Government had to be reminded that Sunderland has three MPs during a Covid-19 conference call

Two of the three Members of Parliament for Sunderland were not initially invited to a conference call with the Government about coronavirus measures.
By Ryan Smith
Published 12th Oct 2020, 17:43 BST
Updated 12th Oct 2020, 17:45 BST
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

Sunderland Central MP Julie Elliott had to remind the Government that there are three Members of Parliament for Sunderland during a telephone meeting about Covid-19 measures this afternoon (Monday, October 12).

MPs in the North East were given short notice to join the call, which took place between 2.10pm and 2.30pm, with Mrs Elliott only receiving the invitation one minute before it was scheduled to start.

Read More
Sunderland in tier two of lockdown restrictions - what that means and how will t...
Hide Ad
Hide Ad

A spokesman for Julie Elliott’s office said: “Julie got notice of the call a minute before it was due to start.

"She joined just as the meeting was starting where she then informed them that there was more than one Sunderland MP.”

The MP for Washington and Sunderland West, Sharon Hodgson took to Twitter to express her anger, confirming that she was late to join the meeting.

Mrs Hodgson commented: “I got email invite at 2.18pm as another MP pointed out so many MPs missing. By time I got on call I had five minutes before it ended at 2.30pm. Total and complete Incompetence.”

Julie Elliott had to remind the Government that Sunderland has three Members of Parliament.Julie Elliott had to remind the Government that Sunderland has three Members of Parliament.
Julie Elliott had to remind the Government that Sunderland has three Members of Parliament.
Hide Ad
Hide Ad

A member of Sharon Hodgson’s office confirmed to the Echo that she was only invited after Julie Elliott had pointed out the missing MPs.

It is understood that the MP for Houghton and Sunderland South, Bridget Phillipson, was also missing from the call.

The omission of two Sunderland MPs comes as Prime Minister Boris Johnson revealed in the House of Commons that “talks are ongoing with North East leaders” over the Covid-19 tier level for the region.

A message from the Editor:

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our advertisers - and consequently the revenue we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription.

Subscribe to the Sunderland Echo website and enjoy unlimited access to local news and information online and on our app. With a digital subscription, you can read more than 5 articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Visit here to sign up. You can subscribe to the newspaper with 20% off here. Thank you.

Related topics:SHARON HODGSONSunderlandGovernmentMPsParliament