MPs with serious illnesses or injuries will be able to use a proxy vote to represent constituents under a pilot scheme, the Commons has agreed.
The extension to proxy voting came as an SNP MP shared her experience of a lack of “compassion and understanding” when she suffered a brain haemorrhage.
Proxy voting is currently available to MPs because of childbirth, to care for a newborn or newly adopted child, or where there have been complications relating to childbirth.
The extension approved by MPs will last from October 17, 2022 to April 30, 2023, with a review to be completed by the Commons procedure committee by March 17, 2023.
Amy Callaghan, the SNP MP for East Dunbartonshire, gave her backing to the pilot, telling MPs: “I am not broken, Westminster is – I first uttered these words nine months ago having launched a campaign to see these very measures we are debating introduced, measures to benefit our constituents.
“Because let’s be clear, they are the ones disadvantaged when their Members of Parliament cannot vote on their behalf.”
Callaghan, who suffered a near-fatal brain haemorrhage in 2020, returned to the Commons earlier this year.
She added: “I didn’t choose to fall ill. No-one does. I didn’t choose four months of hospital stay and life-saving surgery and I didn’t choose now to live my life with a disability.
“It has been a hell of a long journey back to this place, but I would do it all again because representing the people of East Dunbartonshire is an absolute privilege.
“But it shouldn’t have to be this difficult, at a time when I needed my workplace to show compassion and understanding the procedures were not there.
“This place legislates for equality but could not provide it for its own elected members.”
Commons Leader Penny Mordaunt gave her backing to the plans, telling MPs: “I think that all members of the House will agree that members should no longer hear the words ‘could you have your chemo on another day?’, ‘we will send an ambulance for you so you can vote’, ‘thank you so much for delaying your C-section to vote in this critical debate’.”
Mordaunt reassured members that in bringing forward the change, “the Government does not envisage any change to the role of MPs or how they perform their duty to their constituents in this place”.
She went on: “The Government believes that a pilot scheme where the effect of this expansion is carefully measured is a sensible first step as it is imperative that the voting process remains robust, transparent, and that personal accountability of each member’s vote is not lost.”
Shadow Commons leader Thangam Debbonaire told MPs: “This is a pilot of a very well considered proposal at the right time.
“I mean really, I think we could all say its time was probably not now, it was probably last year or the year before.
“I am really, really glad to be here at this point when we can say that we’re taking another step forward to making this Parliament truly a Parliament in which all can serve no matter what their health or their disability or their state of childbirth.”
