MEMBERS of the public have been queueing for hours to see the Queen lying in state - but MPs have been given passes to skip the lengthy wait.
A spokesperson for the House of Commons confirmed that parliamentarians can bring up to four guests and don't have to join the queue - which has had 10 miles of infrastructure put in place and has 1000 support staff on hand from a variety of groups and charities.
Parliamentary house staff can also skip the line, which was around 3.5 miles long at 11 am. The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, which is running a Youtube stream with updates on the length and end point of the queue, said that parliament staff can bring one guest each.
Journalists with parliamentary estate passes can also bypass the line by booking allocated time slots.
However, cleaners, security staff, caterers and workmen involved in setting up the operation will have to queue with the public.
One Tory peer told The Times: “There is so much anger. It just shows the worst side of this place and is completely unfair and unjustified.”
The news sparked an angry backlash from the public across social media.
One furious social media user wrote: "Just heard some outrageous news. Apparently MPs plus one jump the queue along with any Westminster staff and foreign dignitaries.
"Fast track queue so they don’t have to wait with the plebs. Absolutely disgusting and hope it gets stopped ASAP."
Another added: "The sense of entitlement of the staff, thinking they can jump the queue because they work for an MP is outstanding. Queue with the rest of us peasants. You MP’s can do the same too. Not like you’re currently doing much else."
A third wrote: "Why can't they queue like everyone else? They are off on PAID time off for 2 weeks. Is not like they have something else to do, like working on the cost of living crisis, is it? #TheCheekOfThem #MPs."
Meanwhile, one person added: "I don’t have an issue with MPs or peers jumping the queue when the lying-in-state is taking place in their place of work, but they shouldn’t be given additional tickets for friends and family. It isn’t a day out."
And, people in the queue itself expressed their anger. Julie Newman, 56, told the MailOnline: “It is an abuse of privilege. I don’t mind queuing, because everybody queues. But there is no excuse for queue-jumping, it’s not fair.”
According to The Spectator, a Tory staffer's group chat was flooded with plans on how to skip the queue - with some organising a letter urging for priority access for MPs.
One staffer reportedly said: “If they don't end up letting us attend, then we will need to queue with the general public which has the potential of affecting the operations of MPs' offices because we will all be queuing.”
