MPS can't be trusted to keep working from home in case children vote for them, Andrea Leadsom claims.
The former Business Secretary and one-time Tory leadership contender says virtual voting must end in case six-year-olds start taking part.
She said a voting error by Rishi Sunak proved her point.
The claim was made on the BBC's Politics Live programme, in which Leadsom defended the controversial return to in-person voting in the Commons.
That was decided in a vote last night despite serious opposition from the SNP and other parties on public health grounds.
It's feared MPs could become coronavirus superspreaders and that those who are shielding due to underlying health conditions will become second-class MPs.
Jacob Rees-Mogg, the leader of the House of Commons, insists it will be safe and that parliament cannot function using streaming services forever.
Yesterday the mammoth queue stretched outside as MPs waited 2m apart to cast their vote.
However, many were seen to come closer together than that and to touch the dispatch box and tables.
Central Ayrshire MP Philippa Whitford, a surgeon, told the programme she had "found it startling" to watch that happen.
And Labour's Meg Hillier branded the government's insistance on in-person voting "macho nonsense".
But Leadsom said the waiting had been "okay", comparing the new system to "a queue for a ride at a theme park" and insisted: "It's vital that welcome back to parliament, there's no doubt in my mind that scrutiny was just not able to be upheld during the virtual parliament.
She went on: "Voting was electronic and distant, so you could have had, I don't know, your six year old voting for fun. We already saw the Chancellor voting the wrong way by accident.
"I myself was actually taking some groceries to a constituent and I had to stop in a lay-by to vote because the vote was unexpected.
"The problem with that remote system is there is huge opportunity for error and messing about with it."
6 year olds voting for fun. Why else would they vote? Civic duty? #PoliticsLive pic.twitter.com/m9ron8I6eR
— Saul Staniforth (@SaulStaniforth) June 3, 2020
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel