MPs and staff are being relied on to self-police social distancing rules at Westminster, the Londoner understands, with no formal sanctions for those who break guidelines.
Garry Graham, a Prospect union leader, has called for staff to be able to take “a photo of offending Members” to “reassure them that parliamentary authorities have their back”. Photography on the estate is not allowed, but Graham told Politics Home: “MPs themselves liberally breached the ‘no-photos’ rule while participating in Jacob Rees-Mogg’s ridiculous conga.”
Now we learn there will be no repercussions for staff who report rules breaches and that additional “marshals” have been hired “to assist and promote social distancing across the estate”. All those on the estate are being encouraged to challenge people when they see breaches of the guidelines.
Various “pinch points” are said to have been eliminated, and “practical physical changes” have been introduced to those places on the centuries-old estate where people cannot be two metres apart.
We wonder who will be the first MP to make a citizen’s arrest.
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ACTOR Dame Harriet Walter, one of the stars of the Talking Heads revival, thought lockdown would be “yoga in the morning, writing a novel in the afternoon. But it’s just too much of a crisis to concentrate.” She tells the Stage: “I’d like to tell you about all the erudite, cultural things I’ve been up to, but I’ve had quite a nice escape from culture.” Full marks for honesty.
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MALCOLM GLADWELL’S latest book is on talking to strangers. “The returns to being innately trusting are enormous and the costs relatively small,” he says, but adds: “That doesn’t mean the costs are zero. Every now and again ... your innate desire to trust someone else gets you into trouble.” He cites Neville Chamberlain and Adolf Hitler. Yep. That didn’t go so well.
SW1A
Happy 50th political anniversary to Lord Fowler, who became an MP on this dayin 1970. Now Speaker of the Lords, he tells us life was very different then. “It was just a far more spartan life than I suspect MPs have today. We didn’t have the domination of special advisors. One feels that [they] have rather more power than Cabinet ministers. That’s the real change … Cabinet ministers had real power and were listened to.” On social distancing: “It’s all a bit antiseptic. Remote is what it is.”
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LEADER of the Commons Jacob Rees-Mogg confirms of the two recent 6,000-person illegal raves in Manchester: “I didn’t go to either of them, as it happens”. Who knew? There’s only one type of House he’s into in and it’s not the Progressive kind.
Ready to go … so when is the world reopening again?
Leomie Anderson celebrated the showroom for her brand Lapp being ready, telling her followers “a boss about her business and her bag”. Activist Munroe Bergdorf encouraged her “trans siblings” to “keep your heads up” as she looked typically glamorous in a taxi. Victoria Beckham showed off her new moisturiser, and actor Rebel Wilson asked “when is the world reopening again?” A fair question.
