On our first official day in London, Katie Simmons, Beth Koch, and I visited the Houses of Parliament in Westminster. We went to the House of Commons first, where we heard the Secretary of State for Health answer questions about the state of prisons that house criminals with mental health issues. One of the main concerns raised was how the amount of prisoner abuse and attacks on guards have risen in the past few years. There are not enough guards to adequately care for and protect the number of prisoners currently in the system. Members of the House of Commons wanted to know how the Secretary would increase the number of guards and also retain experienced guards. He did not have many concrete answers, but he promised to produce a plan and some results in the near future. We also witnessed Lucy Powell and Nicky Morgan insult each other over education reform. Morgan, who is the Secretary of Education, introduced the second version of a plan that involved transitioning all schools to academies, within no certain time frame. The plan would also allow said academies to join together and form coalitions. Powell was against this plan because there was no definitive timeline, and because she viewed academization as harmful to schools and teachers. The war that ensued between them was entertaining and informative, and I do not believe that anything like that ever happens in Congress. The members of the House of Commons called each other “the honorable gentleman” or “the honorable lady,” all while vehemently disagreeing. There was also constant heckling, and the conversation was hardly ever free of cheers or boos.
The House of Lords was not nearly so interesting, as it was comprised of fewer people that day and most members present were of advanced age. However, there was a beautiful, ornate golden throne that is used by the Queen whenever she participates, and the room was decorated in magnificent red and had statues of knights high up on the walls. Unfortunately, we were not allowed to take pictures in either location. We also went through light security when entering the building and were forced to check our purses before entering the two atriums. The level of security was comparable to attending a baseball game in the United States, which was surprising and shows how security heavy the U.S. is. It is important to understand how other countries’ governments work, and what some of the important issues are to the country. Perhaps our Congress could learn something from the free speech and retorts utilized in the House of Commons.