I’d be interested in others views on this topic.

I’ve been reading the BBC News website live feed of the HoC and Rees-Boggs debate on ending Virtual Parliament. I’ve been so unimpressed by what I’ve read that an email to my Tory-boy MP has been sent.

IMHO this stinks of undermining our Democratic Process by not allowing MPs to vote if they are not in the House due to medical reasons, following the governments own advice, in these ‘unprecedented times’ that keeps being wheeled out by Boris and chums.

Does anyone else share my view, or have another viewpoint?

The only good thing about keeping many MP’s out of parliament is that it denies the Clown in Chief the crowd/audience he needs when he talks his usual shit.

I’m going along with the idea that our excuse for a government want the background noise behind BoJo for PMQs. Anything to try and hide his total lack of ability.

Both points are on the money in my opinion. And I’d gladly keep it that way for a while! Doesn’t mean that MPs shouldn’t be able to vote though.

Yup, BoJo had a chat with Rees Mogg along the lines of “I’m getting slaughtered out there by Starmer, it’s too clinical. I need the boys there to make it sound more supportive of me – make it happen”

The Tories only seem interested in holding on to power but with zero intent of doing anything useful with it. This, is just part of that desperate plan.

Seems like it was a perfect opportunity to do something to modernise some of parliamentary process. That’ll never happen.

Exactly my thinking as well purist

It goes beyond that even, parliament as a building has been unfit for purpose for at least half century now. They need a modern office building with proper IT facilities, a modern debating chamber that doesn’t pitch them against each other, and preferably built on an industrial estate in Runcorn so they can see some of the real world and shouldn’t need to cost too much.

They won’t modernise democracy when their every living day is about enforced tradition and backward looking.

Well, as the amendment was voted down would be interesting to see how the Government propose to continue running parliament within the guidelines set by…..uhhh… the Government!

Ignore them wanting the baying mob behind him

Focus on how it will prevent some MPs from voting if they don’t attend.

Then wonder what the reasons are….

The size of the tory majority, they can win any vote at a canter, it isn’t about stopping the opposition voting, it is about bojo being dissected on television looking like a schoolboy in the headmasters office, they hope he will perform better with the fools baying behind him.

I’d like it if they turned Parliament into a massive hotel and museum during the refurb.

Move the MPs to the NEC or somewhere equally awful but with modern comms.

Would have thought that there would be something in the disability protection legislation that would allow shielding MPs to demand the safety changes they need. Employer required to make reasonable adjustments to working practices etc.

Employer required to make reasonable adjustments to working practices etc.

I was under the impression that MPs were self employed so I don’t know who their “employer” would be, nor whether any employment law applies.

There is pretty much no upper limit on the stupidity of our government.

Partly because they won a large majority & a referendum by telling the biggest lies, the most often

Partly because the MPs themselves, espcialy those in cabinet , moggy etc are the perfect example of privilege over capability.

There are about 250 MPs who are either vulnerable or have caring responsibilities so their attendance is doubtful.
The limit of 50 MPs in the chamber is unchanged so johnson will have few rabid members shouting and grunting their support behind him.
How many/few members will be prepared to queue outside in rees-mogg’s conga waiting to vote when the weather is like today – cool and wet.
The chairs of 16 select committees were in favour of maintaining a virtual parliament but the gov ignored their views – no surprise there.

Focus on how it will prevent some MPs from voting if they don’t attend.

Then wonder what the reasons are….

Exactly my first thought.

Yup, BoJo had a chat with Rees Mogg along the lines of “I’m getting slaughtered out there by Starmer, it’s too clinical. I need the boys there to make it sound more supportive of me – make it happen”

Jacob Rees-Mogg is obsessed with the history, traditions, look and feel of Parliament far far more than he is with the idea of democracy itself, I doubt he even needed a push to do this. He’s probably been in a rage about parliament-by-Zoom and remote voting since it started.

Everybody else has to work from home, if possible, except them. If they can’t figure out a way to do electronic voting for 635 people, there’s no way we’re getting a track and trace app that works. Rees-Mogg says they shouldn’t be able to vote when out for a walk – no, they should be listening to the debate online, then voting.

It’s totally ridiculous. Parliament needs to be dragged into the 21st century.
There’s still a limit of 50 in the chamber, so reinstating the braying mob behind BoJo can’t be the reason.

My (Scottish) MP travelled back to London yesterday to vote against virtual proceedings and voting.

I’ve written to him to ask why he isn’t following Scottish government advice to work from home if possible (and he’s proven over the last 10 weeks that it’s possible) – and why he’s therefore made a non-essential journey to London.

