JRM - an 18th C scumbag 'nasty party' throwback !!!

JRM - the leader of Parliament - has caused chaos and havoc in his rulings on how Parliament functions during the pandemic.


'International laughing stock': MPs made to form 'mile-long conga' outside Parliament to vote


A Labour frontbencher has said the government has "lost its marbles" after MPs were forced to form a massive queue outside Parliament in order to vote.

MP Tan Dhesi told Yahoo News UK that Boris Johnson's administration has made the UK an "international laughing stock" following the bizarre scenes in Westminster on Tuesday afternoon.

MPs were made to return to Parliament to decide on a new voting method during the coronavirus pandemic, after House of Commons leader Jacob Rees-Mogg dropped procedures which allowed MPs to vote online and speak remotely via Zoom.




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MPs form huge queue to vote in Parliament
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The queue from the Commons stretched for several hundred metres, snaking through Westminster Hall and running to Portcullis House, which is across from road from Parliament and holds many MPs' offices.

After spending an hour queueing, shadow rail minister and Slough MP Dhesi told this website: "It was a mile-long conga, absolutely farcical.

"It's a waste of our time. In this day and age, there are much better ways to be voting."

He said the government has "lost its marbles", with Tuesday's scenes making the nation an "international laughing stock".

Dhesi went on: "Because of the way the government has dealt with the pandemic, we have become a classic case study of how not to be dealing with a pandemic.

"Now, whether it's bringing the hybrid parliament to an end, whether it's voting... the whole situation is farcical and has made us a complete laughing stock."

Referring to MPs' workloads, Dhesi said: "Everybody's busy, they've got 50 other things to do. What they don't want to be doing is waiting in queues for an hour at a time."

Absolute farce!
Mile long congo of MPs queuing to vote, because Govt can't do sensible thing and vote online.

This inept Govt, having made UK a classic case study of how not to deal with a pandemic, has now completely lost its marbles and made us an international laughing stock. pic.twitter.com/VsAZdHD5GY

— Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi MP (@TanDhesi) June 2, 2020
A number of Labour MPs also reacted furiously.

Deputy leader and Ashton-under-Lyme MP Angela Rayner accused Rees-Mogg of dropping the virtual proceedings to help Boris Johnson get backing during Prime Minister's Questions.

This queue for voting in parliament is utter and complete chaos, MPs not knowing where to go, massive queues stretching outside, MPs from all sides of the house saying it's a shambles, because JRM is a "traditionalist" & to get a few Tory MPs behind the PM at #PMQs#ReesMoggConga

— � Angela Rayner � (@AngelaRayner) June 2, 2020
Backbencher and Ilford North MP Wes Streeting, meanwhile, said it was his most unproductive day since the lockdown began.

The most unproductive day I've had since lockdown (and can't remember the last time a day was as unproductive as this). Meanwhile casework, preparation for business tomorrow and Finance Bill Committee on Thursday is waiting back in the office. It's an outrageous waste of time. https://t.co/L93xEe5DyM

— Wes Streeting MP (@wesstreeting) June 2, 2020
Even Conservative backbencher Steve Baker, the MP for Wycombe, spoke out against his Brexit ally Rees-Mogg, saying the queuing situation was a "complete farce".

This is a farce. I should think we will be back to remote voting before we are all much older. pic.twitter.com/n4vcOKGidb

— Steve Baker MP (@SteveBakerHW) June 2, 2020
Conservative MP Karen Bradley, who chairs the procedure committee, moved an amendment to keep remote voting in place in the coming weeks, with several Conservative MPs rebelling to support the proposal.

It was defeated by 185 votes to 242, a majority of 57.

MPs ultimately approved the government's motion to only allow them to vote in person by 261 votes to 163, a majority of 98.

Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle had said the queuing system would continue if MPs supported it, as it is the "only method that is compatible" with government-set social distancing requirements and those from Public Health England.

However, Labour MP Charlotte Nichols posted a picture suggesting MPs had been unable to maintain the government's two-metre advice.

Social distancing for the vote going spectacularly badly, what a joke. pic.twitter.com/PzqsZAzQ0v

— Charlotte Nichols (@charlotte2153) June 2, 2020
Rees-Mogg said: "The stopgap of a hybrid Parliament was a necessary compromise during the peak of the virus, but by not being here the House has not worked effectively on behalf of constituents."

He added he expects "teething problems" with the new voting system because of the queuing, adding it will be "some time before our proceedings are fully restored".