American Reacts to the UK’s Weirdest Political Traditions
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- čas přidán 22. 04. 2024
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As an American I don't know much about British politics. Today I am very interested in learning about some of the weirdest political traditions in the UK. If you enjoyed the video feel free to leave a comment, like, or subscribe for more!
To this day, even in schools, the room where one hangs up one's coat on a coat peg is universally referred to as the cloakroom. It seems so natural that I had never thought of it as originally the room where you hung up your cloak! It takes the perspective of an outsider to illuminate such facts.
Also at theatres and clubs you will find a 'cloakroom' where they will look after your coat for you. The word is also used as a euphamism for 'toilet' in some circumstances, as often the two facilities are in the same location. Like you say- doesn't sound weird until someone points it out!
In Australia, when I went to school in the 60s and 70s, we hung our raincoats and jackets in the cloakroom too. Like you, I never questioned the word.
Same with night clubs etc.
@@carolineskipper6976 That probably stems back to the medieval tradition of the Garderobe also.
@@carolineskipper6976it's not used for toilet
During the opening of parliament an MP goes to Buckingham Palace to act as a hostage to ensure the safety of the King while he is in parliament
I didn't know that, really?
You mean the US Congress and Senate don't have gun lockers in their cloakroom or a doorkeeper with a box of free aderall/cocaine?
Haaaaahahaaa
Look I'm 50, so I guess I'm on the older side of an average youtuber, but I'm amazed there are adults in the world that haven't heard about snuff until this moment.
I'm 48 and had exactly the same thought
Perhaps Tyler doesn't pay attention when watching movies.
@@continental_driftJust as he doesn't pay attention to what is said in many of his episodes.
I'm 29, I have heard of it many many times before, knew exactly what it was
@@continental_drift just movies??
"Toeing the line" is when a speaker at parliament paces up and down the line while addressing parliament. They are following the rules by "Toeing the line"
A tradition that doesn't seem to come up here is when a new Speaker of the Commons is appointed. He's supposed to make look like he is being physically and unwillingly manhandled into the room.
Or her, of course
This happens in Canada too!
'No, I don't want to be speaker. I don't want to act as nurse maid to a bunch of MPs, I'd rather be a cobra wrangler)
Cloakroom is the normal word here. We have them in schools, clubs and bars, restaurants etc.
God I've worked in so many cloakrooms over the years. What do Americans call the coat drop off point at venues? x
Wow coat room is a word, I feel sick 😷 x
The significance of the door slam cannot be overstated. Unlike the US, the UK lacks a written constitution. The resounding closure of the door symbolizes the autonomy of elected MPs, free from the direct influence of the crown.
American governance was based on parliament’s three branches, as they were in the 18th century, along with the checks and balances. Or be it that:-
The King became a President.
The Lords became the Senate.
The House of Commons became the House of Representatives.
Some of our most important documents were later copied directly, such as The Bill of Rights of 1686. Congress has on display an extract from the Magna Carta of 1216. So I’m always puzzled by Americans not understanding British Governance when for me the American system looks so familiar.
Sadly the American system remains trapped by its constitution in the 18th century, whilst the British system remains free to evolve.
We never had 3 separated branches. It's an American delusion. We always had fusion of powers. Parliament is technically the highest court, and supplies ministers.
One of the best things about the UK is having "constitutional values" but no written constitution. Can you imagine how crap life would be if we couldn't make a law because some gaggle of toffs three hundred years ago wrote their thoughts on a piece of paper?
@@ChrisBetton Except 1) they weren't toffs, 2) they didn't write many actual specific 'laws' at all in their constitution at all, they wrote broad ideals such as free speech and the basic layout of the branches of government, 3) anything in the constitution can be changed or amended, it just requires a 2/3 majority. Obviously that's happened several times since it was written. The point being that no simple basic 1-seat majority can tamper with an actual constitutional clause and instead you need pretty broad support cross party to change what are, essentially, fundamental rights, as it should be.
Also, a primary reason we have parliamentary democracy in the UK at all is the Magna Carta, which is in effect our 'bill of rights' and was quite literally signed by 'a gaggle of toffs 800 years ago'.
UK schools have cloakrooms. It's where pupils keep their coats.
You can still buy snuff in the UK. I used to work with someone who used it everyday. Old, antique snuff boxes are highly collected in the UK.
Not ALL MPs are in the house at the same time , day, week.
