I commented in one of my posts about the fact that media reports about the House of lords tended to show pictures of the State Opening of Parliament and not the House in action. One or two of those who commented made the fair point that I should be illustrating my post with a picture of the House in session. Assuming I have mastered the technology (a big assumption), here goes….
I respect the work done by a lot of people in the Lords, but that’s not exactly a representative attendance, is it?
If you want to give a more realistic view of the Lords, maybe a slightly quieter chamber…
Excellent photo! So, do you each have your own seat, is there a ‘pecking order’, or is it first-come, first-served?
Pictures! What a swift response.
Thanks!
Lord Norton,
I am pleased that no one has fallen for the rather obvious joke you have ‘teed-up’ for us here.. Perhaps after the sight of Lord Howe falling asleep [allegedly] at the Budget Speech, the soporific image of the House of Lords has now been usurped by the ‘other place’…
In response to James, there is no picture of a typical sitting of the House because there is no typical, or representative, sitting. The attendance in the chamber varies according to the business. The picture is fairly representative of Question Time, when the House tends to be full. When it is engaged in detailed discussion of a Bill at committee or report stage, there may be only a handful of peers present. That is not necessarily a bad thing, as it provides the opportunity for a real dialogue between those who know something about the subject and the minister.
In response to ian russell, there are certain benches that are occupied by certain categories of peers (the party front benches, the Bishops’ bench, and one bench on either side that is a Privy Counsellors’ bench) but otherwise you are free to sit where you want. In practice, peers tend often to go for their favourite spot. It is a natural tendency; my students in class tend to stick to the same chair each week. There is a certain advantage in sitting in the same spot: other members tend to associate you with that spot, and so know where to look when referring to you. I have my own preferred seat, (end of row, third bench back), not least because it is reasonably strategic: when I speak, I can scan the whole chamber – and I am stood right in front of a microphone.
Because members do tend to favour their own favourite places, you can get the occasional jostling; it can also look a bit strange as you can get a really crowded bench next to an empty one.
I note the comment of Lords – Independent or Impartial?? I rarely see a member of the House asleep or nodding off. People seem to carry over a view of a somnolent chamber, but that is not my experience.
Thanks to Emma and Jenny S-T. As a result of your comments, pictures will now be a standard feature.
Apologies to Ella, who I see I renamed Emma in the last response!