My terrible time away from the House, by Labour veteran
THEGREENbenchesoftheHouseof Commons are usually packed with MPs wanting their voice to be heard, especially during historic moments such as when the Prime Minister imposed what have been described by some politicians as “Draconian” lockdown measures.
But for nearly a year now the chamber has been desolate, even on the most momentous of occasions.
While some MPs have been able to physically make interventions, in a socially distanced manner, others with health conditions or who are older have been forced to stay away.
And for veteran 80- year- old Huddersfield MP Barry Sheerman, inset – a parliamentarian for 41 years – the wrench has been heartbreaking.
“I’m one of the most active parliamentarians in terms of speeches, interventions, all that sort of stuff,” Mr Sheerman said when speaking to this week, having just received the first dose of the coronavirus vaccine.
“I do it because I love it. I spent 10 years being chair of a select committee and that takes you out of the House for a long time. You’re upstairs in the committee rooms doing inquiries. But once that finished I said, ‘ What’s next?’ I just wanted to be a good parliamentarian.”
Labour’s Mr Sheerman has become known for his fiery interventions. One in particular was levelled at former Attorney General Geoffrey Cox in September 2019, when Mr Sheerman accused him of having “no shame” over the prorogation of Parliament. And he has tried to keep up the passion via video links beamed on to TV screens in the Commons.
“I got quite a few comments on a speech I made last week on the Brexit deal,” he said. “Okay, it was online, and it was only three or four minutes, but you adapt your technique.” Mr Sheerman admitted that even though he has received his first vaccine dose – and his appointment for his second dose had not yet been cancelled – he did not expect to return to the chamber quite yet as he had vulnerable family members to consider. And by the time the third national lockdown is over he will have been away for as long as a year, a situation he described as “terrible”.
This prompted him to have tense exchanges with the leader of the House, Jacob Rees- Mogg, who has been reluctant to allow remote participation to continue.