American Reacts to British MPs Behaving Badly

In this video I react to MPs acting badly in the UK House of Commons. I've never seen anything quite like this. It was rowdy, intense and funny! I would actually sit down and watch this for fun!
Thanks for watching. If you enjoyed this reaction please give this video a thumbs up, share your thoughts in the comments and click the subscribe button to follow my journey to learn about my British and Irish ancestry.
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[@johnwilletts3984]

When a statement is withdrawn it is removed from the written record of the debate. My favourite from Mr Skinner:- “Half the members opposite are criminal, When he was ordered to withdraw or rephrase he decided to rephrase with:- “Half the members opposite are NOT criminal” This was accepted and entered into the record!

[@johnloony68]

No it wasn’t. Dennis Skinner never said that. That anecdote has been ascribed to many politicians over many decades, and there is no evidence that it was ever actually said.

[@charliecroker7380]

Think that’s a myth. No evidence he ever said that.

[@cathyrussell7157]

John Willetts - I remember that! Very funny, and the whole House howled with laughter. 😂

[@cathyrussell7157]

@@charliecroker7380 He did! I heard it myself. Withdraw that remark!

[@johnloony68]

You don’t remember it, because it didn’t happen. That quotation has been ascribed to many different politicians in differing countries, going back to decades before Dennis Skinner was ever an MP.

[@lewis123417]

I just couldn't imagine an American president taking direct questions from all politicians in the senate once a week

[@lindylou7853]

Or managing to stay awake…

[@Otacatapetl]

Well, our Head of State doesn't either. Not quite sure what you're getting at.

[@lewis123417]

@@Otacatapetl our head of state doesn't but the leader of our government does. The president is the equivalent of a PM

[@Otacatapetl]

@@lewis123417 Rubbish, the President is Head of State.

[@lewis123417]

@@Otacatapetl I'm not saying any different you din

[@susanpearson-creativefibro]

In British Politics you can be asked to withdraw a statement. There is nuance here, it doesn’t literally mean you are pretending you never said something it is more like saying “I went a bit far, crossed a line and apologise for it”.

[@barneylaurance1865]

I think it also allows the people who you insulted or accused of something to pretend they didn't hear it and not immediately be expected to defend their reputations.

[@lindyashford7744]

Yes, basically it is a debating point, and a formality. People who cross the line and use a term that is not allowed do so deliberately, as Dennis Skinner frequently did! It’s a way of getting your point over honestly and truthfully, and if the speaker makes you leave then it is only for a very limited time! You can retire and go and have a drink, your point has been made on behalf of the people you serve and you know, if you are a good MP that those people will have your back.

[@adamnunn5946]

It's essentially a formal "Take that back".

[@stevetaylor7403]

No. It means it is withdrawn from ‘Hansard’ which is the official written record of parliamentary proceedings. Shorthand writers take down contemporaneous notes. At intervals those notes are typed up. If a comment is withdrawn it may appear in contempt notes but not in the the printed version. If an MP agrees to withdraw a remark it will not, therefore, appear in the printed Hansard.

[@connorchalmers8959]

@@stevetaylor7403Nope, Hansard contains withdrawn statements. If you search the word withdraw in Hansard there are nearly 9000 hits for the past 5 years alone.

[@DruncanUK]

The Mace you saw being stolen represents the Monarch's royal authority and dates back to Charles II. Without the Mace being present the House can't meet or pass laws.

[@barneylaurance1865]

Yep. Parliament theoretically consists of the commons, the lords and the monarch together, but the monarch can't be there in person so the mace is a very fancy stick that represents them.

[@MrBulky992]

@@barneylaurance1865 The monarch is, by custom, not allowed to enter the House of Commons. Parliament is summoned and dissolved by the sovereign so, rather than representing the monarch's actual person, I think the mace's meaning is slightly more nuanced and that it represents the authority given to Parliament by the sovereign to allow the House to meet.

[@Gerishnakov]

Welcome to ridiculous Britain.

[@MrBulky992]

@@DruncanUK No, that can't be the explanation. Guy Fawkes tried to blow up Parliament at the state opening in 1605. Yet the state opening ceremony continues and has continued to this day: usually once a year on which the sovereign and the peers sit in the House of Lords and the members of the House of Commons are summoned and, as many of them as can be packed into the Lords' chamber, attend to hear the monarch's speech from the throne. In other words, the sovereign, Lords and Commons do indeed meet at the same time and in the same place just as they did in the old House of Lords chamber in 1605. To make sure they are safe from being blown up, the cellars are (ceremonially) searched beforehand. The real reason the monarch is not allowed in the House of Commons is because last time it happened on 4 January 1641/2, the King, Charles I, burst in with armed guards, interrupted the proceedings of the House and attempted unsuccessfully to arrest five members. The Civil War began a few weeks later. Black Rod, a senior official in the House of Lords, is allowed in the Commons chamber to deliver the sovereign's summons and has to knock and be granted admission: he/she can't just march in uninvited. The sovereign has a seat in Parliament: it's the throne on the dais in the chamber of the House of Lords.

