Apparently one of two women seeking to become leader of the UK Conservative party and, thence, de facto Prime Minister, has said that she is more invested in the future of this nation because she is a mother than is her rival, who is not.

Whether the report is accurate or not, and however out of context it is being cited, it was guaranteed to anger women who, for any number of reasons are not mothers, myself among them...

Those who never met the right partner
Those for whom it just never happened
Those who were unable to conceive or carry a baby
Those whose male partners were unable to father a child
Those for whom fertility treatment or IVF was unsuccessful
Those who were rendered infertile by injury or illness
Those who were rendered infertile by life saving medical treatment
Those who opted to care for members of their exisiting family
Those who chose careers that made motherhood an unrealisitc option
Those who felt that it was selfish to bring a child into an over-populated world
Those who inadvertently left it too late
Those who knew that motherhood was not for them

Those I didn't even think of...

Apparently we are less invested in the future...
We engineers, scientists, teachers, doctors, nurses, researchers, midwives, chidlren's workers, youth organisation leaders...

I wonder how we define "investment in the future"?

I spent half my adult life working in industry to try to ensure a safe, reliable electricity supply across this land - and shared the frustration of others that no significant government investment was made in research and development of new or alternative technologies

I spent thirty years encouraging other people's daughters to discover and develop their gifts and skills, to know their unique worth whatever life may bring them.  I took them on holidays, accompanied them to courses, went to their school concerts, baptisms, confirmations, weddings...

I continue to spend my adult life trying to support and encourage others as they make sense of life froman overtly Christian perspective, which includes looking forward, practically and prayerfully to a future when I am no longer here.

So if I'm somehow less invested in the future, I'm sorry - but I am more sorry, and not a little angry, at any suggestion that reproducing or not somehow relates to the integrity, investment or suitability of another human being.

Here endeth the rant!