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!