[@MrBulky992]

Just for info: the House of Lords has a similar mace with a similar purpose but it was only introduced as recently as 1876 and is present whenever they are in session, including at the state opening when the sovereign is present.

[@lottie2525]

The most ridiculous rule is they aren't allowed to call an MP a liar, even when every single person in the House of Commons knows damn well that's what they are!

[@lottie2525]

@@zo7034 Yeah, stupid, isn't it cos that's the place you should be able to be truthful and hold MPs to account. Instead, the whole lot of them just get away with lying through their teeth!

[@michaeloates5804]

650 liars there, so they wouldn't know who you meant

[@geoffpoole483]

@@lottie2525 They can accuse fellow MPs of being serial killers or worse but heaven forbid that they call another MP a liar.

[@joyfulzero853]

It's not ridiculous at all. There is very good reason, historically, why you cannot use certain words in Parliament. That certainly includes "liar" besides others, because language and understanding is regarded as essential, pertinent and precise. You may get away with other expressions that 'allude' to it but there are limits. For most of the history of Parliament you could not use the 'L' word to another member without it being construed as a 'challenge' to their integrity; i.e. it is a challenge to the other member to demand 'satisfaction' or step back from with a (grovelling) apology! It also works the other way as well that you do not use the word 'liar' casually, without real reason, to another member.

[@mikitz]

When it's illegal to call out any minister a liar, you just know how much these people actually lie.

[@truckerfromreno]

Imagine how long an American president would last at Prime Minister's Questions in parliament.

[@thebattleshipking6150]

Half a second

[@terryhayward7905]

It has nothing to do with apologising. there are rules about what can be said, you either agree to NOT use those words, or get kicked out.

[@BlueShadow777]

I agree and disagree with you… To ‘take something back’ is - in effect - akin to an apology. Not necessarily a direct apology, but the very act of being instructed to take it back and then complying has the same or similar implications of an apology.

[@RandomShart]

@@BlueShadow777 the apology is to the house, for breaking the house rules of debate, it's definitely not an apology to the individual being addressed.

[@natasharivera1684]

Speaker of the house John Berkow, basically his job is babysitting the house to make sure they behave.

[@nullbubble791]

A nursery teacher basically.

[@margaretflounders8510]

The Speaker is next in precedence to the Prime Minister...High Office indeed.

[@annemariefleming]

He was more childish than half the MPs there.

[@stevenmutumbu2860]

@@nullbubble791 more like KINDERGARTENS totally agree with you but we understands they have pup inside the parliament now that reminds me thatI don't really know much of the atmosphere at the House of lords.

[@DMC888]

John Bercow was effectively the umpire of this rabble.

[@kathrynallen3086]

Dennis Skinner was my MP until the last election . A marvellous politician who genuinely cared for his constituents, I’m also proud to say he lives near me in my village . The prime minister was at that time called David Cameron.

[@inspirality]

He was an excellent MP. Outspoken and honest who genuinely supported and represented his constituents. It was a shame he lost his seat due to the rift in the Labour Party.

[@Gerishnakov]

@@inspirality I think you'll find he lost his seat because of Brexit and a certain Boris Johnson's pledge to get it done.

[@deborahfrost6780]

@@Gerishnakov No as someone who always voted for him I can assure you he lost his seat because of Corbin. We loved Dennis but could not help that idiot into number 10

[@1215298]

@@Gerishnakov And Labour's division over whether to commit to such a policy or not (aka a rift in the Labour Party)

[@donaldellis3609]

Yea dodgy dave 😃

[@cpmahon]

The item removed is called a mace. It signifies the power of the monarch and has to be in place for the House to sit and debate etc.

[@Gerishnakov]

Welcome to ridiculous Britain.

[@BlameThande]

@@Gerishnakov American state legislatures also have maces, you know, it's just that Americans don't seem to have heard of them in all these reaction videos.

[@rorymilsom1491]

@@Gerishnakov its called tradition, I think communism is a lot more silly than that

[@Gerishnakov]

@@rorymilsom1491 What's communism got to do with anything?

[@rorymilsom1491]

@@Gerishnakov your silly profile picture

[@StandardCabrera]

Dennis Skinner is a legend, he stood for what he believed in and always called out the scum for their actions

[@stevenmutumbu2860]

He was a Character loved by many people's who loves pm ques.

[@Sophie.S..]

He represented a mining community in the Midlands and like his community said it as he saw it.

[@primalengland]

Got a bit of the old Angela Rayner going on there, Steve.

[@StandardCabrera]

@@primalengland can't lie, wouldn't mind a bit of the old Angela Rayner tbf

[@barriehull7076]

Including his own party.

[@lloydcollins6337]

Accusing someone of "inadvertently misleading the house" is the closest a member can come to accusing another member of lying because all members are considered honourable and truthful, but can make mistakes so they can lie accidentally if they were misinformed or ill-informed etc, but members must have proof to accuse another member of lying. The penalty for intentionally lying is they must resign as an MP.

