We will be in London in September when I believe Parliament is back in session. RS gives instructions for visiting when Parliament is in session and not. Does anyone have an opinion on which is more desirable? We have an extended stay so could try to do either.
Posted by
Olympia, WA, USA
6522 posts
We took a tour when they weren't in session, it took us onto the floor of both chambers, sat us in the seats. That plus the excellent guide made it very worthwhile. Watching a "live" session from the gallery would be interesting too, but you can see some of the best of this, Prime Minister's Question Time, on C-Span. What you'd see live probably won't be as interesting as that.
So if I had to choose I'd go for the out-of-session tour that takes you places you can't go when they're meeting. But with an extended stay I'd try to do both.
Posted by
Land of La
8680 posts
I agree with Dick.
I’ve done both.
Fun to watch a live session but I truly loved the tour. We opted for tea after the tour ticket as well. Pricey but you are on vacation and I’m of the philosophy you can’t take it with you. Splurge. Tea was nicely done, great weather, pleasant staff and a nice view of the Thames.
Posted by
7673 posts
We visited Parliament and the House of Commons in March 1980. It was question time and I loved it and didn't want to leave.
Posted by
Chicago
1326 posts
Late September is party conference season (similar to a political convention in the USA) so Parliament may not be in session. I'd suggest taking the tours, which run year round on Saturday and they may have weekday tours should you be there during party conference season.
The easiest way to see a debate is to go at night. When sitting, the House of Commons usually starts around 11 am or noon and runs until night. The lines are shorter or non existent at night, but expect is to be sparsely attended by MPs. Watch online to get an idea of what the House of Commons and House of Lords look like and what the debates are typically like. https://parliamentlive.tv/Commons