• Privacy policy
  • T&C’s
  • About Us
    • FAQ
    • Meet the Team
  • Contact us
TLE ONLINE SHOP!
  • TLE
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Opinion
  • Elevenses
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • Film
    • Lifestyle
      • Horoscopes
    • Lottery Results
      • Lotto
      • Thunderball
      • Set For Life
      • EuroMillions
  • Food
    • All Food
    • Recipes
  • Property
  • Travel
  • Tech/Auto
  • JOBS
No Result
View All Result
The London Economic
SUPPORT THE LONDON ECONOMIC
NEWSLETTER
  • TLE
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Opinion
  • Elevenses
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • Film
    • Lifestyle
      • Horoscopes
    • Lottery Results
      • Lotto
      • Thunderball
      • Set For Life
      • EuroMillions
  • Food
    • All Food
    • Recipes
  • Property
  • Travel
  • Tech/Auto
  • JOBS
No Result
View All Result
The London Economic
No Result
View All Result
Home Politics

MPs ‘risk becoming 650 super-spreaders’ if forced to return to Westminster

The Government wants to see MPs return to Parliament as early as June to ‘set an example’ for the country.

Joe Mellor by Joe Mellor
2020-05-19 14:43
in Politics
Stock image
Credit;PA

Stock image Credit;PA

FacebookTwitterLinkedinEmailWhatsapp

Plans for MPs to return to Westminster next month risk creating 650 Covid-19 “super-spreaders”, a Labour MP has warned.

Commons Leader Jacob Rees-Mogg has accused Labour of opposing the full re-opening of Parliament in order to “stymie” the Government after he indicated last week he would like to see MPs return to Parliament as early as June.

It comes as MPs learnt that the planned multibillion-pound renovation of the Palace of Westminster is set for a review due to the Covid-19 outbreak and cost fears.

MPs including Labour’s Chi Onwurah (Newcastle upon Tyne Central) warned ending the current hybrid proceedings – which has seen MPs contributing to debates via webcam and voting electronically for the first time – would force MPs to return to Westminster from their constituencies en masse.

Digital parliament

In a question to the House of Commons Commission spokesman SNP MP Pete Wishart, Ms Onwurah said: “The digital Parliament has been a huge success.

“But now the Leader of the House wants to abandon it and instead insist that 650 MPs – potential super-spreaders – travel from across the country to cram into Westminster putting constituents and staff at risk.

“Why would the Government choose to ignore its own advice that those who can work from home should?

RelatedPosts

Conservatives suffer hat-trick of council by-election defeats

Watch: Tories take a beating as BBC QT heads to Inverness

Steve Bray fundraiser nears a quarter of a MILLION pounds

Labour MP asks whether US-born Boris should be deported for breaking the law

“Unless it is to cast a protective cloak around their floundering Prime Minister?”

I am answering questions on behalf of the House of Commons Commission at 12. Important questions on supporting staff, our hybrid proceedings and how the Commons is dealing with COVID. pic.twitter.com/EkIEFRPtAf

— Pete Wishart (@PeteWishart) May 19, 2020

SNP MP Carol Monaghan (Glasgow North West) said it was “almost impossible” to go 10-metres without having to touch a door handle in Parliament and asked how MPs and House staff can keep safe.

Mr Wishart replied: “The House is doing everything possible to ensure that we do become a Covid-19 secure workplace.

“She is right to note that if we do abandon these virtual proceedings tomorrow it will be necessary for 650 members to travel from all corners of the UK to participate in proceedings in an environment that will be very, very challenging in order to ensure we maintain social distancing requirements.”

Speaking on his ConservativeHome podcast, published earlier on Tuesday, Mr Rees-Mogg said the hybrid provisions limited the amount of scrutiny of legislation.

He added: “Frankly, the opposition like having a hybrid Parliament because what is the opposition there to do? It’s there to stop the Government getting things done.

Scrutiny

“And it was willing to sacrifice a degree of scrutiny to stymie the Government’s programme.”

📽️ Our democracy needs a building that will work and function as a legislature. The restoration and renewal of St Stephen's Hall and wider Palace of Westminster should preserve our unique history while ensuring taxpayer value for money. 👇@HouseofCommons | @Jacob_Rees_Mogg pic.twitter.com/tjKT5QU6nf

— Leader of the House of Commons (@CommonsLeader) November 3, 2019

Later, Tory MP Damian Hinds, spokesman for the Parliamentary Works Sponsor Body, told the Commons that the Covid-19 outbreak had forced the parliamentary authorities to “think afresh” about the £4 billion Restoration and Renewal programme.

Under current proposals, MPs and peers are set to move out of the Palace of Westminster as part of a so-called “decant”.

The Commons would move to Richmond House – the former Whitehall home of the Department of Health – and the Lords to the nearby Queen Elizabeth II Centre in Parliament Square in the mid-2020s, with the whole project slated for completion early in the following decade.

Mr Hinds said: “Covid-19 is going to cause all of us to think afresh about many things.

“For the Restoration and Renewal project value for money is clearly vital, indeed it is a statutory obligation.

“With the sponsor body and delivery authority now substantive we will conduct a strategic review which is going to consider the trade-offs and compromises that could be available.

“Of course any such decisions would be for Parliament to make.”

Related – Covid-19: Government under fire over its handling of care home crisis

Since you are here

Since you are here, we wanted to ask for your help.

Journalism in Britain is under threat. The government is becoming increasingly authoritarian and our media is run by a handful of billionaires, most of whom reside overseas and all of them have strong political allegiances and financial motivations.

Our mission is to hold the powerful to account. It is vital that free media is allowed to exist to expose hypocrisy, corruption, wrongdoing and abuse of power. But we can't do it without you.

If you can afford to contribute a small donation to the site it will help us to continue our work in the best interests of the public. We only ask you to donate what you can afford, with an option to cancel your subscription at any point.

To donate or subscribe to The London Economic, click here.

The TLE shop is also now open, with all profits going to supporting our work.

The shop can be found here.

You can also SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER .

Subscribe to our Newsletter

View our  Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions

Trending on TLE

  • All
  • trending
Abdollah

‘Rescue us’: Afghan teacher begs UK to help him escape Taliban

CHOMSKY: “If Corbyn had been elected, Britain would be pursuing a much more sane course”

What If We Got Rid Of Prisons?

More from TLE

Brexit blamed as Philips close Suffolk factory

Grexit or no Grexit, Greece must tackle its tax evasion problem

Can Man Utd legend Wayne Rooney save Derby County

‘Believe in Yourself’ and More Meaningless Advice

Grieving mum goes missing two days after son was found dead in woodland

NHS workers to be thanked with nationwide round of applause

Trump is plotting a coup: Will he succeed?

Council used a plane with thermal imaging to catch rogue landlords keeping tenants in ‘appalling’ conditions

Support for Scottish independence hits 50%, poll suggests

So do the Tories have the 48 letters they need to unseat PM Theresa May?

JOBS

FIND MORE JOBS

About Us

TheLondonEconomic.com – Open, accessible and accountable news, sport, culture and lifestyle.

Read more

© 2019 thelondoneconomic.com - TLE, International House, 24 Holborn Viaduct, London EC1A 2BN. All Rights Reserved.




No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • Lifestyle
  • Food
  • Travel
  • JOBS
  • More…
    • Elevenses
    • Opinion
    • Property
    • Tech & Auto
  • About Us
    • Meet the Team
    • Privacy policy
  • Contact us

© 2019 thelondoneconomic.com - TLE, International House, 24 Holborn Viaduct, London EC1A 2BN. All Rights Reserved.