[@LTAD-xi6sw]

I remember Winston Churchill famously getting around this once by accusing someone of “terminological inexactitude”

[@quintuscrinis8032]

There was no penalty when the former Prime Minister Johnson was effectively found guilty of treason! He remained as PM for another 3 years!! Even when Johnson stepped down as an MP for lying to the house that was his decision. The official penalty was to be suspended for just 1 month!

[@matthewjamison]

Dennis Skinner was that dude who wouldn't withdraw the question. He's one of the few politicians that has always fought for the people. Westminster is steeped in a 1000 years of history & traditions, that may seem archaic to you. But it's the way it's always been.

[@england6013]

He is the Beast of Bolsover

[@TimeyWimeyLimey]

Dennis Skinner is a great orator for the Labour movement. He is also known for his very audible one liner quips during the State Opening of Parliament ceremony Here's a compilation...kzbin.info/www/bejne/l362dHyKj6dqrdU

[@stevenmutumbu2860]

@@england6013 true true he loves to be kicked out!😂😂

[@sharonrichardson8434]

He's definitely the one to watch - love the Beast of Bolsover

[@geoffpoole483]

He used to heckle Black Rod at the state opening of parliament. On one occasion he got kicked out for calling davod Owen a "pompous sod". Dennis Skinner's expenses claims were always among the lowest.

[@hatjodelka]

The the thing about 'withdraw it' is about the parliamentary record, which is called Hansard. There's a whole thing about unparliamentary language, for instance calling an MP a liar isn't allowed so there's loads of creative ways around it.

[@connorchalmers8959]

It's nothing to do with Hansard. Hansard has records of every withdrawn statement. Records from the past 5 years alone show nearly 9000 withdrawn comments.

[@lewis123417]

The reason for the strict rules on what accusations are used like "dishonesty" is that its illegal to deceive the house and calling a member of the commons dishonest is a direct accusation and cannot be thrown about at will. Its a way of keeping the house on topic and not devolve into personal attacks. Just because you feel someone is dishonest that doesn't mean they are. You have to debate at their word not what you think their motive is

[@joyfulzero853]

Exactly right and pertinent. Unlike some of the other comments

[@Rasterizing]

As a Brit, I love seeing another perspective on things we just take for granted.

[@BuntyMcB]

I love PMQs (Prime Minster’s Questions) which take place every Wednesday where MPs get to ask him/her questions and hold the opposition to account. The Speaker of the House has a tough job maintaining order. Love it!

[@kaywhy245]

For info. The Royal Family is an arm of government. They serve the people and follow the orders of the government to work on our behalf. They are well known but not celebrities. The working royals may not make money and not even take gifts. They only have soft power.

[@geoffpoole483]

Unfortunately the PM never answers the questions.

[@BuntyMcB]

@@geoffpoole483 😂true.

[@StephenButlerOne]

@@geoffpoole483 the PM is an MP after all. I've never seen one answer a question.

[@england6013]

I do too

[@juliajoyce4535]

David Cameron is the name of the Prime Minister, Dodgy Dave is so funny 😂

[@alicetwain]

A bit disartening, though, considering those that came after him.

[@stevenmutumbu2860]

@@alicetwain Thats why we need a genaral Eections ASSAP!

[@stevenmutumbu2860]

@@alicetwain Thats why we need a genaral Eections ASSAP!

[@catherinewilkins2760]

If you want to see an American funny you need to watch "George Galloway before the Senate " to say he ripped them apart, is an understatement. Before him was Alex Salmond, needless to say they haven't asked British MPS to appear before them, once bitten, twice shy.

[@johnkemp8904]

I remember George Galloway appearing before that committee. I cannot usually stand the man but I was so pleased to see that the committee’s inbuilt assumption that he would be overawed by them was completely unjustified!

[@Sophie.S..]

I second this - not always a fan of George Galloway but my goodness he totally obliterated them.

[@catherinewilkins2760]

@@Sophie.S.. it was so funny, he ripped them apart and turned on them.

[@The_Butler_Did_It]

2:14 Dennis Skinner, "The Beast of Bolsover". a real character and someone who was never afraid to speak his mind. You might not have always agreed with him but he was one of the most honest and hard working MPs we had and, since his retirement in 2019 is sorely missed.

[@stevenmutumbu2860]

He was a Character never withdra his Statements its like ok I'm used to be thrown of the Chamber .

[@geoffpoole483]

Former coal miner. Unlike many MPs he'd actually hada job outside politics.

[@hatjodelka]

I'd like to give Chris Mullin a mention too. The MP with the lowest expenses. Another man of great honour who has now retired. He campaigned on behalf of the Birmingham Six who were wrongly convicted. Another MP who had a proper job before becoming an MP.

