Photo: PA
MPs will return to Westminster on Tuesday after the Government dropped virtual proceedings, despite concerns shielding politicians will be unable to attend.
A hybrid system enabling parliamentarians to either attend the Commons in person or contribute to proceedings from afar via Zoom has been in place since the end of April.
But Commons Leader Jacob Rees-Mogg announced last month that the Government was pushing ahead with plans for a physical-only Commons after the Whitsun recess, which ends on June 2.
He has tabled a motion preventing the resumption of virtual voting that allowed MPs to have their say from afar during the pandemic.
However, this has angered many MPs including from within his own party.
Robert Halfon, MP who is shielding at home due to health issues, spoke to BBC News on the matter.
He said “What is democratically unjust and entirely wrong, is to say to those MP who can’t go back as self-isolating, shielding or unwell, that they will be denied their fundamental duty which is to vote.
“What that is doing in essence is making us all parliamentary eunuchs, there is no reason why there can’t be a hybrid system where MPs can vote online.
On Rees-Mogg he said: “There was a famous historian who described my party as stern and unbending, in this case stern and unbending is being rigid and showing lack of empathy and lack of understanding.
He continued: “This stern and unbending attitude from the powers that be is why, unfortunately, many people sometimes have problems with the Conservative Party , this is a classic example of that.
“There is no logic no reason, no justification for not allowing MPs who genuinely can’t come in to be able to vote on-line or by proxy.
“There are arch traditionalists in the House of Commons, who seem to take the same attitude of the president of Brazil who called Coronavirus the sniffles.”
If the House approves the plan on Tuesday, MPs may have to form kilometre-long queues in order to obey social distancing rules when voting – despite the Lords planning a move online.
Mr Rees-Mogg argued that democracy would “once again flourish”, having been “curtailed under the hybrid halfway house” which allowed MPs to take part in debates and vote remotely while up to 50 were in the chamber.
And he insisted that the Government is working to establish how shielding MPs could continue to take part.
But the proposal has faced fierce criticism – with the Electoral Reform Society warning it poses a “real threat for democratic representation and political equality” if extremely vulnerable MPs are unable to vote.
Labour and opposition parties have tabled an amendment to the motion seeking to retain remote voting.
Shadow leader of the Commons Valerie Vaz warned Mr Rees-Mogg’s “discriminatory proposals” would result in “two classes of MPs”.
“Those who can physically attend and those unable to owing to the Government’s own rules, including having an underlying health condition or shielding responsibilities.
“The abolition of the hybrid remote Parliament which allowed all MPs to take part regardless of their personal circumstances is discriminatory and would not be acceptable in any other workplace.
“We remain ready to work with the Government and all parties to reach a consensus that would allow all MPs to participate on an equal basis.”
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