Green MP calls for electronic voting system in Parliament

Ellie Chowns said it was ‘extraordinary’ that the House of Commons continues to rely on MPs physically casting their vote.

Green MP Ellie Chowns is calling for electronic voting (Ian West/PA) (PA Wire)

Parliament should get rid of the voting lobbies and move to a fully electronic voting system, a Green Party MP has argued.

Ellie Chowns said it was “extraordinary” that the House of Commons continues to rely on MPs physically casting their vote and urged the Government to modernise the system.

According to the North Herefordshire MP, a single vote in the Commons could save a combined total of 150 hours of “wasted” MP time.

Speaking in the Commons, Ms Chowns said: “It’s extraordinary to me that we do not have electronic voting, we have a semi system.

If you added each of those votes it adds up to basically a month's worth of MP time, it is an utter waste of time, totally unproductive. We could be getting through far more

Ellie Chowns

“While I’ve been here I’ve participated in five votes and that’s taken at least an hour and a quarter.

“If you added each of those votes, it adds up to basically a month’s worth of MP time, it is an utter waste of time, totally unproductive. We could be getting through far more.

“So, let’s get rid of the voting lobbies, we could double the size, physical size, of the chamber if you got rid of the voting lobbies, that’s a genuine, practical suggestion.”

DUP MP Jim Shannon (Strangford) disagreed with Ms Chowns and said: “I suggest we don’t change it.”

He added that “modernisation of the voting system was necessary for function during covid”, but went on to say that “we need to be incredibly careful” of the considered changes to the Commons voting system.

As part of the debate on modernising Parliament, Ms Chowns argued that time limits should always be placed during debates.

The former Member of the European Parliament (MEP) said: “I’m used to speaking in chambers in which there is a time limit, and I think time limits aid the democratic process because they mean that everybody gets an equal chance, a fair crack of the whip, at having their voice heard within the chamber.

“If we had more time limits there would be more opportunity for people to participate and perhaps MPs would be more keen to participate in debates here.”

Ms Chowns also criticised the culture in the chamber and claimed that she had witnessed “braying” while some members were speaking during her first few days as an MP.