Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The Commons Chamber may be much less grandiose than the Lords', but this is
where the sausage gets made. The House of Commons is as powerful as the Lords, prime
minister, and Queen combined.
This seat of power is surprisingly small—barely 3,000 square feet. The chamber was
destroyed in the Blitz, and Churchill rebuilt it with the same cube-shaped floor plan. Of
today's 650-plus MPs, only 450 can sit—the rest have to stand at the ends. On any given
day, most MPs are in their offices, located elsewhere in the complex or in nearby, modern
buildings.
As in the House of Lords, the ruling party sits on the left, opposition on the right.
Keep an eye out for two red lines on the floor, which cannot be crossed when debating
the other side. (They're supposedly two sword-lengths apart, to prevent a literal clashing
of swords.) Between the benches is the canopied Speaker's Chair, for the chairman who
keeps order and chooses who can speak next. The clerks sit at a central table that holds
the ceremonial mace, a symbol of the power given Parliament by the monarch. Also on
the table are the two “dispatch boxes”—old wooden chests that serve as lecterns, one for
each side.
The Queen is not allowed in the Commons Chamber. The last monarch to enter a
Commons Chamber was Charles I, and you know what happened to him. When the prime
minister visits, he speaks from one of the boxes. His ministers (or cabinet) join him on the
front bench, while lesser MPs (the “backbenchers”) sit behind. It's often a fiery spectacle,
as the prime minister defends his policies, while the opposition grumbles and harrumphs
in displeasure. It's not unheard-of for MPs to get out of line and be escorted out by the
Serjeant at Arms. One furious MP even grabbed the Serjeant's hallowed mace and threw
it to the ground. His career was over.
• And so is our tour. Heading back out of the sprawling complex, be sure to get a good
look at—if you haven't already—the Houses of Parliament's best-known symbol, its giant
clock tower. For a full description on what tourists call “Big Ben,” see the start of the
Westminster Walk.
