For this week’s quiz, I thought I would focus on women in the House. Various attempts were made to enable women to sit in the Lords prior to the 1958 Life Peerages Act. The passage of the Sex Discrimination (Removal) Act 1919 was taken by some as suggesting that women may be eligible for admission…
During the course of the Second World War, there were fourteen occasions when the Palace of Westminster suffered bomb damage. On 10 May 1941, both the chamber of the Commons and Westminster Hall were on fire as a result of incendiary bombing. Walter Elliot, an MP who was on fire-watching duty, declared ‘Let the pseudo-Gothic…
Last week, our first grand prize-winner, Chris K. – the first reader to win three of the quizzes – visited the Lords. He joined me and fellow blogger Baroness d’Souza for tea, followed by a tour of the Palace. The picture shows us in Westminster Hall, by the steps leading up to the Grand Committee Room, where…
The new Supreme Court came into existence on 1st October and was officially opened by the Queen on 16th October. The court replaces the House of Lords as the highest domestic court of appeal in England and Wales. As regular readers will be aware, the law lords moved out of their offices in the Palace…
The last Prime Minister to be drawn from the Lords and to remain in the House was the Third Marquess of Salisbury. All subsequent premiers have sat in the Commons. When they have given up the reins of office, they have been offered peerages. Not all have taken up the offer or not taken it…
