Vocal Voices

Yesterday the Right Honourable member for the 18th century, Rees-Mogg, ended the temporary measure allowing MPs to vote digitally saying they needed to be in parliament to scrutinise government. This has effectively removed some MPs from being able to vote on legislation that affects us all - they have been disenfranchised and that means their constituents have no representation as things stand.

Due to Covid-19 rules all of us are told to work from home if we can - and MPs have shown that they can do just that, they were each given £10,000 to facilitate it. And what is so special about being in Westminster? The HoC chamber is currently limited to 50 members being in there for debates: about 8% of all MPs. The other 92% are only "attending" digitally via Zoom and they can and are doing that from anywhere, their home, an office in Portculis House, their chambers in Westminster, so why can't they vote from there as well?

The whole thing is illogical and probably unconstitutional.

Yes, agreed. Video debating and electronic voting seemed to be working reasonably successfully, so quite why Ress-Mogg wants a hasty return to the old Victorian system I've no idea.

It seems to me that, not just with Parliament but in many areas of society, Covid gives an opportunity for us to rethink established practices and the way we do things.

Whether it is the rethinking of how we shop in the High Street / shopping malls, the way we work - home vs office, the way we pay for things - electronically or cash, the way we travel - compulsory pre-booking and reservations on trains for example, the way we holiday …..

Some of the so-called "New Norm" changes we might welcome, others not. But we're not even having the debate. It's just a rush back to "business as usual", with no thought about innovation. A wasted opportunity, methinks.

Those who are vulnerable should be able to vote on line or be able to use the system of pairing. No-one should be deprived of their vote, as has been claimed, as that is totally unacceptable. In my opinion MPs should be back in the HoC where questions need be asked and answers need to be given. Working from home should be short term only, as it is only part of the role that MPs are required to fulfil.

Key workers have worked throughout this pandemic with no thought for their own safety and the government are now actively encouraging people to go back to work and our children to go back to school, and if governing a country does not fall into the category of a key worker I don't know what does.

Isolating themselves in their own little bubble and pressing a button when required does not equate to the democratic process however comfortable it might feel and they need to get back to the HoC and do the job they are paid to do. They are not the only ones who have stood in a queue for over 40 minutes.

Hear hear medsec!!

In fact, far from becoming a laughing stock, the HOC would be a leader in the world for the leaders practising what they preach.

Whasn't this what all the fuss over Cummings was about?

It seems that it is not just Cummings who doesn't want to follow their own advice.

These so called representatives need to get out there and experience what they are putting on the people. Only then will they understand if it makes sense or not.

I don't get it, I really don't.

Throughout this Covid mess we have been bombarded with claims that business travel is unnecessary as business does not need to be done face-to-face when there is Facetime. International conferences such as for climate change or the G7 (9, 22 or whatever) are so unnecessary now that we have Zoom. Managers from different divisions in industry do not need to congregate in a hotel somewhere when there is Skype. Distance learning is the way to go for education.

People have been banging on endlessly about the above but when it comes to parliament everybody absolutely has to be there, in person, or else!

Well that's fine, but let's change the rules, eh? If the government is to be scrutinised and held to account then every MP, all 650 of them, has to attend every debate, in the chamber of the HoC, always. And every piece of legislation has to be voted on by all MPs with the only exceptions being those on the payroll or too ill to attend and those paired with them.

Anyone who has watched Parliament TV will know that for most debates only a handful of MPs attend, and even then most of them are asleep or on their phones. The idea that votes on legislation need personal attendance is farcical. It's 2020 not 1820 FCOL.