Last month, Lower Sixth Politics students went to Westminster for the day to gain an inside look into the actual workings of our parliamentary system.
Politics student Tom reports back:
“The day began with a tour of the Palace of Westminster, including Westminster Hall and the House of Lords, as well as watching the ceremonial Speaker’s Parade as the Speaker of the House entered the Commons Chamber. Students were offered the unique opportunity to speak to a sitting peer, Lord Attlee, grandson of former Prime Minister Clement Attlee, who provided fascinating insider perspectives on the importance of our bicameral (two-chamber) system. He also shared a personal account of his life as a peer and left us with no doubt of the necessity of his role, as the only peer both qualified as a driving instructor and a HGV operator!
“Trinity Alumnus Chris Shaw, who is now Chief Clerk to the Foreign Affairs Select Committee, spoke to us at length, providing a frank and honest account of the work of select committees. He also offered insights on the differences between working as a civil servant for Parliament and the Government of the day, as well as on the behind-the-scenes, perhaps unexpectedly amicable, relationships between civil servants, the government, and opposition ministers.
“The day ended off with watching a debate in the House of Commons on water policy, followed by the successful passing of the first reading of a Private Member’s Bill on a new Rail Passengers’ Charter. We were all surprised and amused at the prevalence of phone usage in the chamber, with almost every MP spending the majority of the time glancing down at a screen. We were also bemused by the attempts at humour in speeches on perhaps rather dry topics, with one MP describing his train journeys as ‘the railway version of The Hunger Games’!
“Overall, the trip offered a rare opportunity to view the mechanisms of power in the UK ‘in action’, providing an alternate perspective closer to the minds of key figures in British politics, while opening eyes to the real-world challenges Parliament faces.”
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With thanks to Lord Attlee and alumnus Chris Shaw for generously giving their time to speak with students.
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