Brexit: MP delays giving birth for vote

LONDON: A lawmaker has postponed giving birth in order to vote on Britain's divorce deal with the EU on Tuesday. Tulip Siddiq, 36, was due to have a Caesarian section on the big day, but medics have agreed to delay the operation until Thursday so that she can vote on the withdrawal agreement struck between London and Brussels.

The opposition Labour MP plans to be pushed through the voting lobby in parliament in a wheelchair. "If my son enters the world even one day later than the doctors advised, but it's a world with a better chance of a strong relationship between Britain and Europe, then that's worth fighting for," she said.

Labour colleagues asked John Bercow, the speaker of the lower House of Commons, if Siddiq could have a proxy vote, but he said this was not in his power as such a voting system has not been implemented. The new baby boy will be a great-grandson of the founding father of Bangladesh.

Siddiq is the granddaughter of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the first president of Bangladesh. Her aunt is Sheikh Hasina, who was sworn in as Bangladesh's prime minister for a record fourth term last week.