SPECIAL REPORT: PARLIAMENTARY DEMOCRACY DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC
DELIVERING DEMOCRACY: LESSONS LEARNED IN LEGISLATING IN THE UK PARLIAMENT THROUGH THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC The Chair of the UK House of Commons Procedure Committee looks back over the last two years. The House of Commons is at the very heart of the UK’s political and democratic life. But it is far more than just a collection of buildings – it is a living, breathing, vibrant community where decisions are made that impact upon the whole nation. And, of course, its inhabitants are more than just Parliamentarians. This community includes researchers, caterers, cleaners, engineers, security guards and so much more, each of whom play vital roles in ensuring that Members of Parliament can carry out their democratic duties. At its peak there can be well over 3,000 people in and around the UK Parliamentary Estate at any one time. So just as it was for the rest of the United Kingdom and around the Commonwealth, the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic was a shock to the system like no other. It was Thursday 23 January 2020, shortly before 11.30 am, when the word “Coronavirus” was first recorded in Hansard as being spoken in the House of Commons chamber. Two months later the first lockdown announcement was made in the UK, and the House passed emergency legislation as the nation adapted to the rapidly deepening public health crisis. As legislation was passed to facilitate the UK’s transformation in the face of COVID-19, there was a rapid response to allow the legislators to adapt too. The House responded with a period of technological innovation and adaptation – the likes of which it hadn’t experienced before in its 700-year history. In the ensuing months, the House of Commons pushed the limits of technological and procedural viability to ensure that it could continue to sit and carry out its essential functions – from holding debates and passing laws to scrutinising the Executive. As we reach the two-year anniversary of lockdown – a time span that feels both like a lifetime and the blink of an eye – it is a useful opportunity to reflect on how the UK Parliament adapted to the
challenges of the pandemic, and the lessons that can be learned for the future. The UK House of Commons Chamber is a surprisingly small space. When I’ve taken constituents on tours it’s often the first thing they notice. At key moments – including during many of the preceding three years as my colleagues tackled the many issues related to Brexit – the green benches can be packed to the rafters. The sudden handbrake turn towards ensuring the Chamber was safe and COVIDsecure - while also ensuring it could scrutinise an issue of such national importance - was therefore a huge logistical and procedural challenge. The House has repeatedly shown resilience and a capacity to endure through disaster and crisis: its chamber was destroyed by fire in 1834 and reduced to rubble in 1941, and yet it found ways in which its Members could continue to meet and conduct its business. There was agreement across the House, and between the UK Government and Parliament that the priority must be to scrutinise the Executive during these unprecedented times. As Chair of the Procedure Committee, my concern has been to press for the necessary modifications to the procedure and practice of the House to be made in a way which is best for the House and all its Members, and crucially, for Members to have their say. As we entered the late spring of 2020, COVID-19 brought many institutions across the globe to a standstill, but the House of Commons rose to the challenge to innovate. To outsiders the House may sometimes be seen as a traditional ‘small-c’ conservative institution, but the reality is that, while respecting its procedures and traditions, the House of Commons can show an immense capacity to adapt. Following endorsement by the Procedure Committee, the House agreed temporary Orders which ensured that hybrid proceedings,
Rt Hon. Karen Bradley, MP is a Member of the UK Parliament representing the constituency of Staffordshire Moorlands since May 2010. She has held several Ministerial positions including Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (2018 – 2019); Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (2016 – 2018); and Parliamentary Under-Secretary Home Office (2014 – 2016). She has been Chair of the House of Commons Procedure Committee since 2020.
30 | The Parliamentarian | 2022: Issue One | 100 years of publishing
