reality they are living with a recognised and often severely disabling condition. I am sure the Minister agrees that women are a vital part of our workflows and our economy. It is right that the law and guidance explain that and reflect the reality of their everyday lives. Employment lawyers acting in such cases describe the same pattern again and again. Very senior women, in whom businesses have invested year after year through training and client development, are managed out after surgery or a period of sickness absence, when a phased return, a flexible pattern of working or a modest change to their duties could have retained them and helped our economy at the same time. The business loses the woman’s skills, client relationships and everything that has been invested in them. It then pays to recruit and train a replacement, and it very often pays again to defend a claim. Claims can take years. At the end of June this year, there were 70,000 claims waiting in employment tribunals—the highest number on record. The average claim takes well over a year to resolve, with some final hearings being listed for 2028 and 2029. With appeals, a case can run for three years or more. Think about the damage that does to the economy, the business and particularly the morale of all our women who we need back in our economy working for our country. It is three years of legal costs for both the employer and former employee. It is three years of uncertainty and anxiety for all the women, and three years in which neither the business nor the woman can move. That cripples the economy, the business and, often, the woman’s life. The cases that do reach the courts show what is at stake. In South Gloucestershire council v. Hundal, which was decided by the employment appeal tribunal in 2024, a social worker with endometriosis—who the tribunal found was managing complex cases well despite her disability—had her placement ended because of the absences caused by her medical condition. Her manager had suggested adjustments such as working from home and spreading her four-day week over five days. Neither of those was tried and an occupational health referral was not even considered. The tribunal found that ending her engagement could not be justified and an appeal tribunal agreed. In another case, a tribunal accepted that a woman with endometriosis could not walk, stand or drive when her systems flared. The condition left her anaemic, exhausted and unable to sleep. It found that she was disabled, observing that nothing in the Equality Act requires a disability to be constant. That is exactly why guidance should be made plain: so that women do not have to waste time, effort and mental energy going to a tribunal to establish it. Reasonable adjustments are the most effective way to avoid all this. They keep women in work, protect the employer’s investment and stop claims arising in the first place. Prevention is far cheaper than cure. For as long as our employment rights ignore the gynaecological conditions of millions of women in Britain, the injustice will continue. Making reasonable adjustments is simply the fairest thing to do. It is also the most sensible thing to do economically. Naming these conditions in the guidance would give every woman something concrete to point to, and every employer a clear basis on which to act. It would save money and time, and most importantly it would spare women, their families and their employers so much avoidable pain. The benefits of doing that spread beyond the workplace, to all of us in society. It will improve the mental health and wellbeing of women by enabling them to be seen, heard and protected, and to advocate for themselves. The guidance will also help Department for Work and Pensions assessors, who are rejecting claims from women with endometriosis and other gynaecological conditions. For me, that is a win-win because it will protect women in the economy, education, healthcare, the workplace and beyond. I urge colleagues in Government to recognise what women experience every single day. I believe it is time to end this discrimination once and for all.

   Hansard source
4. 22 Oct 2026·Parliament·Tulip Siddiq

   Business of the House

   On 24 September, Melissa Premaratne was on her way to school when she was run over by a private hire vehicle on a crossing. Her parents, family, friends and teachers at Highgate school are understandably devastated. I have had countless emails from parents who are very anxious about their children going to school, especially if they are travelling independently during rush hour. Could we have a debate in Government time about road safety for children going to school on their own, particularly in areas like Highgate, where there is a cluster of schools in one vicinity?

   Hansard source
5. 22 Oct 2026·Parliament·Tulip Siddiq

   Retirement of the Clerk of the House

   Some people in the House may have noticed that a year ago a foreign state took an enormous interest in me and went to town with the newspapers. I was not worried about the law as such, because I knew that I had done nothing wrong, but I was a little bit conscious about the reputation of the House and my position here, having been an MP for 11 years. I went to see the Deputy Speaker, who told me that I should go and speak to Tom. She scornfully added that I would have much better shoes if I had the amount of money that it was alleged I had—I think it was a backward compliment, but I am not sure. I went to see Tom, who I did not know very well but who I had interacted with a few times, and I asked him about the status of all the fabricated allegations against me. I explained that no one has ever contacted me about all those allegations—not even now—because apparently they cannot find me, even though I am standing here right now in Parliament. The advice that Tom gave me, which was so calm, reassuring and well researched, and delivered in such a compassionate way, is something that I will never forget. We are lucky to live in a country where there is the rule of law and a functioning democracy, and where we have an amazing House of Commons. We are also very lucky to have people such as Tom, who can provide evidence on anything he is asked about without even consulting a book, and who knows the rule of law and procedure like the back of his hand. That is not a session I will ever forget, and I will not go into detail about it, but it provided reassurance at a very difficult time. Not all heroes wear capes, but some of them wear black gowns and sit on green chairs.

   Hansard source
6. 15 Oct 2026·Parliament·Tulip Siddiq

   Business of the House

   Vincent Chan abused baby girls at a Bright Horizons nursery in my constituency for seven years. The Guardian has now revealed that three years before he was arrested, a complaint was made about him. It was investigated by Bright Horizons, overseen by Camden council, who cleared him and allowed him to return to work, where he continued to abuse little children until he was arrested. I have asked Camden council and Bright Horizons for the full documentation relating to the investigation that took place in 2021. Can we have a debate in Government time about strengthening the safeguarding practices in nurseries, particularly in the Bright Horizons chain? Ofsted has taken the unprecedented step of issuing two welfare requirement notices to the nurseries in that chain.

   Hansard source
7. 12 Oct 2026·Parliament·Tulip Siddiq

   Rejoining the EU

   Will my hon. and learned Friend give way?

   Hansard source
8. 12 Oct 2026·Parliament·Tulip Siddiq

   Rejoining the EU

   On the topic of local businesses, 87% of my constituents voted to remain in the EU, but kitchen designer Neil Lerner told me that he had to close the doors on a family business that had lasted for more than 30 years because of a severe downturn in sales caused by Brexit, a local bakery told me that its paperwork nearly doubled before it closed because of Brexit, and—this is my personal favourite—John Atkins, who ran a flower stall next to the Royal Free hospital for nearly 40 years, said that, because of post-Brexit bureaucracy, the cost of tulips has gone up by 50% since 2020. Does my hon. and learned Friend agree that Brexit has made our high streets significantly worse?

   Hansard source
9. 12 Oct 2026·Parliament·Tulip Siddiq

   Topical Questions

   It took the DWP hotline 29 working days to respond to me about a constituent’s PIP arrears, and 39 working days to reply to a email about a reduction in state pension for one of my constituents. Can the Minister help me with this, please?

   Hansard source
10. 8 Sep 2026·Parliament·Tulip Siddiq

    Israel and Palestine

    While I recognise this was not the main part of the Foreign Secretary’s statement, I thank him for raising the plight of British Jewish children who are fearful going to school. As he will know, a lot of British Jewish children live in my constituency, and their safety is my main priority. On the subject of children, a recent report showed that 40% of displaced children in Palestine lose complete access to education. The Foreign Secretary has outlined a host of policies and legislation in his statement today; has he given any thought to how he would help these displaced children to ensure that they do not lose access to schooling? Finally, if you would indulge me for one second, Madam Deputy Speaker, I would just like to say that my right hon. Friend’s mother, Marion, who lobbied me endlessly when I was a local councillor, would be very proud of him.

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