The Equality and Human Rights Commission has condemned the UK government’s plan to only allow MPs to participate in Commons debates and votes in person, saying it “cannot be right” to exclude older MPs or those with disabilities or illnesses. In a letter to Vicky Foxcroft, the shadow minister for disabled people, Rebecca Hilsenrath, the chief executive of the EHRC, said she wanted to raise concerns “that proceedings in parliament must remain fully inclusive during the coronavirus pandemic”. The concerns come as the government faces a potentially significant rebellion against its plans, with Conservative MPs including select committee chairs and a former cabinet minister tabling amendments to a motion on the issue being debated on Tuesday. Before last week’s recess, MPs had been able to speak via video and debate remotely if needed. But the leader of the Commons, Jacob Rees-Mogg, has allowed this system to lapse, meaning MPs must attend in person. This would require physically distanced voting, with long lines of MPs, an idea condemned by opponents as “beyond a farce”.
The Tory MP for Harlow, Robert Halfon, the chair of the Commons education select committee, who is shielding for health reasons, is among those who have called for virtual proceedings to continue. Jamie Stone, a Lib Dem MP, told the Guardian on Monday that because of the unavailability of carers to assist his wife, Flora, who had a stroke three years ago, he is unable to return to parliament in person. In her letter, Hilsenrath said the EHRC was worried at Rees-Mogg’s plan. She said: “This will place at significant disadvantage MPs who are shielding or self-isolating because of age, disability, health conditions or pregnancy, as well as other members who will struggle to attend the chamber in person due to travel restrictions and caring responsibilities. “It cannot be right for parliament to proceed without provision for remote participation, when many elected representatives cannot attend in person.” Hilsenrath said the government should “show leadership in championing equality and non-discrimination and to ensure that, when deciding future procedure, parliament remains inclusive and effective in making the decisions that affect us all”. MPs were due on Tuesday to decide on how to proceed, including methods for voting and whether to allow continued remote participation. Rees-Mogg has defended the plan in the House political magazine, saying the total numbers on the estate “will not increase significantly”, with MPs’ staff continuing to work from home. “For those MPs with underlying health conditions who have been told to shield or are receiving specific government advice about their health, the government is working with the house authorities to see how they can continue to contribute to proceedings,” he wrote. The former cabinet minister Karen Bradley is leading a rebellion against the ending of the hybrid Commons proceedings. Bradley, now the chair of the powerful procedure committee, has put forward amendments that would allow those MPs unable to travel to Westminster to keep participating in debates via video link and to vote remotely. She is backed by Tory MPs including Halfon, as well as Caroline Nokes and Julian Knight, who chair the women and equalities and the digital, culture, media and sport committees respectively.