Independent MP Rosie Duffield has voiced frustration, alleging that Health Secretary Yvette Cooper is prioritizing meetings with celebrities over elected officials, citing a lack of response to her own correspondence. Duffield suggested this preference for 'celebrity' figures like reality TV star Louise Thompson stems from a desire to engage with those who generate public attention.
Yvette Cooper recently met with Louise Thompson, a former star of the reality series Made in Chelsea, to discuss the issue of birth trauma. Thompson has become a prominent advocate for improved maternity care following her own near-fatal childbirth experience in 2021. She has called for the establishment of a UK maternity commissioner.
Duffield, the MP for Canterbury, expressed her disappointment on social media platform X, formerly Twitter, stating that despite her own efforts to address birth trauma, including holding parliamentary debates and proposing the idea for an independent maternity commissioner, she has been unable to secure a meeting with the Health Secretary.
"I guess you've gotta laugh! Won 3 elections, was 1st ever MP to hold a debate/speak about my birth trauma, came up with the idea for an independent maternity commissioner when co-chairing Parliamentary group on Birth Trauma," Duffield wrote. "But I'm not a celebrity, ofc, so despite knowing the latest Health Sec for a decade - I don't get meetings, and my letters don't get replies."
Duffield, who was elected as a Labour MP in 2024 but later left the party, emphasized that the issue extends beyond personal slight. "If MPs like me are blanked and ghosted by new ministers, it's the electorate whose voices are being ignored - there is nothing on earth to excuse that," she stated.
Rebecca Matthews, co-founder of the Families Failed by OUH Maternity Services group, echoed Duffield's concerns, questioning the decision to meet with a celebrity instead of families who have experienced birth trauma. Matthews has previously raised concerns about maternity care quality at Oxford University Hospitals.
The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) confirmed that Cooper's meeting with Thompson was to "thank her for speaking out about her traumatic birth experience and campaigning for the creation of a new Maternity and Neonatal Commissioner." The DHSC stated this new role would have statutory powers to improve the safety and consistency of care. The department also noted that this aligns with recommendations from Baroness Amos's investigation into maternity services and that a taskforce chaired by the Secretary of State will help shape the role and associated reforms.