Written by James C, Lower Sixth
On 9 June, the Lower Sixth Form Politics students had the opportunity to visit the Houses of Parliament. We began our trip by coming across fitness coach Joe Wicks at Victoria Tower Garden, and a few students were able to get snaps with Mr Wicks. We were then given a guided tour of the building, entering at Westminster Hall, exploring Central Lobby and sitting in the viewing gallery of both the Commons and the Lords. We learned about the deep-rooted history of the Westminster Parliament, the traditions of British democracy and the evolution of how government was run from the Tudor times, to present day. We saw a variety of politicians during our tour, including Michael Gove, Kemi Badenoch and some students were even fortunate enough to meet Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey!
A key highlight of our visit was sitting in and listening to live debates from both Houses. In the House of Commons, MPs asked questions about Housing, Communities and Local Government, with Angela Rayner being the most senior figure present. In the House of Lords, the Peers discussed the current conflict in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories. It was intriguing listening to different arguments/viewpoints made by MPs and Peers during the time we watched the debates.
Our day ended with a policy making workshop and a visit from the school’s constituency MP Tom Rutland. Mr Rutland took in various questions from us, spanning from queries about Labour policies to Mr Rutland’s journey of becoming a politician.
The experience gave everybody a tremendous opportunity to see both chambers in action, and that included politicians from Angela Rayner, Michael Gove, Kemi Badenoch to speaking to Ed Davey.
Mr Gordon Drummond, Teacher of Economics and Politics)
This experience was enlightening to us because it made politics feel more real and relevant. We returned to school with a greater understanding of how the government runs and a greater appreciation of the history of this country.