[@hythekent]

The ‘gold thing’ that the disrespectful MP Lloyd Russell-Moyle lifted and carried is the Ceremonial Mace , the symbol of the Queen’s authority. The MP was angry over the debate delay that day

[@hythekent]

@@vtbn53 HM Queen Elizabeth was reigning at the time

[@johnsbone]

You can not "say" another MP is "lying". Lies are not acceptable.

[@stevetaylor7403]

Of course. We all know MPs never lie, don’t we?

[@TimPays]

Little fact those red lines on the floor by there feet are from when they used to carry swords and the distance is 2 blade lengths apart from when it got a bit rowdy

[@margaretflounders8510]

Yes and they have to rest their right arm, their sword arm, on top of the boxes...

[@stevefrost64]

The guy in the big green chair is The Speaker, the big gold thing is The Mace in Parliament is the symbol of royal authority and without it neither House can meet or pass laws. The House of Commons mace is a silver gilt ornamental club of about five feet in length, dating from the reign of Charles II. On each day that the House is sitting the mace is carried to the Chamber at the head of the Speaker's procession by the Serjeant at Arms. It is placed on the table of the House, except when the House is in committee, when it rests on two brackets underneath the table. The Lords uses two maces, one dating from the time of Charles II and another from the reign of William III. One of the maces accompanies the Lord Speaker into the Chamber and is placed on the Woolsack whenever the House meets. The mace is absent from the Lords during the State Opening when the Monarch is in the Chamber in person.

[@stevefrost64]

Unlike the Speaker of the US house of representatives who comes from the majority party and is 3rd in line to the presidency, the House of Commons speaker who is elected from the MPs must resign membership of the political party they were elected for once elected to the chair, so they are not seen as being biased towards one party or another. The guy seen here is now the former speaker and former MP John Bercow. The current speaker is Sir Lindsay Hoyle. He is supported by three deputy speakers who chair meetings and debates in his absence.

[@DomingoDeSantaClara]

Withdrawing a word or sentence gets it struck from the parliamentary record, so there is a reason for it. If its not withdrawn, it stays in the record forever.

[@janewilson8676]

During the interminable Brexit debates,things got very heated indeed!

[@Diovanlestat]

Best bit was at the end when the labour people were holding on tight to the speakers chair. Damn, the put their heart and soul into that fight. ❤️

[@andrewcoates6641]

I once went on a school trip to London, part of which was a guided tour of the House of Commons led by one of the MP’s from my home city and he explained a few things about the chamber. Firstly if anybody who has not been elected to a seat in the chamber, no matter what the circumstances, they are not allowed to sit down on any of the “official benches “which are in the Commons all upholstered with green leather and in the Lords they are upholstered in red leather and if seen by a member or a staffer they can be removed and arrested for impersonation of a member. Next if you look closely at the backs of the benches the small circular carved features that are placed at regular intervals along the rows actually have been retrofitted with small speakers so that the hard of hearing can listen to everything being said no matter where they are seated, however this leads to several accusations of the members being asleep, sometimes they are but they will not admit that to anyone. Thirdly if you look at the floor between the two sides of the benches you will notice that there is two stripes of red carpet. These lines are marking the distance of the reach of two swords of a standard size, being held tip to tip by males of average height and reach back in the day when every gentleman wore a sword as part of their everyday attire. They installed the lines as a gentle reminder that as long as a member stayed behind his line then they were less likely to be involved in swordplay, at the time this was a possible likelihood. Finally the way that the members refer to one another is laid down that they are not allowed to use the name of another member and must always refer to them as “The member for--(the name of the seat that person represents). The reason for this is to allow a short period of time for tempers to cool down, also it is a disciplinary process that is twofold, 1, it means that if a member over steps the bounds of normal behaviour or language, the Speaker and his/her deputies can use the threat of naming the transgressor, a person who is named in this fashion is supposed to cease the activity and remove themselves from the chamber for the rest of that day’s debates and can only retake their seat after apologising to the Speaker for their behaviour. 2, it informs the party Whips that they have to speak to the person involved and if serious enough they might have to organise a meeting of the senior party members in order to administer their own punishment on the member, ranging from a ticking off or a fine to suspension from the house or even expulsion from their party, ie sacking.

[@Rasterizing]

Not forgetting the updated rule "MP's shall not wear a suit of armour in the chamber" (or words to that effect) - it's a rule that still stands.

[@barrieshepherd7694]

@@Rasterizing was there not a rule that you cannot die in the Chamber?

[@Rasterizing]

@@barrieshepherd7694 I’m not sure on that one, although it wouldn’t surprise me. We have some very very old and very very strange laws. Many of them are still “the law” but they’re just not enforced anymore.

