There has been a suggestion that shouting by MPs should be discouraged as it increases the risk of sprayed droplets travelling further. Waving order papers around while shouting is likely to increase the effect. I offer no evidence for the latter, just common -sense.
Unfortunately those who watched the MPs queuing to vote the other day could quickly draw the conclusion they totally lack common-sense and are unable to follow simply instructions.
Why should MPs be treated any differently from their constituents who have to queue round a supermarket car park to shop?
A clear case of them and us.
Yes I do realise the queuing slows down the vote and having to be present in parliament excludes a number from voting, but a lot of democratic procedure has suffered also.
The fact that MPs are not present to listen to, and take part in the debates being just one.
Perhaps it is time for a complete shake up of the system abolish the party system and have each MP responsible only to the views of her/his electorate, rather than acting like sheep and following the dictates of a political party.
Cheers
Guy
Tradition, I know, but having to leave the room to queue for voting seems very outdated. The time taken, and in this current situation the risks taken, seem out of proportion. When Brexit (anyone remember when that was all that was talked about in the Commons?) was debated, one day they were in an out every half hour or so, the voting took about10 seconds, the other 29 minutes and 30 seconds were taken up by
them walking out and back in again. Or so it seemed.
In this day and age you would think there might be such a thing as electronic voting.
The Whip might have more of a problem, knowing who their MPs had voted for, but that might not be a bad thing either. Or perhaps the keypads could be individually traced to MPs.
I don't fully understand how Parliament works, and have no particular desire to find out, but so many of the things they do seem heavily steeped in tradition, and inappropriate for 21st century.
Regards Margaret