The State Opening of Parliament takes place once a year. The last one was on the 7th of November 2023.
He forgot to say that it is illegal to die or wear a suit of armour in parliament.
@@TheTransmission24 ... curious, I know what snuff is, but what is 'dip' ?
Oh yes - my Logic teacher at Uni was a regular "snuffer". An utterly disgusting habit!
@@Tidybitz I wanna know what snuff is, and I want you to show me :D
@@what-uc ... Snuff is powdered tobacco sometimes with added aromas, but menthol is the only one I've seen.
@@johnwelford1580 ... Now I'm curious as what a logic teacher is?
what else would you call a room where you hang coats beside cloakroom???
I believe Americans call it a coatroom.
No monarch has entered the House of Commons since Charles I did when trying to arrest 5 MPs.
😂😂😅
he found it so exciting that he lost his head
Yeah correct. That's why the door is slammed in Black Rod's face... it might seem funny, but its highly symbolic of the separation of parliament and the monarch. i.e. it was the beginning of modern democracy... so very important in the evolution of society and politics.
The subsequent divorce was quite bitter. His head was divorced from his body.
@@matthewdearsley123 a particularly close shave
Not only were the houses of Parliament bombed in WWII . Buckingham Palace Was hit by bombs nine times during WWII.
And again if you make it to London you can still see all the damage to the buildings along the Thames up to St Barts hospital 🏥 x
Happy St. George's day 🏴
I much prefer St Edmund who actually was in England, and was the English patron saint, rather than a fashionable Greek Roman soldier made popular by a Norman king.
@@MrGrahawkif it's good enough for the Irish.....
Happy Shakespeare birthday (well,probably) and Deathday🎩
. A Drug, Snuff it like cocaine today,
@@101steel4St Patrick was either English or Welsh, a Slave who worked as a shepherd.
The Royal Family has homes, furniture and even items of clothing that are older than the United States.
Not only the Royal Family, there are many long established families that have antique furniture in daily use. It's an upper class sneer to refer to someone as having to buy their own furniture.
Well I have furniture, cutlery ornaments books, a couple of picture and other odds and ends which are older than the USA although my house is only late Georgian and my clothing mostly from the early 1970's, so nothing unusual there.
@@JohnSmith-pd1fz ... Exactly, an Aunt and Uncle of mine lived in a house from 1664.
++@@Tidybitz++ In fact most of my town dates from the eighteenth century, like most English towns do. There is some mediaeval stuff and a late Norman church with memorials from the Crusades. Just off a bit, half a mile or so is what is left of the Viking settlement which the town takes it's name from. Oh yes, there's a castle just along there where one of the Henrys was born. Nobody bothers much about any of it. It's all just there, living and breathing as it always has.
Theres dry stone walls that are older than America.
These days more than ever we need to be aware of and respect our heritage in this country. The gradualism of American infiltration in our daily lives is depressing. No disrespect intended but our language is being hijacked and ‘dumbed down’ mainly through American tech companies. Even subtitles on British films shown in the UK use American spelling which is jarring to see and eventually will be confusing to youngsters. France bans some words in the English language especially relating to gaming jargon with the aim of preserving the integrity of the native language with good reason.
I'm not on some mad English thing like you but I agree. Everything is getting too Americanised and it's good to be different and know the reason for differences
Straight to gaol. Right away
I agree and I'm a Brit who loves USA and have been visiting the USA since 1981, I have also worked there many times, and growing up in the 1960s-1970s when UK TV was dominated by US shows, love the US accent.
However as a former UK University lecturer I saw students constantly using US English, or worse still mixing it with UK English. I used to tell them I'd prefer UK English in a UK university but whichever they choose, to be consistent.
Worse still is the creeping Americanisms in everyday UK life. "Can I get" in restaurants instead of "can I have", saying "two time winner" instead of "two times winner" (or better still, UK should be "twice winner") There are hundreds like this on a daily basis. Though many would say languages evolve and absorb elements from elsewhere. And English always has absorbed of course.
Though my biggest annoyance with English is UK newsreaders on UK news channels using US English. Nothing wrong with US English...in the US!
Here in Canada, if you phone a business and there are recorded instructions, they are always done with an American accent! It's close and most people here don't notice it, but as I am from the UK . I have a more sensitive accent ear than the locals! Pisses me off!
