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Members of Parliament, including Leader of the House of Commons Jacob Rees-Mogg, queue outside the House of Commons in Westminster as they wait to vote. Jonathan Brady/PA Wire/PA Images
House of Chaos
'Insane idea': MPs queue and complain after being forced return to vote in the House of Commons
The government said it expected some ‘teething problems’ to the new voting system.
CHAOTIC SCENES EMERGED in the House of Commons today as MPs were forced to join a long, snaking queue to decide their voting method during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle and his officials were left repeatedly shouting instructions at MPs as social distancing measures required them to join a queue, keep two metres apart, walk through the Commons chamber and announce their vote.
The queue stretched for several hundred metres, snaking through Westminster Hall and running to Portcullis House, the newer part of the parliamentary estate.
It came as the government dropped procedures which allowed MPs to vote online and speak remotely via Zoom, thereby requiring them to appear in person to take part.
Conservative Karen Bradley, who chairs the Procedure Committee, moved an amendment to keep remote voting in place in the coming weeks, with the division list showing 31 Conservative MPs rebelled to support the proposal.
But it was defeated by 185 votes to 242, majority 57, following a 46-minute division.
MPs later approved the government’s motion to only allow them to vote in person by 261 votes to 163, majority 98.
After Bradley’s amendment to the government’s motion was pushed to a vote, Hoyle said the queuing system would continue as it is the “only method that is compatible” with government-set requirements and those from Public Health England.
MPs queue outside the Houses of Commons in Westminster as they wait to vote. Jonathan Brady / PA Wire/PA Images
Jonathan Brady / PA Wire/PA Images / PA Wire/PA Images
Confusion
Some MPs appeared confused at the new voting procedures.
Some Conservative MPs attempted to exit the chamber via the wrong door, despite being told by the Speaker moments earlier which way to go.
DUP MP Jim Shannon initially walked up to the “noes” column, before correcting himself and walking through the “ayes” section.
Several MPs, including Liberal Democrat Wera Hobhouse and Labour’s Zarah Sultana wore face coverings as they made their votes.
During the debate, Hoyle appealed for “a bit of give and take” from the government and opposition parties to ensure all MPs can continue to vote.
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Commons Leader Jacob Rees-Mogg said he would table a motion tomorrow which would enable MPs unable to attend parliament on medical grounds to take part in certain proceedings, including questions, urgent questions and ministerial statements.
Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak and Leader of the House of Commons Jacob Rees-Mogg queue outside the House of Commons. Jonathan Brady / PA Wire/PA Images
Jonathan Brady / PA Wire/PA Images / PA Wire/PA Images
Rees-Mogg said: “The stopgap of a hybrid Parliament was a necessary compromise during the peak of the virus, but by not being here the House has not worked effectively on behalf of constituents.”
He added he expects “teething problems” with the new voting system which involves queuing, adding it will be “some time before our proceedings are fully restored”.
Concerns
Some experts have said the social distancing measures might not have been enough to mitigate any potential risk of infection spreading, especially given that they were indoors.
Linda Bauld, professor of public health at the University of Edinburgh, said it was “insane” to make MPs return to the Commons to vote.
I got told off for taking this picture, but people need to see how ridiculous this is. We are now 5 lines along with more snaking up the stairs. And not all MPs can be here as some are vulnerable. Each vote is going to take at least 30mins and we have 3 today. What a shower. pic.twitter.com/2otwn6OuKd
“I thought that was a really insane idea to require people to go back into Westminster, in terms of infection controls.”
Bauld added that the science was evolving, but “it wouldn’t be outside the realm of possibility that immediately occupying the same space as somebody who’s been speaking could be a risk”.
She explained: “That wouldn’t necessarily be about the fact that they have to be coughing or sneezing.
“I think these small droplets that we emit when we breathe normally are still a risk and that’s why close contact is a risk.
“So immediately occupying the same space as somebody is probably not a great idea.”
Lawrence Young, professor of molecular oncology at Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, said the House of Commons voting process was “disturbing”.
He said: “Keeping socially distanced is important as is recognising that there is an increased risk of infection in an indoors environment where there is no breeze or air movement.
“Respiratory droplets can spread the virus (even from asymptomatic individuals) and recent work suggests that simply breathing or talking could release tiny particles which can stay suspended in the air in a fine mist produced when infected people exhale.”
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@Robert Halvey: in this case, because she is none of the things in your list. I think it is the ridiculous hype that winds people up. Swift is a prototype for a certain business model in the music industry. That’s her real significance. It began with Presley and the Beatles and is now at the stage marked by swifts marketing,merchandising machine. Worth studying but the music itself ,though popular, is nothing to write home about.
@Robert Halvey: Just one of many things that upsets them I’d imagine. They spend their days complaining and accusing everyone and everything of being “woke”, constantly angry.
@Alan: That’s fair, I think her music is the blandest type of pop that would never interest me. Very little pop music has any interest for me, at the best of times.
She gets a particular level of venom directed towards her that is just not justified though. She is extremely successful and worked hard to achieve that success. She has shone a light on how artists can take control of their music, via the Taylor Versions (which, regardless of what genre or artists you or I like more, benefits from).
Pretty sure that the most vitriolic types that attack her for doing her thing, are the same types that follow people like Andrew Tate or Trump.
@ben wu: but then these records come out in multiple formats and the fans buy them all. Extremely cynical marketing? Plus she doesn’t write all the songs herself, so the image is a composite of various other peoples ideas. Which is fine if you make a point of indicating that. End of the line for me is her bringing her boyfriend onstage ffs lol liberation for women, that’s what I preach
@Alan: As far as I know, regarding the Taylor Versions for those 6 albums, she has always had a songwriting credit, or co-contributing songwriting credit on every song. It’s literally the reason she was able to re-record them when she got blocked from buying the masters.
There are not many major artists that can pull off that sort of move, Prince may have been one, but he chose a different road.
That her fans bought those records, is not really of too much interest to me, and from what I’ve heard, a significant number of people that are not her fans (people that write songs) also bought them just to send a signal to the types that are buying up back catalogues just to profit off of.
@James T.Kirk: Do you not find it a little odd, that the ones that post on every article about her and shout loud about how much they dislike her, are the same types that view every article and think their comment has value?
@Karen Marten: Music tastes are subjective. There are a lot of very successful artists for whom I have utterly no interest in. I don’t engage in disparaging them or their fans, since…why bother? Could also add that success is a metric that is objective, whether number of records sold, or number of concert goers.
I’m fine with liking a lot of artists that don’t have pop success or mainstream recognition, I just don’t see any point in just hating on ones that I wouldn’t listen to. It seems very much like a waste of time.
No idea what the rest of your post even means.
What is going on here? A person with an average voice and who puts together two and three-chord jingles is paid billions? Plato warned that the decline and fall of civilisation would be preceded by the decay of its music. Future looks grim
When will this Swift nonsense end?
It’s going on for weeks, just do your concerts and get lost.
There are other things going on besides these First World problems
Dear Friends in Music,
As a Non-Touring Independent Artist, it’s difficult to grow a fan base.
I’m looking for your help in building a bigger following on Spotify.
I would be very grateful if you could open the link below and click the FOLLOW BUTTON and then click the follow button on my Spotify page.
Very much appreciated,
Thank you
Patrick
Bought two tickets, not for me I hasten to add, but have listened to a few of her songs, and she’s not bad. More a Zep fan myself, with a bit of Mahler or Boulez thrown in for good measure, but now when she comes on the radio, I don’t turn the dial as they say.
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