Closed petition Ban the use of smartphones in the House of Commons chamber

Closed on 23 November 2022

MPs have long been told not to read newspapers of books in the House of Commons chamber, but MPs are frequently on their mobile phones. We want the use of smartpones in the chamber to be banned. No message is so urgent that a note being passed by a House of Commons official won’t do.

Voters have the right to expect their elected members are focused and concentrating on the matter at hand. I know of no business environment that tolerates people scrolling through their phones during a meeting. It is also unseemly when sessions are televised to see dozens of members peering at their phones, often apparently oblivious to the proceedings.