Shutting down Westminster due to the coronavirus makes sense – but it’ll be devastating for political journalism

The lifeblood of our trade – nipping in and out of the press gallery, grabbing MPs for a quick word or an expansive lunch, exchanging gossip with colleagues and rivals – would be taken from us, writes Andrew Woodcock

For the government, the absence of MPs from Westminster may, of course, be something of a relief (Getty/iStock)

On the face of it, if the medical experts want to prevent gatherings where coronavirus may be spread, the Palace of Westminster would be one of the best places to start.

With almost 10,000 individuals holding passes to the building and a million visitors a year, the warren of corridors, meeting rooms, restaurants and bars is constantly thronged with people wandering around, and generally spreading around any germs they may be carrying.

To make matters worse, the 650 MPs in the House of Commons are by definition drawn from all quarters of the United Kingdom and return to their constituencies every weekend, in a public health official’s nightmare of potential super-spreading.