Houses of Parliament March 2015

 We often get e- mails from our local MP inviting us to go for a tour of the Parliament with him as the guide.  We decided to give it a go. We had no idea what to expect but it was actually brilliant. The only down side to the event was that no one is allowed to take photos. Such a pity as it really is a magnificent building.

We waited for him in the main hall. This glorious window is at the end of the hall.

The only down side to the whole event was that it was a it too fast.  We wanted to read everything, and there was a lot to look at, but we had to keep up.

Big Ben.

    Security to get in is airport style, but friendlier. A lady chatted to us while we were getting our clobber back and asked if we were there for the tour and dinner. We had a minor panic as we were dressed in jeans and trainers. Why she thought we were dressed for dinner I don't know!  Our invite said nothing about dinner! We were directed to the Great Hall to wait for our MP and were relieved to see others dressed as casually as us. However, while we were waiting,people were arriving togged up to the nines. They were mostly overly pretentious types braying away in ultra posh voices and generally showing off! I think they were also being shown round by an MP but I didn't recognise him. 

The first place we saw was the chapel. It is underground and so elaborate it took our breath away. 

We went into the Commons and the House of Lords. The difference between the two places is incredible. The Lords is all gold and red velvet, big comfy chairs and very ornate. The Commons is smaller, very plain and has no natural light. We were told all about the voting process. If the Speaker can here a clear majority vote, he records that as taken. If he can't the MPs voting have to leave the house and go into for or against corridors. They then give their names to a clerk. Sometimes they get themselves into the "opposition"voting area  but they aren't allowed to go back. So instead of opposing a motion by the "other side" they end up voting for it. We were told what the Whips " do and what happens at Prime Ministers Questions. Not as random as it looks apparently. He also told us about safe and marginal seats and what lengths some MPs go to to secure safe seats.

We were taken into the robing room where the Queen  waits before the opening of Parliament. 

Did you know that an MP is "taken hostage" during the opening? They go to Buckingham Palace and would historically be executed if the House did not return the Monarch. The tradition goes back hundreds of years to the times when the Monarch ran Parliament and things could get a little heated.Now they just sit in a little room at the Palace with a policeman and have a sandwich and a cup of tea and wait for their lift back. 

When the House is in session, the Sergeant at Arms sits with a sword on their lap and has to be prepared to use it to defend the life of the PM. In Canada the person with an equivalent job has a gun and during a recent attack during a session did kill an attacker. Scary stuff.

There are bronze plaques on the floor of the Great Hall marking the places where notable royals have lain in State. There is also one for Winston Churchill.

The tour lasted 2:30 and was brilliant. We had a chance to ask questions at the end in a proper Interveiw room. A good evening out and it didn't cost a penny 😉