They can and have worked out an electronic voting system. What the parties can’t do is work out how to whip MPs voting electronically into line. The usual tactics won’t work and can be counter productive. What they are worried about is that MPs might start thinking for themselves and start representing the communities they represent (Not a problem for our new local MP who lives 150 odd miles away and seems to have obtained her local knowledge from a T-towel map of the UK).

They’ve just made a law which makes being in somebody else’s house a criminal offence.

God only knows what other shit they will get up to whilst they aren’t facing the scrutiny of a full Parliament.

They can and have worked out an electronic voting system.

But they’ve then decided not to use it as it’s not suitable – maybe it needs testing on the Isle of Wight.

But they’ve then decided not to use it as it’s not suitable – maybe it needs testing on the Isle of Wight.

🙂
That’s where they always go wrong. In the words ofJack Dee, “Welcome to the Isle of Wight, twinned with 1950”. The only place you are going to find less suitable for testing technology would be the Rees-Mogg household.

ifs its good enough to send teachers in and open schools then it should be safe enough for MPs to work in Parliament. Just make sure they stay in their own bubble. The risk is low unless they don’t believe in their own science backed strategy?

Apparently shielding MPs can now vote by proxy…

Thank you both. The good news is that the PM @BorisJohnson has just announced will allow #COVID19 affected MPs to vote via proxy

— Robert Halfon MP -Working Hard for Harlow- (@halfon4harlowMP) June 3, 2020

The only good thing about keeping many MP’s out of parliament is that it denies the Clown in Chief the crowd/audience he needs when he talks his usual shit.

It also massively breaks up the whipping system. With a large group of new MPs from constituencies with different priorities to the traditional Tory core having them at home, talking their voters and thinking about how legislation will effect them, rather than locked in the whips office with a former public school bully goes to town on them means more chance of rebelling against the party line. For JRM this is a BAD THING.

It goes beyond that even, parliament as a building has been unfit for purpose for at least half century now. They need a modern office building with proper IT facilities, a modern debating chamber that doesn’t pitch them against each other, and preferably built on an industrial estate in Runcorn so they can see some of the real world and shouldn’t need to cost too much.

They won’t modernise democracy when their every living day is about enforced tradition and backward looking.

Absolutely this. When the refurb comes due get them out of Westminster.

Apparently shielding MPs can now vote by proxy…

Good news.

Next… assuming MPs are still being stopped from being in the chamber (due to controls on numbers, or because they are shielding) let them contribute to debates remotely.

Just make sure they stay in their own bubble.

Parliament would be a bubble of up to 650 people in the chamber, and filing through the lobbies, if it was to sit as normal. It can’t do that. Until it can, the hybrid parliament should continue… just as more people will continue to work from home more for a while, even as offices open up more. There is no need to jump straight to everyone having to be in the office/parliament, rather than a phased return.

Absolutely this. When the refurb comes due get them out of Westminster.

Yup this was the obvious opportunity to fix many of the physical problems with parliament, as well as make it fit for the present day

In colossal idiot Mogg, there isn’t a worse candidate for this job in the entire land

I’ve written to him to ask why he isn’t following Scottish government advice to work from home if possible (and he’s proven over the last 10 weeks that it’s possible) – and why he’s therefore made a non-essential journey to London.

Because they had to attend in person to vote on this one issue

As I said in the OP, this stinks of either trying to circumvent democracy (as some MPs simply cant get to Westminster under current guidelines) or simply complete incompetence on the part of the idiots trying to do something against their OWN advice and guidelines!

Just 12% of Brits say MPs should have to be in Parliament to vote during the COVID-19 crisis, with news emerging that a minister who fell ill during his Commons speech today has been tested for the disease.

76% say MPs should be able to vote remotelyhttps://t.co/0VdF7MJG2M pic.twitter.com/LR04l7DXOu

— YouGov (@YouGov) June 3, 2020

That went well didn’t it Alok Sharma? Now they all need to self-isolate for 14 days as per the guidelines.

A contemporary of Reece-Mog on Twitter says he was a pseud and fraud when at Oxford and it appears he hasn’t changed or learned anything since then.

Shame Gilbert & Sullivan aren’t around anymore.

I’d love to see their operatic version of this parliament.

On the other hand, how can you make a parody of something that is already a parody of democracy?

That went well didn’t it Alok Sharma?

He was clearly having a crisis. Why did the speaker not demand he stopped and took himself away?

so did the track and trace app kick in. I wonder which poor call centre track and trace operator had to call all those in the chamber? Lets see the figures on how the world beating app is doing.

Doesn’t T&T only include those within 2m of the infected person for 15 mins? If that’s the case then it’ll not be many folk.

I think that MPs should be back in Parliament. They are keen for everyone else to go back to work and make the required arrangements for children COVID etc. It about time that MPs were taking a lead and were sitting properly and demonstrating their commitment that they expect from the rest of us