A storm is brewing inside the Westminster Village, but it is a storm of envy, not scandal. A US congressman, missing from the public eye for four years, resurfaced this week to explain his absence. His reason: a family health crisis. Colleagues on both sides of the pond expressed sympathy. But here in the UK, the Lobby is asking a different question: how did he vanish for so long without any formal mechanism compelling an explanation?
It is a story that does not reflect well on Washington's procedural muscle, but it shines a glorious light on our own House of Commons. The comparison is stark. Under our rules, a sustained absence would trigger a flurry of mechanisms. The Chief Whip would be on the phone. The Speaker would be apprised. The public would be told. It is the kind of orderly process that Whitehall adores.
But let us not be naive. The American case is a reminder of the power of untold stories. A member of Congress can disappear for four years with only whispers. Here, a four-week absence in the second of a Tuesday sitting would have the backbenchers sharpening their knives. The contrast has not been lost on the Minister for the Constitution, who this morning briefed a favoured columnist that “our system is the envy of the world”.
Is it though? Our system is a product of centuries of tussle between the executive and the legislature. It demands attendance and accountability, but it can be a straitjacket. There are whispers of a review of the rules around proxy voting for new parents, an issue that has divided the tea rooms. The more cynical members of the Lobby note that the US congressman’s story plays into the hands of those who argue for more flexibility in our own procedures.
But the prevailing mood in the corridors of Portcullis House is one of quiet satisfaction. We have a mechanism. It works. It may be imperfect, but it ensures that a member does not simply vanish. The contrast with the Capitol is so stark that even the most ardent Europhiles are now quietly praising the Mother of Parliaments. It is a rare moment of cross-party agreement.
Behind the scenes, the Whips’ Offices are exchanging knowing looks. The Chief Whip, a man of few words and sharp elbows, let slip to a colleague that “this is what happens when you have a system”. He was referring, of course, to the mechanism that would flag a long absence. But it also speaks to the culture. Here, an unexplained absence is a betrayal of trust. In Washington, it appears to be a curiosity.
The key is the pairing system, the informal agreement that keeps the House ticking. Without it, a single absent vote could bring down a government. With it, the legislature functions. The US congressman’s story has become a morality tale about the value of these unwritten rules. The Lobby is buzzing with stories of members who have been forced to leave sickbeds to vote. It is a badge of honour, not an inconvenience.
There will, of course, be those who argue that we are being too self-congratulatory. The rules can be a burden. But for now, the consensus is clear: Westminster works. The missing congressman has done us a service. He has given us a moment to count our blessings. The Lobby will now return to its usual business of sniffing out discontent. But for one afternoon, we are united in quiet pride. And that, in the right corridor, is as rare as a virgin snowflake in Downing Street.
