SNP MPs have said they won’t head back to Westminster until the Scottish Government says it’s safe to do so.
In guidance issued yesterday, the UK Government said more “physical proceedings” could now happen in the Commons and urged MPs to set a “national example” by attending.
But Aberdeen North MP Kirsty Blackman said asking parliamentarians to return to London could put lives at risk.
The encouragement from the UK Government was in the new 60-page “roadmap” paper published yesterday.
It said: “It is vital that Parliament can continue to scrutinise the Government, consider the Government’s ambitious legislative agenda and legislate to support the Covid-19 response.
“Parliament must set a national example of how business can continue in this new normal; and it must move, in step with public health guidance, to get back to business as part of this next step, including a move towards further physical proceedings in the House of Commons.”
However, Blackman, the SNP deputy leader at Westminster, said her colleagues would take their guidance from Holyrood.
“SNP MPs will continue to follow the clear guidance in Scotland to stay at home and save lives. It has been shown that Westminster can operate with virtual sittings and that is how we will continue to hold the UK Government to account.
“Enabling MPs to participate virtually is part of the new normal and the different rules in each nation must be respected – as recommended by the House of Commons Procedure Committee. There is no need to increase the rate of infections and put lives at risk by encouraging MPs and staff to travel hundreds of miles back and forth to London, from constituencies across the UK, in the middle of a public health emergency.”
Plans for a “hybrid” parliament were approved in April, limiting the number of MPs in the chamber to 120. Others can take part in proceedings over Zoom, the video conferencing app.
Parliament returning doesn’t just mean politicians and their researchers and secretaries, it means cleaners, kitchen staff, and others who service the building.
At the end of January 2015, there were 2040 employed by the House
of Commons.
In his televised address to the nation on Sunday, Boris Johnson said people should work from home if they can.
He said: “We now need to stress that anyone who can’t work from home, for instance those in construction or manufacturing, should be actively encouraged to go to work.”
He added: “Work from home if you can, but you should go to work if you can’t work from home.”
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