The second week of October saw the end of the summer recess. When the extended break was announced I complained that it was too long, and that scarce Parliamentary time was being wasted. Extra time was needed, apparently, in order to install a security glass partition in the Commons Chamber. I found that the summer break just ‘whizzed by’ at lightening speed. Apart from the two weeks family holiday with my wife and two daughters, and four days at the Party Conference, I spent the rest of the break in the constituency on a hectic schedule of visits, meetings, constituent surgeries and local events. Parliament may well have been ‘on holiday’ but an MP’s correspondence continues unabated. In a normal week I will usually write some 300 letters replying to queries or to take up issues on behalf of constituents. In one very busy week the letter count topped 1,500.
I have now returned to Westminster for the new session and even though I have worked in and around there for many years I still felt a sense of awe and humility on my return after the break. It really is an interesting place. The building that is the home of the Houses of Parliament, The Palace of Westminster, is one of the most famous in the world. But despite the familiarity of the exterior, and, to a lesser extent the interiors, through televised debates, Prime Minister’s Questions and the State Opening of Parliament, its inner workings remain a mystery to most people.
Parliament has met in the Palace of Westminster since around 1550. There has been a royal palace on this site for nearly 1,000 years. But most of the current building dates from the mid Nineteenth Century when the Palace was rebuilt after a fire destroyed most of the earlier medieval buildings in 1834. One of the oldest remaining parts of the Palace of Westminster is Westminster Hall. Work on the Hall was started by William Rufus, the son of William the Conqueror, in 1097.
It would give me great pleasure to welcome you to the Houses of Parliament and to give you a guided tour. If you would like a tour, please telephone my office on 01442 267033. |
