HOUSE OF COMMONS VISIT
House of Commons, London, SW1A 2TT
On 18 June 2012 we were taken on a tour of the House of Commons - Eight residents went
along with two Housing Workers.
PHOTO:
arriving
outside the
Houses of
Parliament in
Westminster –
Marcus Zelee
When we arrived, we had to go
through a security check – even
tighter than the airport. We were
only allowed to take photographs
in the entrance hall (this was one
of the oldest parts of the building)
and outside because of security.
PHOTO: in the entrance hall
waiting to go through; I am on the
left of the picture.
We were then met by Rev Rose Hudson-Wilkin who welcomed us and introduced herself as a
Patron of City YMCA (as a Patron, she supports and protects City YMCA). She also helped
to organise the visit. She is the House of Common’s Speaker’s Chaplain and a Priest Vicar at
Westminster Abbey.
PHOTO: taken on 28 June 2010
Rev Rose, in the red jacket, is
standing next to The Speaker of the
House of Commons, John Bercow
(on her left). The Speaker manages
the debates/ discussions and controls
who is able to speak. He keeps order
during debates and is often heard
shouting Order! Order! He can also
punish the members who break the
rules!!
Rev Rose then introduced us to the Guide who would show us round. The Guide told us that
the present building was designed in the Gothic style, to house parliament, and was finished
in the 1840’s. That there were two chambers, the House of Commons and the House of
Lords. They were located at each end of the building with corridors joining the two
chambers. The House of Commons, where parliament sits, has plain green benches where the
government and members sit. It is very small and there are not enough seats for all the MPs
and some have to stand when there is a full house.
PHOTO: THE
Chamber of the
House of
Commons where
the Prime
Minister, the
Cabinet and other
Members of
Parliament debate
issues, pass laws,
set new taxes.
Personally I expected this room to be much larger than it was – when you see news items on
television you think it is bigger. The Guide explained some of the history of the Houses of
Parliament. I had heard of Guy Fawkes but did not know his connection to Parliament. He
was involved in the “Gun Powder plot” of 1605 to blow up Parliament. He was a member of
an English Catholic group who planned to kill King James I (a protestant) and restore a
Catholic King to the throne. The group managed to hire a storage space under the Houses of
Parliament – they stored gunpowder which they were going to blow up. Someone then sent
an anonymous letter and he was caught in the store room on 5 November. He was then
questioned and tortured and told the authorities about the plan. He was going to be executed
by being hanged, drawn and quartered (a very painful death where the person is hanged until
nearly dead, cut open so that all the guts drop out, and then cut into four pieces). To avoid
this horrible death, he jumped from the scaffold and broke his neck!
We were then shown the Robing Room where the Queen gets ready for the State Opening of
Parliament – this is the beginning of the parliamentary session. The Queen opens Parliament
and gives the Queen's Speech – this is written by the government members and gives details
of the Government's proposed policies and any laws to be discussed and passed.
The Guide told us that the Queen arrives at the Sovereign's Entrance at about 11.15am, and
proceeds to the Robing Room, where she puts on the Imperial State Crown and parliamentary
robe. A procession then leads through the Royal Gallery to the Chamber of the House of
Lords, where the Queen takes the Throne.
A person known as 'Black Rod' is sent to call for the Commons members. The door to their
chamber is slammed in Black Rod's face and not opened until Black Rod has knocked on the
door three times with the staff of office, the Black Rod. We were shown the dent in the door
from the hitting over the years. The Members of the House of Commons follow Black Rod
and the Commons Speaker to the Lords Chamber to hear the Queen's Speech.
The Guide then took us into the House of Lords Chamber – which is more richly decorated
and the seats are in a deep red with decorated ceilings and gold paint. Any decisions made in
the House of Commons have to be approved in the House of Lords – this system acts as a
check on the policies and laws being discussed and passed.
PHOTO: HOUSE OF LORDS CHAMBER
PHOTO: At
the end of the
tour, leaving
the House of
Commons.
I enjoyed the visit and found the information very interesting – it was also good as I
got to speak to a number of residents I do not normally see. There were a lot of
paintings and sculptures around and it was interesting to see who they were and their
roles in the history of Parliament. We all thought it was good to leave the hostel and
do something different. I would like to go on more educational visits.
By: Haroon Abdullah, Errol Street resident