@@MikePhillips-pl6ov I agree , you'll be calling 'chips' fries next!
Lots of weird traditions about the opening of parliament. The delivery of the parliamentary hostage - the keeping of one MP hostage during the state opening to ensure the safe return of the monarch. The Outlawries Bill - to signify its independence the House of Commons reads the Bill before starting to deal with the King's Speech. The search of the cellars before the opening by the Yeomen of the Guard to prevent a modern gunpowder plot. Yeomen are 'paid' for the services with a small glass of port.
I used to work in a pub around the corner from the palace of Westminster with the bell still in place, on the second floor. It's not connected anymore but it's there. Very cool.
State opening of Parliament / Kings speech happens Annually normally in November. It is televised so these traditions are visible to the general public.
Black Rod represents the Crown and dates back to the 4th Jan 1642 when King Charles 1st attempted to arrest 5 members. Slamming of the door represents the fact that the monarch is not allowed to enter the House of Commons (The monarch is not a commoner). Just a point of interest the Australian Parliament also has a Black Rod, the official symbol of the usher of the Black Rod in the Senate.
Parliament used to just sit for a couple of weeks a year. Now they sit pretty much perpetually, so opening and closing is a formality.
Black Rod is The Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod, and he's the usher of the Order of the Garter. Each Order of Knighthood has its own usher: Black, Crimson, Green, White, Blue, Purple, etc.
used to see Snuff boxes / tins lying around when i was young in the early 80's
A cloakroom, known as a coatroom in North America, is a room for people to hang their coats, cloaks or other outerwear when they enter a building. Cloakrooms are typically found inside large buildings, such as gymnasiums, schools, churches or meeting halls.
In the UK, a cloakroom may also refer to a lavatory.
The 'two sword lengths' thing is not really true, but may have been the case in the old House of Commons (which was destroyed by fire in 1834). AS for snuff, any well-read person today will have come across it in literature. Oh, and it is NEVER 'the Black Rod', it's 'Black Rod'.
A lot of Americans tend to preface our British words, phrases, place names or buildings (etc) with "the" such as
"the Big Ben" ... and
the "BuckingHam Palace" ... Whereas we don't. Tyler's "the Black Rod" just follows "on trend" and I'm attempting - not always successfully, I must confess, to cease my constant "edits" on reaction videos or travel videos by Americans, or should I say, citizens of the USA, as not all of America ...
('cough', excuse me "the continent") Act as Tyler (& his brother, Ryan) does (do?!)
However... Re those said citizens of the USA... A _lot_ _seem_ to...
My apologies for _over-generalising_ to those who _don't_ act or speak as Tyler (etc) is inclined so to do. 🥺🇺🇸🤔🏴😏🇬🇧🙂❤️🖖
@@brigidsingleton1596 I take your point, Brigid, but Tyler is ever eager to learn, so...... Amusingly, the Spanish tend to knock off the second element of some names, so that 'Buckingham Palace' becomes 'el Buckingham' and 'the Rolling Stones, 'los Rolling'.
The monarch doesn't attend parliament every day, but only on the first day of a new parliamentary session (or shortly after a general election). This is marked by a ceremony called the State Opening, and the last one took place on 7 November 2023. King Charles read his first official monarch's speech on that occasion. The ceremony gave them a snappy title for the 2010 film about George VI's stammer and how they dealt with it.
A major reason for wanting to move to the semicircular design is that MPs cannot talk directly at each other, they must address their comments to the house or speaker of the house.
This means you get a lot of "Could the speaker please remind our right honourable member for Skegness that ..." or "I think that the honourable gentleman before me should be aware of ...", they're never going to talk directly at another MP.
Arranging things in a semicircle would put the speaker in the middle and make the nature of how conversations happen more intuitive.
Also the lack of talking is why when there's disagreement or cheering it's never words, if you say a word(including "boo") that's violating the rules, so they tend to use more guteral sounds like "Ooh" or "ehr".
Breaking this rule comes under unparliamentary language, and can result in you being expelled from the chamber(although for those rules you'll likely be given a warning, there's cases though of repeated violators being ordered to leave).
The speaker, as the one keeping this rule is weirdly semi-immune to it, they can address MPs directly and talk when someone else is talking(usually reserved for calling "Order! Order!" or remimding others of the rules), but abusing this exception to the rules can result in parliament voting them out of the role.
