The House of Lords and the House of Commons (Or, A Visit to Parliament)

Lovely to see you again, Big Ben!

Yesterday, I got to venture out of Oxford for the first time since mid-January -- it's been a roller-coaster couple of weeks here, but finally life is feeling more normal and more adventures beckon. The reason for yesterday's foray: I had signed up for a tour of the Houses of Parliament in London with a group of other Rhodes scholars, sponsored by the English Speaking Union. The ESU is an international membership organization that sponsors education and cultural programs across several English-speaking countries, including the UK. The two older (and, may I add, very stereotypically British) gentlemen who were sponsoring the tour met us in the late morning outside of the buildings of Parliament in London. It was impossible to miss them: suits, slightly tousled hair, very classic-looking British expressions and posh accents (or so I was told, re: the poshness).

The very old and very imposing Westminster Hall

We ventured inside, first walking through the giant Westminster Hall, which is 1000 years old and the oldest part of the Houses of Parliament. It alone has survived several fires, bombings, and other disasters over the centuries, and is one of the largest surviving buildings anywhere in Europe from the medieval period. Many important state functions and history-changing events have taken place in Westminster Hall: Charles II was tried here before his execution, and many world leaders have lain in state here after their deaths. Winston Churchill, the Queen Mother, George V and George VI -- the list goes on. Nelson Mandela made a global address here on the steps, and Barack Obama and other U.S. presidents have made speeches. The present Queen Elizabeth II has made several addresses on important occasions over the years, and (as our British hosts said, heaven forbid, God save the queen), when she passes she will lay in state here as well. We stood on the steps at the end of the hall, surrounded by cold and echoing stone and a heavy smell that seemed to represent the weight of the ages, and reflected upon ten centuries of history.

I wasn't allowed to take photos while inside the Houses of Parliament, after Westminster Hall, but the day went something like this: we visited the House of Commons first, going up to the gallery to witness a debate on the Stephen Lawrence scandal currently unfolding in Britain. (Fun fact: even though none of us had heard about Stephen Lawrence before, we later emerged from our tour to see news from the day's parliamentary debate all over the British evening newspapers. We were there for that bit of juicy testimony!) Then after lunch we met with a baroness and member of the House of Lords for a tour of that side of the buildings. The difference between the House of Lords and the House of Commons is rather immense -- the House of Lords is ridiculously gaudy, ornate, gold-worked and decorated, with beautiful mahogany wood panels and paintings of kings and queens and British heads of states over the centuries. Most of the main halls are Victorian, built with all manners of embellishment and splendor in the nineteenth century (after Parliament burned down in 1834). True to the times, when the British Empire was at its height and the English wished to build their parliamentary halls as a way to proclaim their might to the world, there are all sorts of paintings and statues and engravings of historical rulers and figures and British military strength. There's also a throne room, with a throne worn down by Queen Victoria's constant rubbing on the velvet arms -- for reasons of historical reverence, the cushions haven't been reupholstered or replaced, even if the rest of the halls positively shine with all their glitz. We stared at the finery for a while, then went upstairs with the baroness to have a conversation about her role as a peer within Parliament.

Entrance to the main lobby of Parliament from Westminster Hall -- where my photos of parliamentary glamour ended!

I learned quite a bit about the British government system and the House of Lords versus the House of Commons, including how members of the House of Lords are appointed or chosen (or how they gain their hereditary titles). The House of Lords serves a different function than the House of Commons; peers do not get a salary, other than having their day-to-day expenses covered, and don't get any sort of allowance for staff members. The functional requirements for a peerage are rather lax, and many peers decide the extent to which they'd like to participate in debates and day-to-day parliamentary procedures, but many of them are professionals working in other fields who take seriously the task of contributing to the future direction of their country. They are also appointed for life. The baroness pointed out several positive aspects about this system: lack of hard-line party organization and strict voting along party lines, lack of worries about getting reelected, professional experience and perspective on handling parliamentary procedures, even more diversity in the ranks (surprisingly so). The House of Commons, on the other hand, has elected members that represent different constituencies across the UK, and tends to initiate most of the bills passed or enacted by Parliament. The House of Lords can pass a bill back to the House of Commons, but only up to three times, and they mostly act to amend bills and adjust legislation.

The gang after emerging from Parliament

We went down to the debate hall of the House of Lords and watched a debate on international women's issues for a little while -- I tried to pay attention, but couldn't help but be distracted by the sheer ornateness and adornment of the House of Lords. This chamber is where the queen opens the Houses of Parliament in a ceremony each year, and the gold-gilded throne on one end of the room complemented the ornamented ceilings and plush red couches and stained-glass windows. It was more of a luxurious spectacle than the more functional and more hard-nosed House of Commons. The gallery up top (in which we were sitting) very much made me feel like I'd stepped back into a 19th-century Victorian painting. The barristers down in the debate even wore wigs. (But actually.) It all felt very foreign, very formal, and very British.

Quintessential London tourist shot, looking down from Trafalgar Square

After our visit to the House of Lords, it was back to the House of Commons for a visit with one of the MPs (Members of Parliament) there. He represented one of the districts in Oxfordshire, and answered our questions about being a MP and his duties and responsibilities. Another contrast between the House of Lords and House of Commons: members of the House of Lords don't represent any specific constituency within Britain, only the logical interests of the country as a whole, so the daily functions of taking into consideration a specific district and body of people are very different. I'll stop there with my cursory insights on the workings of British government, but needless to say it was a fascinating day! Having been to the U.S. Capitol before, I found myself contrasting this British system with our Senate and House of Representatives. The tour ended at around 4:15, after which we hoofed it through Trafalgar Square and over to Covent Garden for some burgers at Shake Shack -- a very American way of ending a very British day!