UK’s antiquated ideas transcend democracy

ON Tuesday we had the bizarre spectacle of MPs in a socially distanced queue for 45 minutes to pass through the division lobbies to vote on whether electronic voting is to be permitted in these troubled times. Rees-Mogg’s reason for this was that MPs who were not at Westminster would not be in the debate and may vote frivolously.

This is nonsense, as even in normal times many MPs are in their offices or one of the bars when the division bell sounds and they rush to vote while currently only 50 are allowed in the chamber. It is also worth noting that normally MPs have eight minutes to pass through the lobby so that rule was broken.

Of those voting, a majority of fewer than 100 agreed with ReesMogg but fewer than 430 out of 650 members voted.

We must assume that the vast majority of those who were not present were self-isolating or absent for some other Covid-related reason, and if allowed to vote would have opposed Rees-Mogg’s proposals.

So once again the UK’s antiquated ideas rode roughshod over democracy.

Most parliaments (eg the Senedd, Holyrood, Brussels) now have electronic voting and modern debating chambers. Even after the vast sum that is to be spent renovating the Palace of Westminster the chamber will remain the same – insufficient seating, the ludicrous division lobbies, baying across the chamber like drunks on a Friday night.

Despite this there are still letters in your column stating that the Senedd compares poorly to Westminster.

While I often disagree with decisions made in Cardiff Bay, there is no way that it could be worse than the outdated Westminster.

It would be good if they moved into the 20th century – expecting them to live in the 21st century is far too much to expect.

Alan Rumble Ely, Cardiff