Reserve your seat in the House!

Sir Robert Rogers. Image BBC.

The title wasn’t that enticing really “Inside the Commons”. I can hear the yawning.

Really though, it was very interesting. Reporter Michael Cockerell (who is heard not seen) informed us that they’ve spent a year following the people and day to day running of the House of Commons.

The rituals of the house are fascinating. For instance, as there are 427 seats and 650 MPs there are not enough spaces to sit on the famous green seats, so unless you’re a front bencher you have to reserve your seat for the day.
This is a bit like reserving your sun-lounger at the beach. The Commons’ day starts with 3 minute morning prayers so to get a seat you have to get a piece of card known as a ‘Prayer card’, write your name on it and place it in a card holder on the back of the seat you want. You have to be up early as doors open at 8 o’clock and if you leave it till 08:30 all the good spots are gone! Also, if you’re not there for the prayers, the Commons officials will tear up your card! Being there for the prayers ensure you that seat for the day.

Sir Peter Tapsell, longest serving backbench member and known as Father of the House, has a special seat but insists on putting in a prayer card, to save the embarassment of someone new not knowing!

Centuries of traditions permeate everywhere. In one section of the prayers, members turn to face the back wall, harking back to the days when it was sensitive to be a Roman Catholic, you could cross yourself in private.
Ex Lib Dem leader Charles Kennedy showed us the cloakrooms and the ribbons on which members can hang a sword, and made a discovery!

The scramble still applies to trying to ask a question at the event of the week, Prime Minister’s Question Time. If you’re on the government benches then there is a list of approved topics to mention so any question is of the type “Does the house agree with me that the Prime Minister is doing a great job?”! If you’re opposition then your question is entered into a lottery with the winners getting to ask their question. Unsuccessful applicants are “bobbers”, who stand up and down in their seat, in a “pick me” attempt to ask a question!

One of these “bobbers” was Sarah Champion, Labour MP for Rotherham. She and Tory MP Charlotte Leslie are two women MPs who the cameras follow in this documentary as they attempt to navigate the old boys network. Champion refused to participate in the scramble for seats early to watch, as she said, a load of old men screaming at each other!

The biggest star of the show is the building itself, as David Cameron tells us, half museum, half school and half church! Back to school Prime Minister! Some MPs calls it Hogwarts apparently and the description is deserved. We are told that the place has 100 staircases, over 1000 rooms and 3 miles of passages, and therefore it is very easy to get lost in the rabbit warren. Even MPs who have been there ages like Winston Churchill’s grandson Sir Nicholas Soames, tells us that despite being there 30 years he still discovers new parts of the building, the most recent one being a bar!

The Commons top official, Clerk of the House is Sir Robert Rogers (pictured above). He is Principal constitutional advisor to the House combined with being Chief executive of the House of Commons service of 2,000 people which includes painters plumbers, cleaners and clock makers.

One of Roger’s staff is Gladys the tea lady who trundles her tea tray round the plush ornate corridors and showed us the hallowed tea room where MPs congregate in their respective party areas and plot and scheme. Anyone new sitting in the wrong section is soon told of their mistake!
Rogers cuts a traditional figure in his barrister style garb, keeping old traditions alive and liaising with builders and restorators to keep the Elizabeth Tower and the rest of the buildings from crumbling. Rogers is seen with Head Doorkeeper, Robin Fell. Fell has been in the post 40 years and presides over a team of Doorkeepers who are the internal security keepers, men and women who may be dressed like butlers (below) but are trained in police restraint techniques. These Doorkeepers act as messengers and are the “eyes and ears” of the House. One Doorkeeper showed us his gold chain of office, depicting a winged messenger which dated back to 1837!

The doorkeepers. Image BBC.

Much more unfolded, which was all part of a fascinating watch.

This was the first of a four part documentary which aired at 9pm on Tuesday on BBC2. The first part is still on iPlayer but only until Thursday.

A fascinating insight into the House of Commons. Reserve your seat for next week!