MP calls for extension of proxy voting after surviving stroke
SNP MP Amy Callaghan has criticised the Commons’ authorities over her continued “exclusion” from participating in Westminster business remotely after surviving a catastrophic stroke in June 2020. Callaghan, the MP for East Dunbartonshire, told The House that the denial of proxy votes for disabled MPs and those with medical conditions has left her “sidelined” and “frustrated”. “It’s incredibly difficult to me that a button can be pushed and I can do my job as easily as I was doing prior to being unwell, but the House authorities and the former leader of the House [ Jacob Rees-Mogg] have stopped that from happening.”
Callaghan made the 420-mile trip to Westminster in person for the first time since her stroke shortly before February recess, against her doctor’s advice. She still has limited mobility, cannot stand for long-periods of time and struggles with over-stimulation due to the nature of her brain injury. She says it is physically impossible for her to get from her office to the division lobbies in time to vote, and is wary of “nodding through” after government whips suspended the centuries-old convention over Brexit votes in 2018.
The Procedure Committee is currently considering the expansion of proxy voting, and Callaghan has given evidence to its inquiry. She has also met with Mark Spencer, the new Leader of the House, who she says was “really reasonable”.
Proxy voting for MPs on parental leave was first piloted in January 2019, and made permanent in September 2020. The scheme was temporarily extended to include MPs unable to attend Westminster for medical or public health reasons during Covid in June 2020. This expired in July 2021.
Callaghan says extending proxy voting should be considered on a case-by-case basis, supported by evidence from medical professionals.
A spokesperson for the Procedure Committee said: “The committee will report back to the House with final recommendations in the near future. It will then be a matter for the government, who must table a motion to allow a debate so the House as a whole can decide how to move forward on the matter.”
A House of Commons spokesperson said: “The House Service stands ready to make any changes as necessary following any potential decisions of the House relating to how proceedings are conducted.”