How Can We Look up to MPs Now?

And breathe... Westminster has prorogued and has been suspended from sitting for five weeks. Or can we relax? Parliament, deeply divided on everything Brexit and beyond, are still swinging handbags on the radio, the TV, the media and in and out of court rooms this last week.

As onlookers over the last few weeks, we’ve witnessed almost daily: extraordinary behaviour, unpredictable actions, new spurious laws rushed through the house, and inexplicable decisions being made on our behalf by this small group of people that are the UK’s shop window to the world.

This last sitting, however, saw even more unprecedented chaos; on one side MPs were acting like student activist hooligans remonstrating with placards and pinning the speaker down in his chair, reenacting a 17th century scene from parliament, and on the other side we had MP’s who seem to have thrown their toys out of the pram and left the chamber ignoring the Speaker of the house.

We unbelievably witnessed Conservative MPs leaving the chamber to attend the House of Lords, whilst Labour MPs chanted “Shame on you!”, and continued to remain in parliament singing the "Red Flag," a 19th century socialist anthem, followed by Plaid Cymru singing "Calon Lân" in Welsh, and then the Scottish National Party attempting "Wha Hae." Some may recall that Erskine May’s advice in Parliamentary Practice was that “good temper and moderation are the characteristics of parliamentary language."

The Twittersphere is awash with videos taken by MPs during this sing-song sit-in, despite the 18 pages of advice in the updated pamphlet Rules of behaviour and courtesies in the House of Commons, Issued by the Speaker and the Deputy Speakers (November 2018), with a specific rule stressing that members "must not use any device to take photographs, film or make audio recordings in or around the Chamber."

Parliament's current Behaviour Code, again recently updated to address bullying and sexual harassment claims against various MPs, states:

• Recognise your power, influence or authority and don’t abuse them.
• Think about how your behaviour affects others and strive to understand their perspective.
• Act professionally towards others.
• Ensure Parliament meets the highest ethical standards of integrity, courtesy and mutual respect.
• Speak up about any unacceptable behaviour you see.

and it concludes with,

• Unacceptable behaviour will be dealt with seriously, independently and with effective sanctions .

Calling someone a liar was once a parliamentary crime punishable by a verbal flogging, but is now the norm, and Boris Johnson, although quoting someone else, uttered a four letter word from the front benches this last week.

It’s been said by MPs from all parties, and many onlookers, that ‘Parliament is broken,’ and if the recent behaviour is to go by, I sadly have to agree. Brexit has been the catalyst, and whilst there’s a huge decision to be made, it’s not only brought out the worse in the extremist on both sides, but the keyboard warriors on social media are bolder, and it dominates every dinner table and bar stool discussion, but the most disturbing thing is that our elected members seem to have lost all self-control—lies, half-truths, and false news are rampant from and on all sides. What worries me is that it’s going to be very difficult to come back from this; the precedent is set.

Despite the combative nature of Prime Ministers (PMQ’s), the British Parliament has certainly been a world bench mark in civility and admired for its generosity, courtesy and manners across the globe, and in the past as a society, we too have tried to act the same way. I can’t speak for the rest of the world, but what is the impact of this unchanneled aggression, the lies, the increasingly bad behaviour and flouting of the rules going be on the British social order and culture?

As a society, especially those of us with ambition, we have always looked up to professional groups such as MPs, doctors, teachers, and lawyers, and aspired to be like them and encouraged our children to be like them. Now we’re backed into a corner, how do we point to them and say, "Watch and learn my child," when Members of Parliament are now seen protesting outside Westminster on Wednesday, September 13, 2019?

We can’t unsee or undo what’s happened in Westminster over the last few years, nor can we stop our children and grandchildren going on to YouTube in the decades to come, and viewing the images filmed from the green benches this week. What will they think of us?

Brexit can still go either way, but will those YouTube videos look favourably on Boris Johnson and will he be remembered as the British Nelson Mandela if he breaks the law, ignores the bill passed through on Monday, September 11, 2019, and is imprisoned for his beliefs? Or will he be seen as the modern day Dick Turpin for highjacking parliament for five weeks and stealing parliament's voice?