One of the most awful things about Jacob Rees-Mogg’s intransigence over ending the virtual Parliament is the position it has put MPs with caring responsibilities in.
Although Mogg reluctantly agreed that MPs who were shielding could get a proxy vote, but he will not because he is caring for his disabled wife and not shielding himself. This is incredibly unjust.
In normal times, Jamie was able to travel to Westminster with the help of carers who came in to look after his wife, Flora. Because of the risk of spreading the virus, the carers are not coming in any more. Jamie and others in that position should not have to choose between doing their jobs and looking after the people who depend on them when it is perfectly possible for him to do both.
Jacob Rees-Mogg moaned about MPs tweeting about casting parliamentary votes while out for a walk. It’s kind of like when people said that the coronation shouldn’t be televised because it would be watched by men in public houses with their hats on. A horrible, them and us elitist view of people’s place in life. The ruling elite runs thing and the governed just have to put up with it.
Anyway Jamie has been talking to Politics Joe about the whole thing – in some fairly frank terms. Enjoy the video here.
"I think, ah mate, you’ve got this one wrong. You’ve got a lot of people … saying you’re talking bollocks."@Jamie4North says Jacob Rees-Mogg is undermining British democracy. pic.twitter.com/GMW4zG09fX
— PoliticsJOE (@PoliticsJOE_UK) June 5, 2020
* Caron Lindsay is Editor of Liberal Democrat Voice and blogs at Caron's Musings. You can find her on Bluesky at caronmlindsay.bsky.social
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13 Comments
They should resign as MPs as they clearly can’t do the job they were elected for. A few by-elections would concentrate the government’s mind wonderfully one suspects.
The question of the day is should John Bercow get a peerage?
I have read the memoirs of ao recent Speaker, who needed to deal with the issue of Gerry Adams wanting facilities after being elected, twice. She decided in advance not to wear a wig.
I suspect that Nick Clegg did not vote for a Liberal Democrat as Speaker because he wanted someone radical. John Bercow has been good for scrutiny by allowing Urgent Notice Questions. So John Bercow should not rely on tradition, but arrange pairing with a Leader of the House.
He should write a manifesto as memoirs, commenting on each previous Speaker of the Commons and include his own opinions on parliamentary reform. Would he have voted for the execution of Charles the First for High Treason? (bearing in mind that the heir to the throne is called Charles).
Should Senators have a term limit?
Jenny. Barnes 6th Jun ’20 – 2:06pm
There was a tradition that the local electorate should decide on whether they wanted their MP to be a Minister, which is why Winston Spencer Churchill fought so many elections. A tradition which perhaps Moggy should support?
“Would he have voted for the execution of Charles the First for High Treason?”… Bercow was only born in 1963, so he was only just a twinkle in his ancestors’ eyes back in 1649 …….. though I gather it was neck and neck at the time and Charlie just lost it by a short head.
Well done Jamie!
Perhaps James Graham’s play, This House, could be mandatory viewing for all MPs – principles do matter.
Judging by the number of times MPs are seen playing on their phones/tablets in the chamber the idea that using them outside the chamber is ‘unconstitutional’ rings rather hollow..
A bit like ‘Rees-Moggs head.
Please don’t call the ludicrous Rees Mogg by initials that suggest familiarity or fondness for him. ‘JRM’ is a willful anachronism and vicious reactionary. He abetted Johnson’s prorogation coup last year and now is insisting on maintaining the ludicrous idea that MPs must vote physically rather than electronically. The only person in Britain to whom this matters is himself. He’s not whimsical, funny or quirky, he is the walking embodiment of privilege strangling democracy for its own ends.
Disabled MOs and carers should sue immediately, helped by the DRC if necessary. Otherwise people in their constituencies might feel able to try to recall them because they can’t/aren’t representing them.
Truly, if Westminster is the ‘Mother of Parliaments’ she is a senile one these days.
Johnmc is spot on. It does not help seeing these guys as funny on both sides of the Atlantic. That is the way Rees Mogg would like us to see him. But this MP is a Meretricious Poser and very dangerous with it.
The photo of the M.Ps shuffling in to vote was a total nonsense – indoors and outdoors- we might have heavy rain and they’ll be soaked,- the hall might be needed for some ceremonial occasion – wasn’t Charles 1 condemned to death here! – can you imagine Churchill or Asquith or Salisbury or even Thatcher lining up ? surely this government is the most ludicrous ever !
Talking about Covid, I hope that Jamie,and maybe Roger, feel they can persuade their colleagues at Westminster to protest about another matter that has appeared tonight from this awful and incompetent government.
The Observer has reported tonight : “Serco, one of the companies that has secured a lucrative government contract for the Covid contact-tracing programme, was fined more than £1m for failures on another government contract just months ago.
The revelation has led to campaigners against the privatisation of public services to call for the £45.8m test-and-trace contract to be cancelled.
Serco has a range of government contracts both in the UK and overseas, much of it focused on criminal justice and immigration. It has already had to apologise after breaching data protection rules on its test-and-trace contract by inadvertently revealing the email addresses of new recruits. The junior health minister, Edward Argar, is a former Serco lobbyist………”,
As someone who just happens, unfortunately, to share the same initials as the MP for NE Somerset (that’s about all we share), I would like to add my criticism of his actions as well. It was bad enough, in pre Covid days, hearing the Speaker shout “Clear the lobbies” etc and watch our MPs departing the chamber to go and ‘vote’ and then to watch them return for ‘the result’. Now it looks more like the recent queues forming outside IKEA stores. It was a good job it was a fine day when they did get to vote in person last week.
What a charade. And what an advertisement for what goes for democracy in our ‘Mother of Parliaments’, led, of course by the Hon. Member for the 18th Century!
I think that’s a great interview Jamie. Whilst I agree with some of you here that the shambolic crew we have in government aren’t really funny, a bit of ridicule can go a long way in politics. I’ve been idly composing a rogues gallery during boring lockdown moments. Jacob Rees Mogg is obviously Lord Snooty, Del Boy is in charge with Rodders as his front man, the Education Secretary is Frank Spencer, the Housing Minister Tim Nice but Dim, the Health Secretary is Kevin the Teenager (because of the pout), I’ve toyed with Banana Man for the Foreign Secretary, but I’m not sure about it, and the Home Secretary is Dolores Umbridge from Harry Potter ( because of the smirk).
Hopefully commentators here will add to and improve this list.
Does anyone know how many other MPs, across the parties, have caring responsibilities for family members?