New Stour & Avon, July 30, 2021
MPs’ round-up
My role as a teller really counts in the House Many people have asked me about my work as a whip in the Chamber of the House of Commons. One of my jobs is to undertake the role of “teller”. Tellers are the people who count the votes when a vote (a division) is called. Two MPs are chosen from each side to be tellers, with one from each side in each division lobby to ensure an accurate count. The Speaker announces the names of the tellers at the beginning of the vote, shortly after the exit doors to the lobbies are closed. The tellers’ votes are not included in the count for or against the motion, but are recorded on the side of the vote that they agree with. If no one is willing to be a teller, then the vote automatically goes to the other side. It is surprising, but this does happen from time to time perhaps most often when a vote
MP for Mid Dorset Michael Tomlinson is called unexpectedly. The division bell sounds across the Palace of Westminster, and MPs have eight minutes to get into the division lobby before Mr Speaker calls, “Lock the doors!” If you are late, even by a few seconds, the door will be locked against you and you cannot vote. After the MPs have been counted out of each division lobby, the Tellers return to the House floor to
announce the result to the Speaker, and if you ever watch Parliament TV (parliamentlive.tv/Commons) you can see this process happening. In “normal” times, the four tellers all walk into the chamber, with the “winning” side standing on the Speaker’s left. This is why the MPs can know the result of a vote before the actual announcement of the voting numbers. For especially close votes, you can sometimes hear a roar in the House when the tellers take their places for the announcement – indicating the result. For covid-related reasons, currently only one teller announces the result, so we have not seen this for a while. Since the 2019 election, I have been a teller 50 times, out of 297 votes. As a whip I have been in the Chamber of the House of Commons almost every day
that the House has sat throughout the pandemic. You may have seen that during the pandemic we have been operating on a hybrid system in parliament, with some MPs being in the Chamber in person, and others appearing virtually, from their constituencies, their offices, or even their living rooms. MPs have also been able to have proxies, and most MPs have been on a proxy for several months. Proxy votes are relatively new, and were first introduced for new parents – for MPs on maternity, paternity or adoption leave. When the pandemic began, and most MPs were asked to work from home, proxy votes were expanded and allowed for all MPs. Like many families, we had to self-isolate for 10 days in July, but thanks to the proxy system my votes were still counted.
Government has avoided scrutiny from MPs for long enough When a full House of Commons returns on September 6, MPs will be fighting to restore Parliament’s proper role in our national life. The Johnson administration has invested heavily in its ‘Parliamentary bypass’ project. By making new policy announcements at press conferences it avoids scrutiny from the people’s elected representatives. By enacting law by decree, there is no opportunity for proper debate or the making of amendments. The Government has exploited the ‘zombie Parliament’ with impunity. That must end in September. The sense of impotence among backbench MPs is palpable. Our constituents need answers in the face of conflicting and chaotic policies such as the Track and Trace ‘pingdemic’, the traffic light scheme for holidays, vaccine passports and face coverings.
Christchurch & East Dorset: Chris Chope The Government’s refusal to share vital information caused deep frustration during the debate on compulsory vaccination for care workers. Initially we were told that an impact assessment was available which would include the number of care home employees who would face dismissal without compensation. During the debate, however, the Minister refused to say what had happened to that impact
assessment. Had it been suppressed? The minister used the mantra that ‘The impact assessment is being worked on’ leaving open the interpretation that the reference was to a new assessment with the old one having been ditched. This dissembling boiled over into a vote in which 36 Conservatives showed their exasperation by voting against the regulations. I was a Teller for the Noes. My scepticism was reinforced by the subsequent failure of the Minister to answer my follow-up question about ‘the date on which work on the assessment a) began and b) is due to completed’. n There is rising anger from constituents about the poor service being provided by the DVLA. Those seeking their first provisional driving licence or renewal of a vocational one are subject to delays of six to ten weeks. As their applications
cannot be done online these delays are impacting the life chances of young people and those who drive for a living. The cause is ‘industrial action by the Public and Commercial Services union’ which is ‘designed to have maximum negative impact on members of the public’. How callous is that? This latest manifestation of monopoly exploitation of the weak and vulnerable by public sector trades unions is unacceptable. n Many businesses and constituents in Christchurch, including visitors to the popular Monday market, were affected by the interruption of internet services last month. Cash once again became ‘king’. The Minister responsible has told me that the incident was reported by BT to Ofcom which will now decide what further investigation is needed. It is, however, another reminder of our dependence upon the internet. 25
