Why Parliament has to embrace Digital Age – The Yorkshire Post says

Nor should Covid-19 – even though the challenge now is social distancing, and public health, rather than physical damage to Parliament.

As such, the steps taken by Sir Lindsay Hoyle, the pragmatic Speaker, and others to allow for Parliament to enter the digital age – with most MPs operating remotely – is to be welcomed.

“The challenge has been set for us and we will deliver on that challenge,” said a no nonsense Sir Lindsay in an interview on national radio which is another refreshing change to his predecessor’s modus operandi.

Its first major test will be Prime Minister’s Questions with Dominic Raab standing in for the PM and Sir Keir Starmer making his ‘debut’ as Labour leader.

Yet scrutiny matters – Ministers do need to be answerable and accountable – and these exchanges, if purposeful, should be looking to improve, and accelerate, the Government’s response when it comes, for example, to the supply of PPE clothing for the NHS or wider help for the economy.

But so, too, does the House of Lords which, even in its unreformed state, has a key constitutional role to play in the oversight of legislation.

By necessity, it is having to take even more precautions because of the age of its members, but it is another reminder that the Government still needs to follow through on its promise to consider relocating the Lords to a city like York so that the legislature and political establishment is less London-centric.

And while the introduction of new technology, unthinkable a decade ago, is welcome and also means that the Commons can function in a ‘virtual’ form on any day of the year if the situation demands, this should, nevertheless, still be part of a wider reform agenda.

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