Labour's Harriet Harman sparks fury as she says MPs should be able to WFH to stop them feeling 'under pressure' from protesters at Parliament

Senior Tories have reacted with fury after Labour’s Harriet Harman suggested MPs could return to Covid-style online voting amid growing fears for politicians’ safety.

The ex-Cabinet minister made the call for a return of WFH practices in the House of Commons as she revealed MPs have had their votes influenced by threats.

Ms Harman, known as the ‘Mother of the Commons’ for being the longest-serving female MP, proposed the changes for those feeling ‘vulnerable’ or ‘under pressure’.

But Conservative MPs hit out at the Camberwell and Peckham MP’s suggestion and claimed the Commons should ‘not surrender’ to intimidation.

It comes amid a fierce row over last week’s shambolic Commons vote on a Gaza ceasefire, which was held amid the latest in a series of protests outside Parliament.

Senior Tories have reacted with fury after Labour ‘s Harriet Harman suggested MPs could return to Covid-style online voting amid growing fears for politicians’ safety

Hybrid proceedings in the Commons during Covid saw MPs both take part in debates and vote remotely during pandemic restrictions

Ms Harman’s suggestion comes amid a fierce row over last week’s shambolic Commons vote on a Gaza ceasefire, which was held amid the latest in a series of protests outside Parliament

Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle infuriated Tory and SNP MPs by breaking with parliamentary convention in his handling of the debate.

He explained he was partly motivated to do so because of concerns about MPs’ security.

It followed a series of incidents of MPs being hounded by pro-Palestinian campaigners, as well as a suspected arson attack at the constituency office of a pro-Israel Tory minister.

Sir Lindsay has since been hit with angry claims that he ‘bowed to the mob’, while PM Rishi Sunak has warned Parliament ‘must not bend to the threat of violence and intimidation’.

Speaking to LBC radio, Ms Harman was asked whether she believes MPs are not voting in the way they want due to threats and intimidation.

‘It certainly has happened in the past,’ she said.

‘I remember during the Brexit debate talking to MPs who were saying, “Yeah, I agree with this position, but I’m going to stay at home this week. I’m not going to go down to Parliament, because there’s too many threats”. And these are not unrealistic threats.

Ms Harman pointed to the murders of MPs Jo Cox and Sir David Amess, as well as the suspected arson attack at the constituency office of Mike Freer.

‘This is not snowflakery, these are real issues of concern,’ the senior Labour MP added, as she called for a ‘Speaker’s Conference’ to consider a return to Covid-style hybrid proceedings in the Commons.

This saw MPs both take part in debates and vote remotely during pandemic restrictions.

Ms Harman added: ‘One of the things I think could come out of a Speaker’s Conference is an agreement that actually we could go back to hybrid again, which is sometimes MPs could speak in the Chamber, sometimes they could speak from their constituency.

‘They could sometimes vote through the division lobbies, or they could sometimes vote online.

‘I think we’ve got a process now that we experimented with during Covid, which we could actually bring that back in.

‘And that’s something I would propose to a Speaker’s Conference, so if somebody feels particularly under pressure, they can still participate in the Commons, but not in a way that makes them feel vulnerable.’

Cabinet Office minister Alex Burghart angrily dismissed Ms Harman’s suggestion, saying: ‘This would be to give in to those who threaten us’

Fellow Tory MP Sir Simon Clarke, the former levelling up secretary, said: ‘The answer is not – and cannot be – for MPs to hide away from our own Parliament’

Ms Harman stressed MPs must be able to ‘speak up and vote in the way they want without looking over their shoulder’.

But Cabinet Office minister Alex Burghart angrily dismissed Ms Harman’s suggestion, saying: ‘This would be to give in to those who threaten us.

‘It would be entirely wrong to vacate our premises because of intimidation.

‘Improve security for MPs, prevent demonstrators from threatening them etc. but we must not surrender the Houses of Parliament to them.’

Fellow Tory MP Sir Simon Clarke, the former levelling up secretary, said: ‘The answer is not – and cannot be – for MPs to hide away from our own Parliament.

‘It is for us to address the threats that prompt the fear that Harriet refers to. Robust policing, reform of our anti-extremism policies, an end to the pervasive culture of denial about the problem.

Brendan Clarke-Smith, a Tory MP and former party deputy chairman, said: ‘We need less working from home, not more of it.

‘If people are threatening MPs outside their workplaces then you arrest them and throw them in the back of a police van. It’s not difficult.’

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