Inside the Commons

[Blackleaf]

With just three months to go until the British General Election, this new four-part series takes a look behind the scenes of the House of Commons.

For the last year, cameras have been given access not only to the House of Commons Chamber where, probably uniquely amongst world parliaments, the 650 members sit in two sets of rows, facing each other, giving the British House of Commons a uniquely fierce, confrontational, rowdy atmosphere, but to the other rooms that the public rarely sees, such as the Commons cafeteria (where parties are allocated certain areas to sit) and the members' cloakroom. We also see how the MPs reserve their places on the Commons benches, something they can only do by attending prayers.

We learn about some bizarre rituals that could probably only happen in Britain.

For example, did you know that, until recently, all MPs were given snuff?

And that, even today, there are purple ribbons attached to the coat-hangers in the members' cloakroom, allowing MPs to hang up their SWORDS as well as their coats?

We also take a look at Big Ben's world famous clock face being given a clean by a gang of abseiling workers.

Episode 1: Lifting the Lid

The former clerk of the house Sir Robert Rogers, who retired last year. As the clerk of the house, he was the legal owner of Big Ben

Broadcaster and journalist Michael Cockerell presents the first in a four-part series with unparalleled access to the House of Commons, filmed over the course of a year.

The Commons cloakroom has purple ribbons attached to the members' coat-hangers so that they can hang their swords

We follow two relatively new female MPs - Charlotte Leslie (Con; Bristol North West) and Sarah Champion (Lab; Rotherham) - learning the ways of the House. We hear from those at the top of the political tree including David Cameron and Ed Miliband, who reveal what happens at prime minister's questions, and we also see behind the scenes on budget day. We meet a maintenance team abseiling down the face of Big Ben and the gospel-singing tea lady Gladys who works in the members' tea room. We also follow the Commons' most powerful official, the clerk of the house Sir Robert Rogers, whose job is to keep the whole show on the road.

This series takes an unprecedented look at the heart of British democracy in the run up to the 2015 general election.

Watch it here: BBC iPlayer - Inside the Commons - 1. Lifting the Lid

 

[Walter]

It will be interesting as most free democratic elections are. I am particularly interested to see how well UKIP does.

 

[Blackleaf]

It is likely to be yet another Hung Parliament as it was in 2010 (the previous one before then was in 1974). It's neck and neck.

But I think most polls suggest the Tories will win the most seats, but won't have enough to form a government outright, and will have to form another coalition government.

We currently have a Tory/Liberal Democrat coalition - our first coalition government since WWII and the first time the Liberal Democrats have been in power since WWII (when they were known as the Liberals) - but it looks like the LibDems will be almost wiped out at the election. So I'm hoping that if the Tories have to form a new coalition government they'll form one with Ukip, and we'll go from having a CONDEM government to a CONKIP government. Recent data shows that Ukip could capture 30 seats in the election.

Ed Miliband's Labour won't win for two reasons. The first is that he is one of the most unpopular Labour Party leaders ever - even more unpopular than the unpopular Neil Kinnock, who lost the 1987 and 1992 elections, and even more unpopular than the unpopular Gordon Brown. They won't win an election whilst he is their leader.

The second reason is the SNP's surge in Scotland. Despite the fact that the Scots easily voted against independence in September (including a lot of SNP voters), the SNP's poll ratings are going through the roof (it seems the Scots - who are more left-wing than the English - don't want independence but like the SNP's other, left-wing, policies) They currently have six MPs in the Commons, but some people are predicting they could soon have a lot more elected at this upcoming election. And the party which will suffer the most as a result of this surge in the SNP is the Labour Party. Currently Labour has 41 MPs in Scotland, the Lib Dems have 11, the SNP has six and the Tories have one, so Labour stand to lose a lot more MPs in Scotland than other parties as a result of the SNP's surge. Labour usually has to rely on the Scottish vote to get into power - often, the Tories win the election in England but the English get a Labour Government foisted on them by the Scots - so it's hard to see how Labour can win this election and Miliband become Prime Minister when they are on course to lose a lot of seats to the SNP in Scotland, with the SNP becoming the largest party there.

So my reckoning is that the Tories will win the most seats but won't have overall control of the Commons, so will have to form another coalition, but who they will form a coalition with is anyone's guess. I just hope they don't get into bed with the ludicrous Greens.


YouGov poll (9th Jan 2015)

 

[Blackleaf]

Episode 2

Upstairs, Downstairs

State Opening of Parliament 2014: The Yeomen of the Guard, the oldest of the royal bodyguards, armed with lanterns, search the cellars of the Palace of Westminster, a practice which dates back to the Gunpowder Plot of November 5 1605


In the second episode of this major four-part series, presenter Michael Cockerell explores the upstairs-downstairs world of the House of Commons. We see what goes on backstage at the state opening, when the Queen comes to open the parliamentary year, including a surreal traditional search for gunpowder. Behind the pomp and pageantry, we meet the army of skilled workers who struggle to keep the Commons show on the road. We follow MPs who want to introduce their own bills in the Commons and have to play a bizarre form of parliamentary bingo to get the chance. And we show how Labour and Conservative MPs conspire together to thwart their party whips.

In this episode we meet two very different MPs: Robert Halfon, a campaigning Conservative and thorn in the side of the government, who receives an unexpected call from Downing Street. And Thomas Docherty, Labour's deputy-shadow leader of the house, who goes to extraordinary lengths and makes unlikely alliances to guarantee time in the chamber for his party.

Watch it here: BBC iPlayer - Inside the Commons - 2. Upstairs, Downstairs