My elementary school k-8 in Hamilton Ontario Canada had cloakrooms.
black rod dates to 1644, when charles arrived at parliamnet to arrest 6 mps, inc cromwell.....ended in him losing his head.
I think you're wrong about Cromwell - that incident was long before the latter emerged to anything like importance.
I think I remember from A level history that Pym was one of them and that Charles said, I see the birds have flown.
@@johnwelford1580 thats can be right...alec guiness never lies :P
From a land where they refer to a toilet as a Rest room… how quaint is that a room to go and rest in or a Bathroom with no actual bath in it….
The current Palace of Westminster was built between 1840-76 to replace the previous one that was destroyed in a fire. Elements of the design included little features that had long fallen out of practical use but were retained for reasons of tradition alone.
The King's speech marks the State Opening of Parliament and it occurs once a year.
Snuff used to be very popular..
Its still available.and its addictive same as tobacco.... much less popular today. Its quite messy stuff....very fine ground tobacco powder...its often spilled on your clothes as it makes you sneeze..as it peppery.
You should watch a state opening of Parliament it's always worth a watch
😮 I very much doubt that 'young' Tyler here, has any (or a long enough) attention spant to watch _and_ _Listen_ and generally pay attention to a ceremony as intense as The State Opening of Parliament?!! On the other paw... He'd probably, (possibly) enjoy yet another video that he could pause and exclaim "What, wait, what?!" ... And / or stop halfway through and continue the next day... Pausing...is...such...an... Important...part...of... Tyler's... Routine. (Is it not?!) What, what, wait, what wait...? Oh Tyler...🤔🏴😏🇺🇸🥺🇬🇧🙂❤️🖖
I miss the 'walking backwards' by The Lord Great Chamberlain and by The Lord Chancellor - 'always a point of high suspense, just in case someone fell over!!
Some of those relate to how the monarchy was reinstated after the civil war and Cromwell’s dictatorship. It kept the power of the monarch in check and gave the people more say in how things were run.
One of your best, Tyler!
Pretty much every MP can fit into the chamber if theres a big debate. Its just that they have the squeeze a few more on a benches and have lots of people stood in the area by the door.
By the way, the bell in the pub does work. As a politico involved in politics, I know the Red Lion. If you want to meet MPs it is the place to go. Plus, a certain bar if after 10pm.
I am surprised they missed the whole opening of parliament and the slamming of the door in the King's face when he knocks and tries to get into Parliament.
The picture of snuff actually depicts the wet kind, that you put under your upper lip (a bit similar to chewing tobacco). It's VERY popular in Sweden
Tyler
And of course you know everything ...2 posts in 10 minutes ..you just can't help it can you ,you witty clever person..every post is a genius comment from you ....not
@@keefsmiff to me it just sounds like he is another regular viewer of this channel that is growing a bit fed up with Tyler’s stunning ignorance (including on topics he has already researched in front of our very eyes), his airheadedness has to be seen to be believed lol oh and his utter lack of public engagement with his fans!
It does beg the question, why are you taking it so personally that he has formed a somewhat negative opinion? Seems perfectly allowed, no?
@RockinDave1 the above op is a serial troll with nothing ever good to say, check his channel to see multiple trolling including personal insults , I think negative people deserve negativity, but they don't like it up them, Tyler has over 40 thousand followers so must be doing something right , you have 3 , which with no content suggests you are probably under surveillance.. who do you think is more successfull, he has the perfect model of not answering trolls because they still pay his wages regardless , however it seems many serial trolls don't realise this and just want a fwend...and turn troll and gang up like the sad people they are when they don't get a reaction , they don't like it up em mr mainwaring 😁
The kings speech is once a year usually. A session isn’t like one day, it’s many months and then prorogation happens and then parliament is reopened. Parliament is still “sitting” even when its recess
The Division Bell in the pub is still there and still rung when a division is called.
Snuff is no longer as popular as it was but my dad used it and I have tried it myself, lots of sneezing
The video failed to point out that one reason for limiting seating in the Commons is that - for much Parliamentary business - MPs who need to be there are very few in number. They all have important things to do elsewhere. This means that a chamber designed for 630 MPs would look a lot emptier than it often does anyway. For the big occasions, such as weekly Prime Minister's Questions, there is standing room at the back, but a standing MP is not allowed to ask a question.
Snuff was not only about the tobacco or caffeine hit, it was believed a good sneeze had health benefits, not to mention the 18th century obsession with its assumption of status...
