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Parliament adjourning one week early for Easter is the right thing to do for two reasons. Importantly, this doesn’t mean the end of important policy discussions and should act as a wake up call on the need to further digitise Parliament. 

MPs and Peers continuing to meet in busy debating chambers was setting a bad example for the public, just when the Prime Minister was driving the message to stay at home, protect the NHS, save lives. And with 35 MPs over 70 years of age and 150 over 60, they should look after their health, not just for themselves but for their families and the nation. Members of the House of Lords are on average older, meaning they are likely to be even more vulnerable to Covid-19. 

But the early adjournment doesn’t mean the end of important political and policy discussions. Far from it. MPs are on track to Tweet over 100,000 times this month - more than ever before. Driven by the Coronavirus crisis these digital discussions deal with important issues ranging from our transport network, to food security, to our technology infrastructure. Millions are taking part in these fast moving debates.

Hopefully, the current crisis will lead to Parliament changing for the better. To date, bricks have been prioritised over clicks when it comes to investment decisions. This approach needs a drastic rethink with innovations needed now on everything from digital voting to online debates to ensure crises like this don’t interrupt the important work of Parliament or the public's ability to follow events and have their voices heard.

Sam Cunningham
CEO of PoliMonitor

PoliMonitor is offering all PubAffairs members FREE access to their premium services until Parliament returns in April to help follow and take part in these important online discussions. Just visit www.PoliMonitor.com to create an account and instant alerts and email info@polimonitor.com for more information.