[@connorchalmers8959]

The sword myth was disproven on QI

[@juliajoyce4535]

The speaker of The House of Commons, presides over the House's debates, determining which members may speak and which amendments are selected for consideration. The speaker is also responsible for maintaining order during debate, and may punish members who break the rules of the House. The man in video was the old speaker, John Bercow

[@lordcutlerbeckett58]

I like how he asks if Bercow is like the speaker of the house that they have in America when the American speaker oth is literally based upon the British speaker of the house

[@catherinewilkins2760]

That is the House of Commons, Green benches. More MP'S than seats. There are certain words not allowed or allegations. Erskine May was clerk to the Commons and wrote down the conventions or standing orders, in the 19th century, they were there, he just compiled them for ease of Members. The red lines on the floor are not to be crossed, hence the saying. Put there to stop sword fights, you can guess the age of the rule! I love watching on TV, Wednesday is Priminister's Question time. Can be hilarious, they are confrontational. Most of the work is behind the scenes. The man calling Order is the Speaker of the House, he chairs the "meeting ". You cannot call people certain names, so have to withdraw the word used, or get kicked out of proceedings, there of plenty of other words to use. The big gold thing is the Mace, a symbol of the power to do their job, its removal takes their function away.

[@h-Qalziel]

As of 2019, there are currently 12 parties represented in the House of Commons of the UK. The biggest party is the Conservative Party with 356 seats, who are in government. As you look at the view at 19:34, for example, they take up the entire left hand side. The second biggest and the opposition party is the Labour Party with 195 seats. They take up the first half of the right hand side, starting from the back next to the speaker. The final quarter, closest to the camera on the right, is held by the other 10 parties. The third biggest being the Scottish National Party (SNP) with 44 seats who sit at the front, and then behind them are the Liberal Democrats with 14 seats, the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) with 8 seats, Plaid Cymru with 3 seats, the Social Democratic and Labour Party with 2 seats, the Alba Party with 2 seats, the Alliance Party with 1 seat, the Green Party with 1 seat, and finally the Independent MPs who take up 13 seats. There is another party who would also sit there called Sinn Féin, who have 7 seats, but refuse to sit in the British Parliament.

[@amajinjams6966]

You cannot accuse another member of dishonesty, so saying dodgy, saying that's not true and saying lier, is forbidden.

[@Cyberbyte_010]

The gold thing, is one of the Ceremonial Maces, that's part of the Crown Jewels, and is a symbol of royal authority in the House of Commons, and without it present within the chamber, neither House is lawfully permitted to meet or pass laws. They are on permanent loan from the Crown, to the Houses of Parliament. At the start of each day, the Mace is placed in the Commons, allowing MPs etc to do their job, and is removed at the end of each day. The removal of the Mace is seen as a huge disrespect and under parliamentary rules it is seen as disorderly conduct, and suggests the Government does not have the mandate to govern. That's why in this case, a disgruntled Labour MP (Democrats) removed it in a spur of the moment to show disrespect to the current Conservative (Republican) Government, over Brexit.

[@stevehammett3952]

I’d just like to add that when a House is prorogued (by royal commission, a proclamation read out in both chambers) the ceremonial mace is returned to the Tower of London and only returned upon when a House reconvenes. The Officer who carries the Mace into a out of the Commons is the Serjeant at Arms (formerly appointed by the Queen, Major LeFanu being the last royal appointed SAA. The SAA in the Lords is called the Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod, or Black Rod for short.

[@jeffthomas2364]

Hi Steve, hope you had a good Christmas and new year. Yes this is British parliament at its finest, it’s hilarious to watch, it always gets rowdy, this is the House of Commons, if you look at the House of Lords they’re all just sat there sleeping lol.

[@jeffthomas2364]

@@bobgraham398 yes they do get paid that much per day, they also have free fine dining and a selection of expensive wines. There was one lord complained about the wine not so long ago and he was slapped down for it when everyone else is struggling with the cost of living at the moment.

[@stevetaylor7403]

The fallacy continues. Loudspeakers are situated in the headrests. By leaning back you can hear what is being said. You must have noticed those objects hanging down from the ceiling. They are the microphones which pick up what is being said.

[@judithhope8970]

David Cameron was the man referred to as Dodgy Dave. The man shouting order is John Burko, he was then the speaker who is sort of a referee to keep some kind of order in the house. The second speaker you saw was Sir Lindsay Hoyle. He is also an MP.

[@leebored]

Dennis skinner once said that half of the opposition are criminals. He was asked to withdraw it so he changed the wording to half the opposition are not criminals.

[@greatdelmondo]

words like `liar` or `dodgy` are not allowed to be used but because every word is recorded so they are asked to withdraw their words from the official record (known as hansards)

[@robtownsend6406]

Nice one ☝️ Australian 🇦🇺parliament is the exact same with sceptre and chests on the table. The public can sit above and watch as well. Very entertaining. Keep up the great work 👍🇦🇺

[@denisescutt1865]

They are very direct and have to answer very direct questions unlike in Europe.

[@Stephen_Johnson]

The MP that was ordered out of the chamber that insulted David Cameron was Dennis Skinner, he was a brilliant MP and was a friend of my grandfather. I met him several times and once got me a friend tickets for the gallery overlooking the chamber

[@marieparker3822]

If an insult is withdrawn, it is not recorded, and it is regarded as an apology.