FYI, Tyler: The current Palace of Westminster a/k/a The Houses of Parliament -- not as old as you think, i.e., LESS than 200 years.
Apart from Westminster Hall anyway
The “original” was burned down and rebuilt in the mid eighteen hundreds.
Not that Tyler reads chat. When the current HoP were built. There were a lot less MPs that we have now. This why there are not enough seats.
I visited the House of Commons on a school visit about three days before it reopened after the war. The MP (member of Parliament) showing us around was particularly proud of the green leather seating.
With the House of Commons destroyed early in the war, members of the “Commons” sat in the House of Lords, which was actually part of the same building, but little damaged.
Many of these traditions are played out in the Canadian government
As a teen, I bought snuff at Newspaper seller shops in the 60s and 70s
Black Rod is the monarch's representative on the day. The Commons does not consider itself subserviant to the monarch and shows its defiance by slamming the door. Black Rod requests entry by knocking on the door with the staff of office - the said black rod. S/He then approaches the Speaker and invites the MPs to attend the monarch in the House of Lords.
It's all quite normal.
This tradition - slamming the door in Black Rod's face - is followed in the Australian federal parliament as well. A new Speaker for the lower House (called the House of Representatives here) is also symbolically "dragged" by a couple of Members to the Speaker's chair.
The Speaker of the House of Commons used to wear a long wig and buckled shoes,etc-especially at State opening of Parliament-but that and other related traditions have bern dropped in recent years🎩
All MPs can fit into parliament it’s just not all can sit down, during important debates standing room only. It would be undemocratic if members couldn’t attend just think about it
There used to be an old tradition that they only got rid of 10-15 years ago about having to wear a top hat when you wanted to speak, supposedly the hat was being thrown around all over the place.
You are also not allowed to die in the Chambers. You can take ill get cold and stiff and helped out of the chamber where you can then die and rigor mortis can set in immediately
Each session of Parliament is opening with the "speech from the throne" the King's Speech which outlines his Governments legislative agenda. The phrase "other measures will be laid before you" is included which gives His Majesty's Government scope to legislate outside the measures set out in the speech.
Definitely watching you react toour British culture and traditions is funny.
I love watching your channel, we don't often think we are weird until somebody points it out lol
I never think we're weird. The rest of the world is, but not us!!
There's not enough bench space to accommodate every MP *by deliberate design* - so that if major event happens (for instance, a declaration of war by the Prime Minister) and loads of MPs want to be in the debating Chamber, many have to stand around the edges, making the Chamber very crowded and thus creating a heightened sense of drama and importance that the designers felt would be fitting for such an occasion.
I worked at Houses of Parliament in the 90s, it was my first job after uni (and the best job I ever had). Certainly when i was there an Mp just had to go and get a 'prayer card' in the morning and put it in the little slot where they wanted to sit, I think theh could also get there secretary to do it for them, but can't quite remember. There are not many times when the chamber is full and all the MPs turn up - most commonly its for PMs questions, outside of this most debates its half empty or less apart from very important debates - plus the party whips will make sure their MPs turn up to vote and vote the way the party wants them to - otherwise they face a bollocking. In my day Portcullis House was still being built, it was completed in 2001. There was not enough offices for all MPs and many were scattered around a variety of different buildings close to parliament often I would be sent to these and it was nice to wander ton and from these historical buildings.
The cloakroom is an everyday thing. I actually occurred to me about the fact that we don’t wear cloaks 🤔
Hi Tyler!
'Cloakroom' is the standard name in the UK for the place in a school, theatre, etc, where you can leave your coat and collect it after the play or whatever, dating back (obviously) to the 19th century when (some) people did still wear cloaks. It's also one euphemism for toilet/lavatory (older euphemisms).
Snuff is still a thing in Europe. It's a while since I saw anyone in the UK using it, but it's more common on the Continent, and I have a tin of snuff I bought a few years ago when visiting Belgium.
The number of seats in the Commons is limited simply because the Chamber isn't big enough for more (the number of constituencies and hence MPs has somewhat grown as our population has increased). It's rare that every MP has to be there (for votes, a predictable majority is sufficient, and MPs from opposing parties who would just cancel each other out can agree to 'pair' so neither has to turn up). If they do, the surplus have to stand at the back.
