One of the ways in which the UK Parliament has moved itself into the 21st century, even within the seven years I have been a Member of Parliament, is by enabling MPs to register their votes in debates via a card reader.
We still have to leave the Chamber when a division is called – meaning all those present for the debate head into the two voting corridors to line up and vote ‘aye’ ( in favour of the motion which has just been debated), or ‘no’ (against the motion) but instead of our names being logged by a person standing at a tall desk at the end of the corridor, we now register our vote with a card.
This is all well and good and technologically sound until, as happened to me last week, the card reader does not register the vote. This meant the voting records on the House of Commons website, and picked up by various news channels, showed me as abstaining in the Winter Fuel Payment vote – a record which made many of you get in touch directly or via social media to vent your ire.
As soon as I realised what had happened I asked the public vote office to correct the record which now shows my true vote in favour of the motion to scrap Labour’s plan to remove the Winter Fuel Payment from millions of pensioners.
As I was writing this piece, news came through of the shocking events on Ingrave Road on Thursday evening, in which a man was assaulted and died. Essex Police officers were on the scene within minutes and an arrest was made within an hour of the attack - I am very grateful to officers for their swift and professional handling of this potentially dangerous situation. I understand from our local policing team there is no wider threat to the local community but appreciate how shocking this incident has been for all those living locally. A person has appeared in court and I will watch the outcome of the investigation carefully.