[@Ukbrummie]

Prime ministers questions happens every Wednesday and its a laugh to watch as well.

[@djohnston6856]

I have heard it said that the reason they are not allowed to call anyone a liar in the House is because they would just end up calling each other liars all day.

[@janetkizer5956]

If an MP withdraws a word, even in a fake apology, it is struck from the record as if it never was spoken, yes. The idea is to keep the House of Commons as calm and peaceful as possible. Of course the word was said and everyone knows it. But if it is withdrawn and stricken from the record, it can't be referred to again, and weaponized. It doesn't matter what the logic is. That is all part of Parliamentary debate.

[@adamnunn5946]

To answer your questions: The gold thing that was picked up by an MP is the ceremonial mace, placed in the House to signify that it is in session. The man in the green chair is the Speaker of the House of Commons, an impartial role generally elected across party lines. Traditionally they are elected from a non-governing party (unless a Speaker is already in office when a new government comes in), and chairs debates and keeps order, as you've seen. The most famous one was John Bercow who resigned in 2019, the Speaker is now Sir Lindsay Hoyle. To withdraw a comment is the formal equivalent of "take that back". Often times MPs try and use innuendos to get past that - "terminological inexactitude" for a lie, "economical with the truth" for a lie by omission, "tired and emotional" for intoxicated. You cannot call another member a liar as it accuses them of being dishonourable, when all members are referred to as Honourable/Right Honourable. We have many corrupt and lying members, Boris Johnson was brought down by it. Generally if you are found to have misled the House you are expected to resign from your government position, although there are no official mechanisms of enforcing this. The House of Lords is generally much more tame and relaxed. They are generally old and falling asleep haha. Most people do not have much faith in their MPs especially as scandals come out. They are there to represent us but there is a general feeling of "all politicians are the same".

[@sparkyprojects]

There are rules in parliament, basically you have to use 'gentlemanly' behaviour to get your point across, you can't be slanderous, 'dodgy' is considered slanderous Dave is david cameron, the guy at the head is the speaker of the house and keeps order, there are several deputies The mace that was stolen is a symbol that the house is in session, there are 2 positions, either on top or beneath the central table The mace in Parliament is the symbol of royal authority and without it neither House can meet or pass laws. If it's below the table, the house is in 'comittee', an example of that is @11:38 where the deputy speaker is not in the main chair, you notice the mace below the table soon after that timestamp The governing party are on the right of the speaker (left in the image), the rest of the parties are on the left of speakers, each elected member has a 'seat' Check the 'UKpariliament' channel for some of the discussions, especially PMQ's if you want to check out ceremony, search for 'black rod' ceremony' or 'opening of parliament'

[@alanvanallen7762]

Yes,and all the deputies have the same authority in the HOC as the Speaker

[@Mamascouse61]

Dennis is a legend, love him ❤

[@katydaniels508]

🤣 I needed to have a laugh today. Thank you 😁

[@mocktheright7811]

1. When they withdraw it's withdrawing the word from the written record of the proceedings of the house 2. The gold thing is the mace which is there when parliament sits 3. The speaker in the clip you mention is John Bercow who was speaker from 2009-2019

[@julievice892]

This government's behaviour in Parliament reflects the state of our country

[@tonywilkinson6895]

Yep...pretty standard stuff for prime minister's question time (PMQs)televised 12 noon on Wednesday's. Well worth a watch.😄

[@12nation51]

The speaker of the house of commons Dates back from 1377 when sir Thomas Hungerford was appointed.

[@geese5061]

My favourite Dennis Skinner parliament moment was the time he was kicked out for saying “We all know that 50% of Tories are crooks” and the speaker demanded he retract it and said “Okay then 50% of Tories aren’t crooks”. Absolute legend Edit: Turns out this story is not true, just a legend of a legend

[@kiriakoz]

I'm aussie but lived in uk for a couple of years (like many aussies - no prizes for originality) so know a bit about uk parliament. Is it wrong that I found myself regularly agreeing with Dennis Skinner wholehartedly whenever I saw him interviewed or speak in parliament. Agree, legend.

[@connorchalmers8959]

Didn't happen. There's no record of it on Hansard whatsoever. The only things that come close are his dodgy dave comments and him accusing a member of only turning up half of the time. The latter of which happened before parliament was broadcast on TV. Quotes are falsely attributed to people online all the time.

[@geese5061]

@@connorchalmers8959 well damn, I’ve believed that story for years, I should have looked it up. Nae mind, I still think Dennis is a legend. He was always a fiery and righteous presence in the chamber regardless.

