Modernise parliament

The Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted several inequalities deeply embedded within our society, but it has also created opportunities to create a much fairer and inclusive one. One example is the use of virtual parliament measures.

During the pandemic, video conferencing was used to keep the business of government running.

Allowing more flexibility in the way Parliament operates long-term would open the doors to a more diverse range of people who want to take an active part in our political life, including more women, disabled people and those with health conditions who can’t always take part in person. This is needed, not just because it is the fairest way to proceed, but because the quality of policies developed will be so much better when a wider range of views are considered.

We are not advocating that virtual proceedings should take the place of in-person parliamentary business. But we do believe that it should be permanently available as an option for those that need it.

Parliament has been given a once in a generation opportunity to bring the House into the 21st century. We are calling on our parliamentary authorities to think of the long-term gains for UK democracy and seize the moment.

Our action

We coordinated a cross-party letter to the Speaker signed by 36 MPs from the Conservatives, Labour, Liberal Democrats, SNP and the Green Party calling for virtual Parliament measures to be kept in place.

Our new report ‘Remotely Representative House? Lesson Learning From the House of Commons’ argues that the modernisation of parliament has the potential to diversify who sits in our Parliament. This would transform perceptions – and indeed the reality – of how MPs’ work can be done and by whom. What began as necessary in 2020 is in fact preferable for the future.

Next steps:

Listen to MPs discuss the campaign

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Read the report: Remotely representative parliament

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