Calls for remote participation at Westminster for Scottish MPs

SNP MPs are calling for the UK Parliament to extend its hybrid participation beyond the summer recess, to ensure constituents are not disenfranchised if politicians based outside London are unable to travel to Westminster.

SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford speaks during Prime Minister's Questions in the House of Commons, London.

Ian Blackford MP, the SNP’s Westminster Leader, has written to the Prime Minister and the Speaker of the House of Commons, to make the case for continued hybrid proceedings - which would allow a MP to participate in Parliament remotely.

The UK Parliament has scrapped its remote participation with all 650 MPs expected to return to the parliamentary estate in September.

Mr Blackford has raised concerns about the inability of Members to socially distance in the Houses of Parliament, particularly in the House of Commons chamber where there are only 427 seats for 650 MPs. The MP said the ending of hybrid proceedings puts MPs who are clinically vulnerable in a very difficult position, and constituents will be needlessly left without representation if their Member is unable to travel due to health concerns or needing to isolate due to Covid-19.

Mr Blackford said: “The UK Parliament is a distinctly unique workplace whereby hundreds of Members and staff need to travel from all around the country, mostly on public transport, to work in close proximity every week. Despite the recent relaxing of restrictions by the Scottish Government and UK Government, both administrations have made it perfectly clear that we are not yet out of this pandemic and we need to proceed with caution.

“The availability of hybrid proceedings - where a MP can join the chamber or a meeting remotely - has worked for months and the decision to end this remote participation was taken prematurely. It leaves Westminster susceptible to becoming Covid hotspot - with the risk that Members will take Covid home with them to their constituencies, as well as leaving constituents needlessly under-represented if a Member cannot attend Parliament."

He added: "The ending of remote participation also puts MPs who are clinically vulnerable - perhaps due to ill health, or they are pregnant - in an incredibly difficult position. All of us want to move on from this pandemic and return to complete normality as soon as possible - but we can only get there if we proceed with care. Continuing hybrid proceedings in the UK Parliament is common sense."

Earlier this year, a poll for the John Smith Centre at the University of Glasgow led to calls for a permanent end to MPs travelling to Westminster to vote. Message House polled 2099 people across the UK and found more than half believed MPs should continue to vote remotely and take part in debates, with only 35 per cent saying they should be in Parliament to take part.

Centre director and former Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale said remote voting at the Scottish Parliament should become the “new normal”.

A review by the Scottish Parliament’s Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee also said remote voting, along with virtual or hybrid meetings where some MSPs join by video link, should be allowed to continue beyond the pandemic if necessary.

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