[@connorchalmers8959]

@@geese5061 Oh absolutely and there's nothing i'd love more than for it to be true, but as i discovered myself after convincing myself i'd seen a clip of it and trying to find said clip, it really didn't actually happen 😅

[@DJWESG1]

It's true

[@helenjarvis7755]

My theory about the behaviour in the house is that most of them attended the same posh fee paying schools. They are used to abusing each other in this manner from a young age! And yes your right about dishonesty. Calling them representatives of the people in general is stretching the truth a long way. A few might be I hope. Most help themselves to what they can take.

[@no-oneinparticular7264]

A compilation of Dennis skinner since he became a parliamentarian would be so brilliant. He's my favourite, and tells it like it is in the very words which I like. 😂

[@ellesee7079]

Asking an MP to withdraw something they have said is like asking a jury to disregard testimony they have just heard! It's too late and already in the consciousness! Job done!

[@hell_ohh]

That’s not how it works, it’s because certain things are not allowed to be said and if they don’t withdraw the statement they can be kicked out

[@limehead4700]

Hansard is the the “verbatim” written record of the debate. When a statement is withdrawn, it is withdrawn from the record.

[@josefschiltz2192]

Withdrawing is the parliamentary term for apologizing for language and name-calling which is not allowed.

[@TimeyWimeyLimey]

The one to watch next is the weekly highlight of Parliamentary debate 'Prime Minister's Questions' held most Wednesdays at 12.00 noon GMT, For 45 minutes the Prime Minister answers questions from the Leader of the Opposition (minority leader), other party leaders and other MPs on the topical issues of the day. You'll find it streamed live on the UK Parliament KZbin channel. Here's a vid for you of our new PM's first 'PMQs' kzbin.info/www/bejne/lYGofYB4ntyAiMU

[@mrfryingpanowo1100]

From a UK person studying A level politics in school: - 1:30 Yes, it does get very compact because there are 650 MP's altogether, each of them representing a different part of the UK, but the seating capacity is far lower - around 427. This probably comes from the fact that the House of commons (where MP's sit) is very old and there werent always 650 MP's. - 2:50 The then sitting Prime Minister was called David Cameron, so yeah his first name was David. Over here we usually call politicians by the last name but the man who called him Dodgy Dave did it deliberately, probably in an effort to to sound more informal and angry. - 3:38 Yes you can withdraw something you just said. In the Chamber, there are of course rules that need to be obeyed. And when someone steps out of line, they are expected to withdraw what they just said as an act of respect, weather they want too or not, lest what happens next may happen. Its convention, which may seen weird elsewhere but is just what happens here. Of course you wouldnt in real life conversation but here it holds a different meaning. - 6:16 That there is a golden mace which lives on the table in the house. Once it is removed, any debate held there is deemed illegal. It was an effort to try and stop the debate happening and has only been removed unjustly a couple of times. - 7:15 That man is the Speaker of the house of commons. He is in charge of many things but in this situation it is keeping the house organised and quiet, as well as picking out people to ask questions. This man is called John Bercow and isnt the Speaker anymore; now it is a man called Lindsay Hoyle; a good friend of two of my friends parents (he's the man that popped his head up at 11:38) - 8:35 I mentioned before that there are rules in the house - one of the most important rules is not accusing someone of being dishonest, the thought being that nobody in the house would dare lie to the house and accusing them of it is considered a ginormous insult deserving of immediate action. And no, someone calling another person a liar doesnt happen very often. - 12:20 Here is one of the then deputy speakers talking. The actual Speaker acts as Speaker at the most important times, but not always. He referred to the Party Whip here so i'll give a short explaination: The party whip is a high ranking position in a party who is in charge of bills passing and communicating to the speaker. The Whip asked for someone to ask a question which the deputy speaker allowed, resulting in this. 14:55 SNP = Scottish National Party (Dont listen to that man he is a wanker) 16:10 Yes, they are normally like this... and yes it is usually televised 17:30 There can be a level of corruption but its usually in the form of bribery and blackmail. I've spoken to a couple politicians before and yeah they confirm it. 18:45 Yes there is, it is in fact extremily complicated but i'll keep it as short as i can: The leading party always takes up the whole of the left side of the house, the Opposition (the biggest other party) takes up the back right, and the other parties take up the front right. The Cabinet (the biggest positions in the party) take up the front row and the shadow cabinet (the most important positions in the opposition party) mirror it. 19:20 You say throw hands half jokingly but it has happened. You see those two red lines in the centre separating each side of the house? In an active debate, you arent allowed to stand in front of that in an effort to prevent sword fighting (of course the house was made before 1600 and has happened there before), and some people used to bring hand guns in the 17/18 hundreds and people have been dulled before too. Wild. 19:40 Nope, it is the complete and utter opposite. The vast majority of people there are old and its very quiet in there. People speak for longer in a far more civil way, people fall asleep, etc. And no they dont actually wear those, but the Judges in the UK Supreme Court do. 20:00 Yes I definitely agree that we are represented well. Unlike US politicians, UK MP's have only one job - and that is to deliver the will of the people in your region of the country. MP's take a lot of pride in that and in every question asked in parliament, the politician will more often then not refer to their constituents or ask questions on how the PM will benefit their community. We dont vote for a Prime Minister, we vote for an MP and thats it. The PM doesnt have as much power as your President. Great video, I do recommend that you watch another one of those videos (perhaps pick part 4-8, they are the best ones). Or even better, react to this: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rHeYaKeFlKtnprs Its about Prime Ministers questions and its very interesting. A parliamentary funny moments would certainly not go a miss either.

