SAMMY Wilson last night defended his decision to travel to Westminster after being advised that MPs should not attend in person "unless absolutely necessary".
The DUP MP said he had to go in order to vote on behalf of colleagues – a claim echoed by his party leader Arlene Foster in the assembly and later by a party spokesman.
However, a House of Commons spokesman told The Irish News that it would have been possible for Mr Wilson to get another MP to cast his and other party colleagues' votes, therefore avoiding travelling to central London, which is currently under Tier 4 restrictions.
Strangford MP Jim Shannon, the DUP's Westminster health spokesman, also attended the House of Commons yesterday, alongside up to three dozen other MPs and British prime minister Boris Johnson.
"If there's a vote, as chief whip I will have the proxies for all our members," Mr Wilson told the BBC.
"Jim Shannon is our health spokesperson and both of us made a decision that we wanted to register for votes if there were votes, and that as health spokesperson, he wanted to speak and wanted to speak in person in the chamber."
Ahead of yesterday's debate, the House of Common's speaker advised MPs to stay away and participate remotely "unless absolutely necessary".
"As per my advice on the previous recall, I would strongly urge you not to physically come to Westminster to participate in any business unless absolutely necessary due to the current severe public health situation," Sir Lindsay Hoyle told MPs.
"Members' staff should also be working from home and I have asked the House authorities to limit House staff on the estate to a bare minimum."
In a statement the DUP said: "Sammy Wilson is the Party's Chief Whip at Westminster and casts proxy votes for other DUP MPs. The same applies to the Whips of other Parliamentary Parties. In accordance with the current rules of the House of Commons, a nominated proxy must attend Parliament to cast those votes in person.“
SDLP MLA Matthew O'Toole however said Mr Wilson's conduct during the pandemic was a "rolling scandal".
"Despite the speaker of the Commons advising MPs against travel unless absolutely necessary, Sammy and Jim Shannon went to Westminster yesterday," he said.
"The excuse of proxy voting is flimsy given any Commons' division will be a vote on new restrictions in England not Northern Ireland – Sammy flew to London because he takes pleasure in flying in the face of public health advice and spewing populist bile."
Mr Wilson also defended travelling to Portrush at the weekend, soon after returning from a previous trip to Westminster.
There are no exemptions for MPs who travel to London from around the UK on parliamentary business.
Department of Health guidance says those arriving in the north from within the Common Travel Area, who plan to remain for at least 24 hours, must self-isolate upon arrival for 10 days in the same way as international arrivals.
On Monday, DUP leader Arlene Foster voiced her dismay at the large crowds that had gathered in Portrush and Portstewart at the weekend, however, she made no reference to the outspoken MP by name.
"I decided I wanted to go for a walk along the beach. I was not with a crowd. I think that given the bracing wind that there was on the beach it would have killed everything, including coronavirus," Mr Wilson said.
