PM Questions?

[mcmbenjamin]

So I watch the Prime Minster's questions on Sunday night on C-Span for many reasons. I have a few questions.

What is the gold staff to the right of Tony Blair?

Is it possible to get tickets and if so how?

Do you mean the mace?
You can visit the public gallery in the House of Commons although places are limited for overseas visitors.

BC

I am not expert on this. However believe the gold staff is the "Mace". At the opening of parliament it is bought into the House of Commons as an idication of the transfer of power from the monarch to the commoners. I believe it started with Charles I during the reform.
Tickets for strangers are as common as hen's teeth due to security. Since the PM was pelted with flour by a pressure group called "fathers against horrid people who are unkind to them", or someone like that, I believe getting to see question time is pretty much impossible. The only way I know of getting in is via your local MP - although that is no use to you. As I say, on all this ISTBC, no doubt by one of our civil servants who may be along in a minute.

You can however do tours of the palace of westminster during the school (by which I mean parliament) holidays. This is well worth it. You get to see both houses, you can stand at the returns box and make a speach, you can lean against the wool sack, and have a look in betty boothroyd's hand bag (It hangs on the back of the speakers chair and in reality is where all the proposed bills are placed - it is known by that name even though she has now retired). You cannot sit down in the house of commons though, because you and I are both common rather than commoners. You can sit in the house of lords though - I took up Richard' seat

BlackCat and Sailor beat me on this one - I clearly spent too long on research! Just to add a couple of links: There's a quite interesting review of Parliament here, and a US-tourist centric article here.

I noted a comment in the second report that said:

Having been unable to secure the coveted and rare tickets to Prime MinisterÕs Question Time (only a total of two tickets are available from the American Embassy for the entire population of the United States for each Question Time), we were nevertheless able to watch the lively and engaging encounter between the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition from only a few blocks away from where it was actually happening.

So it looks like you might be able to bid for tickets through your embassy - may be worth a try although, with only 2 tickets available they seem slightly less common than UC reward tickets to MCO! Do I hear a cry of "No representation without taxation!" No? well, there you go! Anyway, good luck.

Best wishes

David

Edited due to an inability to write in English at this time of morning!

[Decker]

Originally posted by DavidM
Do I hear a cry of "No representation without taxation!" No? well, there you go!

Yup always amused me the relative silence from the inhabitants of Washington DC on this one... [:o)]

[ChuckC]

Fascinating subject. Thanks, Ben. Here's another American who regularly checks in to see how the PM responds to questions. I find it vigorously refreshing to see the government having to defend its actions to its citizens. But that's just me.

Chuck-

[mcmbenjamin]

Originally posted by Decker

Originally posted by DavidM
Do I hear a cry of "No representation without taxation!" No? well, there you go!

Yup always amused me the relative silence from the inhabitants of Washington DC on this one... [:o)]

Thanks a bunch for the helpful info.

People who live in the city-state of Washington DC do not have voting rights in the congress but can vote for Mayor, President, and Vice President. (They elected a drug user/ tax evador TWICE.)

Billie Clinton had the 'Taxation without representation' plates on his limo but currently they have been removed from the presidental limo.

One point of note is that many (dare I say most) people that work and play in Washington DC are citizens of Virginia or Maryland and have full voting rights. Honestly with the crime rate, I am happy to be a day visitor. I am citizen of Virginia.

DC has nice parts like Georgetown (M Steet), GWU Area, The Mall, Dupont Circle, Embassy Row and Eastern Market (only during the weekend).

[Decker]

I'll just sit in Bethesda eating my way around