The images of MPs queuing are ridiculous. But this is what the government wants you to think – that parliament is broken

These new rules are nothing more than an attempt to degrade democracy – that also increase the coronavirus risk for those working around Westminster

Make no mistake, those pictures of MPs queueing for hours to vote are as ridiculous as they look. That is the point.

The government refusing to allow the continuation of remote voting while the coronavirus pandemic rumbles on is done only to completely degrade parliament. They want us to look silly and for people to look on in horror at the stupidity of the system.

The government want you, the general public, to look at the queue which they devised and think that politics is broken. They want you to hate the establishment, well the bit of the establishment that puts them in their place. The fact that they are the crème de la crème of establishment, do as I say not as I do, that bit they are fine with.

They did this to degrade parliament. I don’t mind waiting in a long queue, I’ll do it all day long if I have to, I do mind an arrogant government wanting to degrade democracy.

Jacob Rees Mogg, the leader of the Commons, claims that scrutiny is better done in a physical parliament and I do not disagree. I would much rather be there talking things over, pushing the ministers buttons, fighting the corner of my constituents. However, the end of remote voting and remote contributions has in no way increased the opportunity for that.

For those who are shielding, who are pregnant, or live with others who are shielding, it completely eliminates a chance to hold people to account. For those of us who can go, it has made absolutely no difference to the level of debate. No more people are in the chamber of the House of Commons than were in there when it was virtual.

Members of parliament have to sit in their offices and watch it on the television and then go and stand in a really long queue. Select committees are still virtual so members of parliament are sitting in their Westminster offices taking part via Zoom, less than five metres away from where the committee is taking place because the distancing doesn't allow them to be in the room.

There are no more opportunities for debate, but I tell you what there is plenty of opportunity to do – spread the virus. The parliamentary staff and the speaker have done their best to create an environment of distancing, however, I have seen at least 20 breaches of the two-metre rule while in the queue alone. Three times I had to tell two cabinet ministers that they were nowhere near two metres apart in the queue.

I don’t even blame them because it’s so easy to do, just to fall in step with someone as you chat. Again you might not care if a load of MPs get sick or stand around in a queue all day, I get it we are not the most beloved group of people, but let me tell you about the staff who work in Westminster.

Sitting in one of the various eating areas in parliament on Tuesday. In almost every single case as I looked around the staff – there are normally five or six in each eating area – were black and ethnic minority people. On the very same day that the government released its report on higher risk and death rates in this group, we all stood chatting, eating and drinking around those most at risk.

I asked some of them how they felt, one lamented that they all have to travel in via public transport, one simply shrugged when I asked them how they felt about it, “what choice do we have?”. There is absolutely no way that if a member of parliament had Covid-19 that it would not be spread around Westminster as it is now. Those at most risk of serious illness will just have to rely on hope I guess.

I thought that the government wanted parliament back in a physical form so that the prime minister would have some pals. I thought that they wanted to send a message that people should get back to work and so parliament would lead the way.

However, after spending hours of my day essentially doing the conga around parliament, I am convinced it is just a ridiculous act of degradation of the system of democracy in our country. There is no reason why it cannot continue in the hybrid system we have had for the past few months.

The government is just flexing its muscles like a bully dunking our heads in the toilet while it laughs. But don’t worry, it doesn’t really matter, it’s not like anyone could die or anything.

Jess Phillips is the Labour MP for Birmingham Yardley