Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey MP Drew Hendry critical of Parliament's return during coronavirus pandemic and claims that safe distancing is 'impossible' with queues snaking in and out of Portcullis house and Westminster hall
A Highland MP is highly critical of the amount of time it was taking to vote today as members of the House of Commons returned to debate the scrapping of the hybrid parliament.
Proceedings have been carried out remotely via video link with relatively few MPs and ministers required in the chamber over recent weeks due to the coronavirus lockdown.
However it was ordered that MPs should return today by the leader of the House of Commons, Jacob Rees-Mogg, despite social-distancing concerns rising from how crowded the chamber usually is.
In a series of tweets, Inverness MP Drew Hendry – who had returned today with a small group of SNP MPs to vote on the scrapping of the hybrid parliament and to speak on the corporate insolvency bill as a front bench spokesman – described voting proceedings as an "absolute farce" and an "epic shambles".
Mr Rees-Mogg believed the move was in line with the government's ambition to move to phase two of lockdown relaxation – which ministers hoped would see some children back in school yesterday.
He said hybrid parliamentary proceedings did not provide sufficient scrutiny of policy matters.
