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Jacob Rees-Mogg tells MPs to 'set example' and return to Commons Speaker warns he will suspend Commons if distancing rules broken
(about 5 hours later)
Call contradicts Speaker and government advice and will put staff and MPs at risk, say unions Statement effectively rules out Jacob Rees-Mogg’s call for all MPs to return to Westminster
Jacob Rees-Mogg is on a collision course with the Speaker, unions and fellow parliamentarians after urging MPs to return to the Commons next month to “set an example” to the rest of the country. The Speaker of the House of Commons has said he will suspend parliament if physical distancing rules are breached in the Commons chamber – effectively ending government hopes that MPs can return to business as usual.
Rees-Mogg, the leader of the Commons, said MPs should “lead by example” in encouraging people back to work by returning to Westminster as the UK moves past the peak of the coronavirus pandemic. Whitehall sources said the government was aiming for a return in early June. It follows calls by the leader of the house, Jacob Rees-Mogg, on Tuesday night for all 650 MPs to return to Westminster to “set an example” to the rest of the country as the coronavirus lockdown is eased in England.
The move would go against current advice to MPs and thousands of support staff and civil servants who work in parliament. At present, they are under instructions to stay at home and to go to the parliamentary estate only if they cannot avoid it. The requirement for 2 metres between people means only 50 MPs can attend the chamber in person, while up to 120 can join proceedings remotely via Zoom.
It would also put the government on a collision course with the Speaker, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, who wrote to parliamentary staff earlier this week urging them to continue to work from home and not to put themselves or their families “at risk”. Rees-Mogg said he did not want to see the “hybrid” arrangements extended beyond the Whitsun recess, which ends on 2 June, and called for MPs to attend in person.
His comments were criticised by opposition parties and unions, who said the move would put lives at risk.
In a rebuke to Rees-Mogg, the Speaker, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, told MPs: “My priority and the priority for all I am sure is to make sure that those on the estate are safe while business is facilitated.
“Nothing in the leader’s announcement changes the rules around social distancing in and around the chamber and throughout the parliamentary estate. The only changes on the guidance can come from Public Health England, I think we are all agreed on that.
“I may suspend sittings between items of business to allow members to enter and exit the chamber. I am also quite prepared to suspend a sitting if I believe that the safe number of honourable members in the chamber risks being exceeded.” .
Hoyle also warned that any move to drop MPs’ newly installed remote voting system would increase the time taken to vote. “If the physical divisions replace remote divisions they will take much longer, possibly up to an hour, to make sure social distancing can be observed,” he said.
Before the lockdown, MPs had eight minutes to cast their votes and the result would follow a few minutes later. Electronic voting, which takes 15 minutes with the result announced later, was used for the first time on Tuesday.
The Speaker’s intervention came in direct response to Rees-Mogg’s statement to MPs on Tuesday. Whitehall sources said the government was aiming for a return in early June.
That would have gone against current advice to MPs and thousands of support staff and civil servants who work in parliament. At present, they are under instructions to stay at home and to go to the parliamentary estate only if they cannot avoid it.
Boris Johnson, the health secretary, Matt Hancock, health minister Nadine Dorries and the cabinet secretary, Sir Mark Sedwill, were among many MPs and civil servants who tested positive for Covid-19.Boris Johnson, the health secretary, Matt Hancock, health minister Nadine Dorries and the cabinet secretary, Sir Mark Sedwill, were among many MPs and civil servants who tested positive for Covid-19.
Following parliament’s first-ever remote vote on Tuesday evening, Rees-Mogg told MPs that he would extend virtual voting to 20 May but did not expect to do so again. Following the remote vote on Tuesday evening, Rees-Mogg told MPs he would extend virtual voting to 20 May but did not expect to do so again.
“It is clear that soon parliament must set an example of how we move back gradually to a fully functioning country again. Our constituents would expect nothing less,” he said.“It is clear that soon parliament must set an example of how we move back gradually to a fully functioning country again. Our constituents would expect nothing less,” he said.
“So while we must move in step with public health guidance, it is vital that when we are asking other people to work and go to their places of work if they cannot do so from home we should not be the ones who are exempt from that.“So while we must move in step with public health guidance, it is vital that when we are asking other people to work and go to their places of work if they cannot do so from home we should not be the ones who are exempt from that.
“Indeed, we should be leading by example.”“Indeed, we should be leading by example.”
Rees-Mogg’s urging appears to contradict a message sent by Hoyle on parliament’s intranet system this week. The Speaker urged staff to work remotely where possible and stated that there were no plans to change the current working arrangements, it is understood. Rees-Mogg, speaking after Hoyle’s statement, said: “It is obviously important that this house maintains social distancing in accordance with the guidelines.”
Politicians and unions said the call was irresponsible. A Labour party spokesperson said ending “the successful hybrid virtual system flies in the face of the government’s own public health advice and its message to work from home where possible”. The prime minister’s official spokesman said: “Work is ongoing by the house authorities in step with the public health advice to carefully move back to more ordinary business and have more physical proceedings in the house. The government supports those efforts.”
“The priority must be protecting the health and wellbeing of all those who work in parliament,” the spokesperson added. But critics have pointed out that Rees-Mogg’s call for a return to “business as usual” follows lacklustre performances by the prime minister in front of a near empty chamber against Labour’s leader, Keir Starmer. Valerie Vaz, the shadow leader, said Rees-Mogg’s aim of a return of a “physical” parliament contradicted the government’s own health advice.
Dave Penman, the head of the FDA, which represents senior clerks and civil servants in parliament, said Rees-Mogg’s words were baffling after the huge amount of work that had gone into enabling parliament to work remotely. The SNP’s shadow Commons leader, Tommy Sheppard, said it was a “fantasy” to believe that physical sittings could resume on 2 June without special procedures being in place.
“Staff have been working tirelessly to ensure the effective working of parliament in these extraordinary circumstances, balancing the needs of an effective democracy with the protection of parliamentarians and the thousands of staff who are necessary to make parliament work. Rees-Mogg’s call followed the government’s 60-page “roadmap” published on Monday, which said: “Parliament must set a national example of how business can continue in this new normal; and it must move, in step with public health guidance, to get back to business as part of this next step, including a move towards further physical proceedings in the House of Commons.”
“A return to normal parliamentary business will see thousands of staff travelling to, and working in, the confined spaces of parliament.
“We are seeking urgent consultation on this proposal including a full risk assessment, which we should be conducted jointly with the trade unions with the results published for all to see.”
Garry Graham, Prospect’s deputy general secretary, said: “The guidelines for other workplaces however, which stipulate for example staggered shifts, cannot be applied here. This could create a massively elevated risk to parliamentary staff.
“For parliament to return in full, safely, there must be proposals in place to limit the number of people working at any one time, and to protect those who have to work. The supply of appropriate PPE must be included in these proposals.”
SNP MP Tommy Sheppard said: “It is crucial that MPs can continue to participate in parliament virtually. Forcing MPs to travel back and forth hundreds of miles across the UK to Westminster would create an unnecessary risk of infection in our communities – and could put lives at risk.”
Rees-Mogg’s call follows the government’s 60-page “roadmap” published on Monday, which said: “It is vital that parliament can continue to scrutinise the government, consider the government’s ambitious legislative agenda and legislate to support the Covid-19 response.
“Parliament must set a national example of how business can continue in this new normal; and it must move, in step with public health guidance, to get back to business as part of this next step, including a move towards further physical proceedings in the House of Commons.”
Stringent physical distancing measures have been introduced to the House of Commons chamber which means that only around 50 MPs can enter at one time.