Voting in person - why??

[Jourdain11]

I get the issues with virtual parliament, I really do: it was clearly hard to sustain any kind of meaningful debate or to pass legislation efficiently. But I'm struggling to understand why the government have chosen to sacrifice so much goodwill over the completely pointless matter of voting in person!

Queueing to vote in such a way is incredibly time-consuming; there are obviously risks in terms of infection and people fainting from standing up for too long and so on. What if it is raining? What if it is 32 degrees blazing sunshine? Surely it would be so much easier just to allow the MPs to vote by button for now.

The argument that MPs should be present at the debate before voting is invalid because 2/3 usually aren't in the chamber when the vote is called anyway (that's why they ring a bell).

The Whips can still exercise their power of persuasion with recalcitrant members before the button is pressed. Presumably they aren't allowed to nobble people and give them Chinese Burns in the queue anyway at the moment.

It just seems so pointless - so much argument, so much goodwill used up, so much potential risk even, over something that really makes no difference and could easily be sacrificed (and the government could save up the credit to argue for something more important in terms of procedure at a later date).

I just don't get it!

[Kljnmw3459]

YANBU I'm sure it's just to make voting harder for certain MPs.

[Jourdain11]

@Kljnmw3459

YANBU I'm sure it's just to make voting harder for certain MPs.

I still find that weird though! The Tories have way more "shire" seats than Labour and I bet they have more MPs who are shielding, too.

[Jourdain11]

Nobody else?

[Lockdownlooks]

Yanbu
The constituents of MPs who are otherwise fit and healthy will disenfranchised. It is one thing to speak virtually but if the MP can’t vote what’s the point?

This seems to be an argument that if teachers are needing to physically go back to work and key workers have worked through MPs should as well. I think it is misguided. Everyone who can work from home is currently expected to. If a shielding worker could do more of their job WFH (an MP voting) and it was refused that would be madness.

[TheHighestSardine]

I think the concept of technology give Rees Mogg indigestion, so he's rolling back the clock again.

Shame really, the virtual parliament push has been the only successful response to covid19 from the Tories. Perhaps it was axed for that reason alone.