Coronavirus: Commons staff resisting Rees-Mogg drive to force MPs back to Westminster

MPs warn they could become 'superspreaders' if virtual proceedings halted

A revolt by parliamentary staff could kill off Jacob Rees-Mogg’s plans for an early return of MPs to Westminster, amid warnings that he risks creating a pool of hundreds of coronavirus “super-spreaders” in the House of Commons.

Mr Rees-Mogg is pressing for a move away from virtual sessions as early as next month, and today accused Labour of opposing the full re-opening of parliament in a bid to “stymie” the government’s legislative agenda.

But Labour MPs retorted that Rees-Mogg only wants MPs back in the hope that baying ranks of Tories on the backbenchers will bolster a “floundering” Boris Johnson at prime minister’s questions.

And at a crunch meeting with Commons authorities on Tuesday afternoon, the Prospect union representing many Commons staff demanded the retention of the current digital system, warning that employee health must not be put at risk for the sake of the government avoiding bad PR.

Deputy general secretary Garry Graham warned that the government is at risk of breaching its own guidance to employers, which states that staff should “work from home if you can” and that employers must carry out Covid-19 risk assessments in consultation with workers or unions.

No risk assessment has yet been taken for a full return to parliament, which would involve hundreds more staff attending beyond those currently operating the hybrid system under which most MPs take part via video link and vote electronically and no more than 50 enter the chamber at a time.

Under social distancing rules, a traditional vote with 650 MPs in the Commons chamber could take an hour to complete with the queue to vote stretching as long as 1.2km. If six or seven divisions were called, MPs could spend their whole working day voting, warned MrGraham.

At today’s meeting of the House of Commons Commission, chaired by Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle and attended by Mr Rees-Mogg, Prospect was arguing that the current system is working well and should be maintained.

MPs warned that forcing them back to Westminster would create a health risk.

In a question in the Commons to Commission spokesman Pete Wishart, Labour’s Chi Onwurah said: “The digital parliament has been a huge success.

“But now the Leader of the House wants to abandon it and instead insist that 650 MPs – potential super-spreaders – travel from across the country to cram into Westminster putting constituents and staff at risk.

“Why would the Government choose to ignore its own advice that those who can work from home should, unless it is to cast a protective cloak around their floundering prime minister?”

Under the 'hybrid' system, the Commons chamber is almost empty for prime minister's questions (UK Parliament/AFP/Getty)

SNP MP Carol Monaghan said it was “almost impossible” to go 10 metres without having to touch a door handle in parliament and asked how MPs and House staff can keep safe.

Mr Wishart replied: “The House is doing everything possible to ensure that we do become a Covid-19 secure workplace.

“She is right to note that if we do abandon these virtual proceedings tomorrow it will be necessary for 650 members to travel from all corners of the UK to participate in proceedings in an environment that will be very, very challenging in order to ensure we maintain social distancing requirements.”

Speaking on his ConservativeHome podcast, Mr Rees-Mogg said the hybrid provisions limited the amount of scrutiny of legislation.

He added: “Frankly, the opposition like having a hybrid parliament because what is the opposition there to do? It’s there to stop the Government getting things done.

“And it was willing to sacrifice a degree of scrutiny to stymie the Government’s programme.

“The mood of the House is crucial to how our system works. The crucible of debate, the system of testing ideas to see whether they are any good or not. If a minister gives a weak argument, that is exposed when the chamber has people in it. In a virtual parliament, a minister can say what he or she wants to say and there is no comeback.

“The idea that we could be asking schools to go back but the House of Commons either isn’t seen as central and therefore it doesn’t need to come back or MPs wouldn’t be willing to take the same steps as school teachers seems to me unreasonable.”

Mr Rees-Mogg said the digital parliament was an “amazing technological achievement”.

But he added: “It simply isn’t a proper parliament doing its job. That is the key. Actually, the House of Commons physically working, fully working is essential.”

In the week to 11 May, the hybrid parliament, sitting three days a week, had completed 389 minutes of debate, compared to 600 in a week before lockdown, he said

Mr Graham rejected Mr Rees-Mogg’s arguments.

“Staff have made herculean efforts to enable parliament to work remotely, keeping MPs and staff safe and ensuring our democracy is unimpaired,” he said.

“It beggars belief that the government would throw all of this away by forcing hundreds of MPs and staff to return to Westminster, putting them at risk and causing vast delays that will hamstring parliament’s ability to function effectively.

“We will not allow people to be put at risk simply to create good PR for the government. All we are asking for is for the government to follow its own advice that when work can be done from home it should be, and that nobody should be forced to return to work without a full risk assessment.

“If government can’t even follow its own guidance then it would give the green light to every rogue employer in the country to put the lives of their staff and the wider community on the line. We want to work with the government and authorities where their requests are reasonable but a weekly trouncing at PMQs is not a good enough reason to put people’s health at risk.”

In a joint letter last Friday, Sir Lindsay, Mr Rees-Mogg and Labour’s shadow leader of the Commons Valerie Vaz said they did not want House staff or MPs’ staff in the Palace of Westminster, and urged them to work remotely whenever possible. Hoyle has also warned he is ready to suspend Commons proceedings if more than 50 MPs enter the chamber.