Can anyone explain what is going on in Parliament?

I don't recognise 95% of them.

The Speaker's getting irritated!

They could vote electronically but Reece Mogg doesn't want them to.
He enjoys the traditional, childish ways of doing things and wants them to continue.
Convenience, fairness or common sense will play no part in his thinking.

RM is living in the dark ages. He’s an anachronism.

How ridiculous that they are not taking the chance to update themselves and vote electronically. The very fact that doing this way disenfranchises a number of members who are shielding tells me all I want to know about Rees-Mogg.

I think probably the only legal way to vote is through the lobbies - until there is a vote to change that.

Problem is that they have to go through the lobbies to do that.

You are right Davidhs but a) they were able to make a change for because of the virus and could have extended that and b) they could have voted to change but are not. How ridiculous.

Boris needs his gallery of howling back benchers behind him when he faces Keir Starmer at PMQs and JRM is trying to use any means at his disposal to arrange it.

But they weren't in the Lobbies David - they were queuing up to enter the Commons then going to the despatch boxes on either side to say 'Aye' or 'No', then trooping off somewhere, I know not where!

They obviously all couldn't take their seats so must have spread all over Parliament, or gone home.

There'll be a row as big as a fight yet amongst disgruntled MP's and the like. Weekend briefings have been cancelled due to the government's handling of the Covid-19. Or should that be mis-handling ?

They are calling it Mogg's conga.

Niobe - so true.
With illness, family members shielding, travel issues etc, JRM has disenfranchised half the country. That's not very democratic.

Interesting pictures from the London Evening Standard

voting

Good job it was a sunny day and not raining!

Boris needs his gallery of howling back benchers behind him when he faces Keir Starmer at PMQs and JRM is trying to use any means at his disposal to arrange it.

I think that is the top and bottom of it Niobe. All very shabby.

I used to quite like Jacob Rees-Mogg but I fear he’s lost the plot.

I think people are quite cross

Parliament voting against Parliament. Why? Because it's stuffed with useless thick time-serving lickspittles betraying their constituents and democracy. Sickening.
This country is in an appalling state, trashed by Brexit & the Leave cabal squatting in Downing St. - So angering.

No.
I don't, sorry.

Perhaps someone could explain the intricacies of the internet to him, he may not have heard of it.

I remember going on a course umpteen years ago now and the instructor told us about emails - we were astonished!
I was very relatively young then.

he is totally disrespecting the other nations who are still in lockdown...but thats nothing new in WM .They get more blatant about it by the day ...this is not democracy at work !

About one third of MPs couldn’t vote. A few may have been paired, but they represented about 15 million voters, who were effectively disenfranchised.

I am furious about this. They have tried virtual sessions with electronic voting, and it works. How can they possibly justify making hundreds of MPs travel up and down the country, carrying the virus with them in some cases?

Those who sit for seats other than in England, should, as paddyanne says, still be observing lockdown at home, but no, they have to break our rules. Those from the North of England are coming from areas with a higher incidence of Covid-19 than London, so doesn't the creep JRM care about that either? Not everyone lives in the Home Counties, but those who don't are second-class citizens in his eyes, it would seem.

Of course, any MP who is shielding, or living with someone who is shielding, is completely disenfranchised. That includes some Tories, so maybe they can put some pressure on the government.

All this so that Mr Johnson can cover up his inability to speak coherently in public!!

This past few days we’ve had an over easing of lockdown to give headlines taking the focus away from Cummings. Risking many lives.

Now we have Mogg forcing this through so that Johnson gets help in his dismal performance in the commons. More lives at risk.

They are evil

House of Commons, Houses of Parliament, it’s all stuck in a time warp and most of parliamentarians (Rees- Mogg in particular) seems to like it that way.
They’re probably unhappy that not cameras are allowed in to film them and see the boring charade (most days). Some even fall asleep!
Jacob Rees-Mogg could be in a Harry Potter film and fit in very nicely - does anyone one else think so?

* Erase ‘not’ before “cameras“

Wasn’t it RM who said if teachers were expected back into work the MP’s should set an example? They have to get back to ‘normal’ some time surely?

I have written to my MP saying that I am very disappointed to see (from their Facebook) that they have given in to the Tory bullying and travelled from Scotland to London.

I have asked if they've considered how unpopular they will be if they bring covid to our constituency, which has a very low rate of infection so far.

I've also asked if a full risk assessment has been done, for travel as well as attendance at parliament.