Officially, the UK has an established State religion (Anglicanism) with the Monarch as its head (instead of the Pope), so for the sake of tradition we sometimes all pretend to go along with its customs - in return, its presentation in a State context is as inclusive as possible. In a political context, an MP's religion (or lack of it) is a private matter and never talked about in electioneering - contrast with the USA which explicitly "separates Church and State" but where most candidates are ostentatiously religious and declaring ones' self an atheist would be political suicide!
Debates in the chamber are usually just done for appearances' sake, in reality most questions are thrashed out beforehand in Committees, and every MP knows how they're going to vote regardless of any 'debate'.
When any tradition has been going on long enough, many of us in the UK feel obliged to keep it going even when we've forgotten what it means. Who would want to be responsible for breaking it?
cloakroom's are pretty common...you leave your outer coat there...
The two lines existed way before weaponry was banned, and they were originally the length of the tallest members arm + sword length apart since standing on the line that was the limit of how far he could swing the sword. Obviously that doesn't really work if you need to redraw the lines any time a new taller member joins or the tallest member retires, so it just got made two sword lengths apart as an approximation that'd work well enough.
Along with the snuff, the best one is that the Chancellor of the Exchequer (basically the Finance Minister, head of the treasury etc) reads their budget speech each year. When they do, they're permitted to have an alcoholic drink of their choice while delivering the speech. Nowadays nobody really does this and they just have water, but for British people reading this, am I right that it was Ken Clarke in the 90's who last had alcohol while giving the speech?
I've used Snuff in my lifetime. My gran used it regularly because it was not seemly for a woman to be seen smoking unless she was at a dinner party or dance. It's still on sale in the U.K. but you have to be over 18 to buy it!
Tyler it's perfectly normal here to hear the downstairs toilet in a house called 'the cloakroom' ..... look at any (real)estate agents house details lol.
up until my locals landlord died he would always offer a pinch of snuff and a glass of sloe gin when you popped in .maybe smokers should retake up snuff as there is no ban on it
Snuff is more known than yhr video implies and it actually falls under the scope of many smoking laws.
Im a former tobacconist owner and i remember getting the head of our local trading standards in an embarrassing situation where he told us pioe cleaners (if sold to clean pipes, which as a tobacconist is assumed) could not be sold to a child, but snuff could because the laws reference smoking tobacco and smoke accessories.
Do love a good floral snuff personally
Snuff was popular throughout Europe and gentlemen of high degree would carry preciously ornamented snuff boxes which were also a favourite gift.
Surprised there was nothing about the boxes, standing up to support the speakers or the braying and jeers and it's a faux pas to address someone directly instead of through the Speaker. Probably should have also mentioned that the Commons and Lords are mostly seating only a handful of people if it's not a major debate or ceremony.
The desire for a parliament designed to encourage an adversarial atmosphere is consistent with the idea of an adversarial legal system, which of course, the USA inherited from Britain.
A cloakroom is just the place where you hang up your coat.
But, like, in the past, they didn't wear coats - with sleeves to put your arms into - but rather cloaks. Cloaks were the original coats, before someone came up with the awesome idea of giving their cloak sleeves to put their arms into, and zippers / buttons to close it up at the front. So they would hang up their cloaks in the "cloakroom".
But, yeah, if it were being named today, then it'd be "the (wet) coat room", basically.
It's been raining. Your coat / cloak is soaking wet. But now you're indoors, you head to the "cloakroom" to hang up your coat / cloak - which lets it drip and dry out - and stops you from, you know, dripping water all over the building.
Before the palace of Westminster was built, parliament was held in Westminster Hall, which still exists and is used for some debates. It was where King Charles I was tried before he lost his head and where monarchs lie in state before their funeral, as did the late queen.
They left out what he does with the Black rod when the door is slammed in his face. He uses it to tap very loudly on the door.
I graw up in a village in Scotland and it had loads pf Victorian Villas. They all had clockrooms, if you chucked a stone you would hit a turret, no kidding. Also every school or thearter and alot of clubs have clockrooms sp its very normal for us.
As far as I can see from the broadcast debates, only about three MPs are ever present in the Chamber, except for Budget Day, when there is standing room only.
My great grandfather was Black Rod during Queen Victoria's reign.
A working class man who had great pretensions.
