From Westminster to webcasts - how a Sheffield MP is doing Parliamentary business online

However, she is not in the corridors of the House of Commons - she is in her office in Sheffield Hallam and the division bell is an alert on a phone app.

After centuries of voting in London, Westminster has had to suddenly put Parliamentary business online, while ensuring it stays safe from hackers.

Ms Blake, who was elected in December's general election, managed to make her maiden speech in the Commons following her election in December, before the coronavirus crisis hit, but is now doing a lot of her work online.

She was a strong supporter from the beginning for Parliament going online.

She said: “We've been trialling electronic voting and had three trials. The app sounds a division bell, so they are trying to make it feel authentic.

“I've been impressed at how they have developed secure voting systems, they have first class digital security.

“I was one of the signatories for setting up a virtual Parliament, but it is difficult to get in any debates because you bid and the Speaker goes through the lists and prioritises people who haven't spoken before.

“I've been doing a lot of private meetings as well. A lot of things are not happening but time in the chamber is the most important thing.”

Parliament is an institution which grinds slowly but Ms Blake hopes this latest adaptation could be one which remains.

She said: “It's really interesting, as I feel there was quite a lot of resistance at the start but if you prove the concept you can move forward with it.

“There is going to be a lot of structural work to keep the House of Commons building standing and the plan was to have another physical chamber nearby, but now we have proved we can do it virtually, this would be a cheaper option.

“There's some really big questions about all this, including for MPs who have cancer treatment, or are on maternity leave.

“The option to vote remotely opens up a huge amount of opportunity for MPs having these difficulties.”

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