Written evidence submitted by Andrew Gwynne MP (CVR 110)

I am writing this submission as the Member of Parliament for Denton and . Since contracting Coronavirus just prior to the lockdown, I have been suffering from the debilitating condition that has become known as Long Covid. This has severely limited my ability to operate as I normally would and, as a result of this, I have been participating in parliamentary proceedings virtually throughout this crisis.

I am, of course, far from alone in this. Many other colleagues – from all parties – are self- isolating as a result of the pandemic. We are effectively a second-class of MPs – unable to debate legislation or other substantive matters, apply for adjournment and other debates, or vote other than by proxy. This diminished status effectively disenfranchises our constituents.

One of the strangest things about the changes to procedures is the extent to which the situation facing self-isolating members and our constituents has been forgotten. The inability of MPs who are shielding or otherwise self-isolating to participate as full Members of the House is absolutely the fundamental flaw with the current procedure and yet there is a widespread tendency to ignore this entirely.

With the greatest of respect to the Committee, the Call for Evidence hints that the Procedure Committee is continuing to perpetuate this approach of forgetting or ignoring isolating members. Issues around time limits and seating arrangements mean very little if you are unable to participate in the first place.

I think it’s worth revisiting how we got to this stage. The initial hybrid procedures were not perfect, but they did allow all members to participate and vote fully. Instead of improving and expanding on these procedures, they were pared back. I fully understand that there were concerns about the inability to make interventions and so on, but this could have been developed rather than abandoned. It was particularly telling that the votes to make the changes to procedures that diminished the role of isolating Members excluded those same Members.

Just to give an indication of the practical implications of the current procedure, under the initial hybrid procedures, I was able to participate in a debate on fire services in Greater – an issue of great importance to my constituents. Under the current procedure, my constituency neighbour William Wragg secured a debate on the temporary closure of the Manchester Piccadilly – Rose Hill Marple line which would have meant no trains at all from Fairfield Station in my constituency. This was an issue that William, and I worked cross-party on, but I was unable to speak in that debate.

I have co-sponsored a Backbench Business debate on Long Covid that I hope will take place in the coming weeks. As someone with first-hand experience of this condition – which is affecting thousands across the UK – I think I can make a valuable contribution to the debate, but I cannot do so virtually. In other words, the fact that I have Long Covid makes it impossible for me to speak in a debate on that very topic! What happened to “no decision about me, without me”? I realise that there is concern among some about precedent. This is the reason why virtual voting was abandoned. If it were shown to be more effective than traditional in-person voting, we might never go back. Similarly, if Members are allowed to participate virtually now, what would stop this in the future. Regardless of the merits of either, it will not have escaped the Government’s notice that they have a large majority. If they don’t like elements of procedure that have been introduced to facilitate us doing our jobs properly during these extraordinary times, they have the power to ensure that these changes are temporary.

Many of our constituents are vulnerable to Covid and are shielding. The fact that the House of Commons has excluded MPs in the same position from doing their jobs fully is disgraceful and – crucially – entirely avoidable. It does not have to be this way and it should not be this way.

October 2020