Jacob Rees-Mogg Forces MPs Into 'Absurd' Giant Socially Distanced Queue To Vote
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Jacob Rees-Mogg has forced MPs into a giant socially distanced queue to vote on whether to end the “hybrid” parliament that allows remote voting during the coronavirus pandemic.
The spectacle, dubbed the “Mogg conga”, came despite Tory disquiet at the Commons leader’s plans to force MPs back to Westminster if they want to vote, while maintaining social distancing.
The first example of the “absurd” new rules saw MPs snaking out of the Commons and into the adjacent Westminster Hall in a queue believed to be up to a kilometre long, before walking into the chamber and telling Commons speaker Lindsay Hoyle how they were voting.
Other MPs were forced to form a queue stretching to Portcullis House, which is on the other side of Westminster Bridge to the historic Palace of Westminster, which contains the Commons.
Labour MP Ian Byrne dubbed the proceedings “batshit”.
But after around 40 minutes of MPs queuing while social distancing, Rees-Mogg won the key vote rejecting an amendment, which would have restored remote voting, by 242 votes to 185, majority of 57.
It means Commons votes will continue in the same fashion for the foreseeable future despite a significant Tory rebellion of dozens of MPs.
MPs joining the new queue to vote in a socially distanced way. pic.twitter.com/1AgWglRWw4
— Toby Perkins (@tobyperkinsmp) June 2, 2020
Here’s a wider perspective of the same arrangement pic.twitter.com/CuAzSjKlfq
— Toby Perkins (@tobyperkinsmp) June 2, 2020
— Toby Perkins (@tobyperkinsmp) June 2, 2020
BREAKING: the MP queue for the mother of all parliament is “WORLD BREAKING” (12 mins in and we haven’t even got out of the portcullis cafeteria yet...) pic.twitter.com/S5OWcCSHdr
— Daisy Cooper MP 🔶 (@libdemdaisy) June 2, 2020