The Black Rod is properly referred to as just 'Black Rod', or more fully in the current incarnation, Lady Usher of the Black Rod - they are one of the officers of the Most Noble Order of the Garter. Apparently 'back-in-the-day' knights might get a tad rowdy and someone with authority to keep them in line, dignified & following the precepts of their order, so someone with a staff of authority to whack 'em around their armoured heads might actually have been needed!
The other ancient chivalric orders also have their own Ushers to fulfill similar roles, each of which holds a staff of office, the rod in question. Other rods are White, Green, Blue, Purple and somewhat unoriginally, a second Black. There's also an Usher to the Sword of State, for whenever that needs to be carted about!
there are set seats, the ruling party sits to the left of the room nearest the speaker as you see it from the door, the opposition sit opposite them on other side big table, then various parties sit together by party closer to the door. The house was created when fewer MP's and nowadays not every MP will sit in over decision made, sometimes there will be no room, others only a handful of people.
There's a "secret" door in Westminster Tube (Underground) Station for MPs only 🎩
I’m from as old mining town, Ashington and even to us it’s always been known as a cloak room. That’s where we hang our coats
I'm 74 and I used to go to the local tobaconist to buy snuff for my Great Aunt, which was in the 1950's.
To this day, every school I have been in Canada has a cloakroom in each homeroom unless the hallway has lockers available (so elementary, junior, and some middle schools). As do our legislatures, and even some older colleges.
But since it's Canada, no swmords. We need to be the equivalent of 2 hockey sticks apart. 🏒🏒
The amuzing thing is that Statute Law remains The Law so long as it is not repealled by another law in Act of Parliament or other jurisdictions falling under the Law of a given area. Thus, I understand that it remains illegal to consume mince pies on Christmas Day here in England. But that`s mild :
Another example : If the Australian Parliament has not moved to repeal the Law then it is illegal to dress up as Batman in Australia. One may not take a lion with you to the cinema within the city limits of Chicago, Illenois. Nope - they `aint gonna put up with that !
There are other cases I forget. I forget the name of the city in which one may not cycle on ones bycicle at speeds in excess of 140 mph !
It makes me think that if I should sojourn the world I`d likely find at least one place where it is not allowed to self levitate ! No floating on thin air, etc.
I`ve just turned 60 years old and remember just one chap in my lifetime so far snuffing snuff. He was a teacher at my Secondary School.
To be serious for one moment, if MPs start their day with morning prayer they should take it as a time to listen to God, not talk to him.
I have been to several Debates within the House of Commons, plus some personal invitations in the House of Lords because of some organisations I belong to . loved it.
Laws assigned by the king and become enacted. A piece of Norman French is read out The king makes it so ? Something like that
There are typically about 14 MPs present in the chamber at most time. The quorum is 40. Usually about 40 in the Lords. The quorum is 3.
These little ceremonies are designed to reinforce memories and principles, and often to keep our leaders in their place.
Love TLDR News, they make some fantasticly interesting videos
I am curious how many of those traditions we across the ponds have adopted.
The Canadian front benches on each side are also two sword lengths apart.
We have bells when there is a vote too. You hear them when the MPs are in Committee and there is a vote. If there is a witness being questioned, they are impacted.
Instead of the King in the House of Lords, we have the Governor General (King's stand-in) in the Senate. Same here with MPs and the Senate.
You missed the tradition of the PM and leader of the official opposition dragging the new speaker in to the house and the speaker pretending to resist.
An MP cannot technically resign their seat. If they wish to resign they have to apply for "an office of profit under the Crown", which is either the Steward and Bailiff of the Chiltern Hundreds, or Steward and Bailiff of the Manor of Northstead. Upon appointment they become ineligible to sit in the Commons.
... not to mention the bag of wool above which the speaker sits and other funny features ...
Snuff was a traditional thing to take in the alpine regions. However, it is not done much any more. The last German producer of Snuff closed down a few months ago, it wasn't economical any more.
I was surprised the Woolsack wasn't given a mention!
The Woolsack is in the House of Lords, not the Commons.
@@gillchatfield3231 True, but so is Black Rod, which/ who was mentioned.
There's typically about 14 MPs in the chamber at most times - infuriating because the quorum is 40. In the Lords there are usually about 40 and the quirum is 3.
We always use the term cloakroom ,it starts in primary school in uk,,we have them in our schools, houses,venues allsorts and people still buy and use snuff today!And slamming or shutting doors in people's faces is a normal thing here in uk😂
My 1950s & 60s schools had cloakrooms for outdoor clothing to be hung-up to dry/air. What else would one call them?
