Page 12 - br-aug-2021

August 2021 August 2021
NEWS FROM WESTMINSTER
BRIANTSPUDDLE VILLAGE SHOP – OUR
Many people have asked me about my work as a VILLAGE SHOP
whip in the Chamber of the House of
Commons. One of my jobs is to undertake the role
of “Teller”. Tellers are the people who count the The village shop continues to provide a wide range of
votes when a vote (a “division”) is called. Two MPs great value fresh fruit and vegetables, meat and
are chosen from each side to be tellers, with one bread. We are happy to take orders for regular
from each side in each division lobby to ensure an requirements or one-off items. Fruit, Veg and Meat
accurate count. The Speaker announces the names arrive on Wednesday’s and Saturday’s. We have fresh
of the tellers at the beginning of the vote, shortly bread on Monday’s Wednesday’s Thursday’s and
after the exit doors to the lobbies are closed. The Saturday’s.
Newspapers and magazines do need to be ordered in
tellers’ votes are not advance, but can be stopped for holidays/weekends
included in the count
for or against the away. We’re happy to accept vouchers for the papers.
motion, but are We have a wide range of cards from local artists.
recorded on the side of
the vote that they We’re open 9 till 12 Monday to Saturday and 10 till 12 on Sunday’s.
agree with. Please come and do your shopping!
If no one is willing to be Whilst legal restrictions are being relaxed we have decided at least through out
a teller, then the vote the summer that we will continue to allow just one customer in the shop at a time
automatically goes to and with the help of the village hall we are maintaining the one way system. We
the other side. It is will keep the screen up in the shop and whilst we encourage the wearing of
surprising, but this does masks we’re not enforcing them.
happen from time to
time - perhaps most often when a vote is called unexpectedly. The division bell
sounds across the Palace of Westminster, and MPs have eight minutes to get into Volunteers required
the division lobby before Mr Speaker calls, “Lock the doors!” If you are late,
even by a few seconds, the door will be locked against you and you cannot You might also be interested in getting involved as a volunteer!
vote. After the MPs have been counted out of each division lobby, the Tellers
return to the House floor to announce the result to the Speaker, and if you ever Could you spare just a few
watch Parliament TV (www.parliamentlive.tv/Commons) you can see this hours a week or a fortnight.
process happening. In “normal” times, the 4 tellers all walk into the chamber, We would really welcome
with the “winning” side standing on the Speaker’s left. This is why the MPs can some more help in the shop,
know the result of a vote before the actual announcement of the voting particularly over the
numbers. For especially close votes, you can sometimes hear a roar in the House summer months. You need
when the tellers take their places for the announcement – indicating the to be at the shop by 8.45am
result. For covid-related reasons, currently only one teller announces the result, to help prepare the shop for
so we have not seen this for a while. Since the 2019 election, I have been a teller opening and you should be
50 times, out of 297 votes. away by 12.15pm. You will
have training and support in
As a whip I have been in the Chamber of the House of Commons almost every the use of the till and stock
day that the House has sat throughout the pandemic. You may have seen that system. It is a very good way
of getting to know others in

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