You say you've not heard the word 'cloakroom' used commonly. What do Americans call the room in which you store your coats when visiting the theatre? The derivation of the sword lines is, I'm sorry to say, just a legend - even in the days of the old House of Commons the lines weren't two sword lengths apart! Each parlimentary session lasts less than one year, so The Monarch 'opens parliament' only once a year, usually in November. It's literally a glittering occasion and well worth watching at least once (it's essentially the same ceremony every time, except for the periodic chnge of monarch). During the State Opening, MPs walk from the House of Commons to the House of Lords to listen to the King's Speech (actually written by the government) but can enter only as far as 'The Bar' a rail blocking their way into the main part of the Lords' Chamber, so many MPs end up listening from the corridor. Two individuals, The Lord Great Chamberlain (carrying a long white 'wand' as a mark of his status) and the Lord Chancellor (carrying a large heavily decorated 'purse' containing the speech) used to have to walk backwards in front of the monarch for part of the State Opening but, I believe, this tradition has now been retired! The Periods between sessions are called 'prorogations', while shorter breaks during the year (e.g., at Easter and Christmas) are called 'recesses'.
Snuff the original nose candy!
You should watch a video on The State Opening of Parliament and you will see Blackrod getting the door slammed in her or his face and other things that happen in The Houses of Parliament on that day.
They can and do stand! During some times there may be a debate of little interest and there might only be 12 or so MPs attending!!
In the 1700s swords became ludicrously long items of foppish vanity. A law was passed that any sword entering the Old City of London would be clipped to 3 feet long.
Snuff was a popular way of consuming tobacco long ago, not just in Parliament, & some people still use it. Cloakroom is still the common place in any building where you may leave your coats upon entering, including nightclubs etc. The House of Commons is set up like a Church Choir, because they first sat in a Church called Saint Stephen's Chapel, which was part of the old Palace of Westminster, & one of the few space available for such meetings. Prayers & prayer cards, remind us that it was a Church, & religion was the core of medieval life. The King's Speech takes place once a year, as each Session is for the year. The slamming of the door is to remind that Charles 1st 'invaded' the Commons against the Law, & the Lords are the Monarch's representatives. The Houses of Parliament were hit several times during the Blitz by German bombs during the 2nd world war, & had to be restored.
I think the Weirdest tradition is the Hansard Society write down every word spoken in either the Commons or the Lords and these are now published on their website. But prior to the internet age these were all published in books so there is a record of every word spoken since 1909. That means researchers can know exactly what Ramsay Macdonald and Neville Chamberlain told Parliament about the rise of Fascism in Europe. As for the seats Parliament never has 650 MPs in attendance Northern Ireland's Sinn Fein for example don't take their 7 seats, The speaker and their 3 deputies also have to be subtracted from the MPs. Also MPs who have a role within the Executive (sometimes as many as 200 MPs and lords) or the opposition shadow government rarely attend to speak in general debates. You should look at the latest Erskine May which contains the rules related to the UK Parliament.
By the way, the reason why Parliament has those rows of seats facing each other is because the original House of Commons was converted from a church.
Parliament happens in "the Palace of Westminster". It used to be a Royal Palace, back before there was a Parliament and democracy.
So when Parliament was created, where would all these democratic representatives - MPs - meet? Where would be this new British version of Rome's "Senate" be exactly?
And, yeah, the MPs just took over one of the Royal palaces in London to conduct their business.
But, in hijacking a Royal palace, the building was not, you know, originally designed for housing a Parliament and they had to adapt it for its new purpose.
And, basically, the House of Commons took over what used to be the palace's church. Yeah, when you're a King or Queen, you get your own personal church in your extravagant palace. As you do.
But that's basically why the House of Commons has that adversarial layout of rows of seats facing each other.
It used to be a church and the two rows of seats facing each other - that's where the choir boys would have sat.
The table in front of the MPs - where the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition stand to deliver their speeches and throw insults at each other - would have been where the altar used to be, and where the Speaker sits - which is an elevated position behind the "altar" table - would have been where the pulpit was.
And, yes, MPs are well aware of the joke that they're sitting where the choir boys would have sat, despite none of them being remotely as innocent as the proverbial choir boy. They appreciate the irony.
My Dad used to take snuff in the 1980's.