[@t1tanfallpr025]

Basically the withdraw is that in the house you refer to people as honourable whether they are or not using words that imply otherwise is not allowed. All it means is in the question or statement you remove that remark and repeat the question

[@Jay92925]

Each session of parliament has a written record “Hansard” so if they withdraw the remark it doesn’t show in the record. It’s more a tradition now since it is all recorded, but before parliament was televised, if they withdrew the remark no one knew it was said it it wasn’t written down

[@lmusima3275]

The way they clown each other in the chambers is so entertaining and mind blowing 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@england6013]

This place is steeped in history. Going back to Tudor times. Dennis Skinner is a hero. His brother taught me Humanities. They holler because its not the done thing to applaud I think you need to read up on the history instead of cherry picking the worst parts to watch. A lot of good is done in this place This is a weekly event called "Prime Ministers Questions". The House can put questions directly to the Prime Minister. I would love to see how this would go down in the USA

[@defi-minnow]

Did you know the distance between the two sides of the house is 2 swords lengths apart? Fascinating really.

[@sharonmartin4036]

The gentleman shouting "order!" all the time is the speaker of the house. You have them in USA too if I am not mistaken.

[@RonRicho]

Interesting that even in the heat of the moment they are so articulate.

[@nullbubble791]

It's like kids at a primary school. The corruption is nowhere near as bad as it is in America.

[@sashalawrence4786]

😂stop lying to yourself

[@timtreefrog9646]

They are being paid well above average for just being there. AND literally take hours to get through each item due to their childish behaviour. Corrupt that they get paid for this stuff 🙄

[@christinegothard2776]

Mr Hoyle is my MP and is a very goodman, he is now the Speaker of the house commons

[@torroberts6622]

The speaker of the house in UK parliament is essentially a chat mod The stick he picked up is called a mace and is used to open and close parliament if it is removed the debate is not allowed to continue To be asked to withdraw is essentially a way of asking for the question to be rephrased

[@def_not_dan]

British and American politics is more similar than you think. It's mostly just different names for the same things, and a few huge and obvious differences. If you think it compares or seems like something you have there, you're probably right.

[@kellybrown3613]

Dennis skinner versus black rod is funny especially when he mentions horse racing lol

[@jimmydonnycosgrove2639]

8:21 - so this is quite interesting because the MP that was speaking before Theresa May shouted out, “that’s not true”. The reason that is quite a big deal is you don’t lie in the Houses of Parliament, everyone is an honourable and respected member of Parliament, therefore never lies. You could stand there and say I’m a pink elephant with 15 fingers and if somebody shout out that you’re a liar, the person that shouts out is the one that gets in trouble!

[@Randomaited]

I've met Dennis Skinner. He's an absolute legend, a true working class hero

[@tracytabb2882]

Honestly our parliament is like kids in a bloody playground it's shocking how ppl like that are allowed to run our country

[@RichHaynes2012]

Sorry for replying to such an old comment but its pertinent. They ONCE let the youth parliament sit in the commons for a debate. You wouldn't believe how respectful they were and it completely showed up the MPs. It should happen more.

[@sheilahamill3516]

If you want to watch a House of Lords debate, just look them up on here. Much more sedate, some even sleep their way through them.😃😕 Loved your raction to the Commons debates

[@barrieshepherd7694]

They are not asleep 😂 they are resting their deaf ear against the speaker witch is in the round grill in the back of the seats.

[@gailharper9236]

Yes he is the speaker of the house

[@joelpayne1193]

I love this video clips because I enjoy watching our MPS debate on lots of subjects and sometimes it is funny and bit of crazy 🤪

[@billdemudd6697]

the guy shouting order's official title is 'house bouncer' he worked his way up from a club in liverpool to parliament he's done well and can cut up rough if needed

[@sarahclapp505]

The clown squad 🤪🤪🤪🤪🤪☹️☹️☹️

[@dirtyden1]

Dennis Skinner was one of the few MPs that was actually deserving of the title 'honourable'. The guy shouting 'Oooorrrrddderrr' is the speaker of the house. Responsible for keeping calm in the house.

[@sandrabeaumont9161]

That mace that the man walked off with is hugely symbolic. It's one of the maces you saw in the Crown Jewels vid. It represents The Queen/King. That has to be there to make the proceedings legal. If it's removed they cannot make ANY laws or discuss them.

[@KernowWarrior]

You should check out the Irish political system. Voting is by proportional representation. You literally get to vote for as many people as you like, in order of preference. It's a far more representative system. Independent TDs have a lot more influence.

[@eddiel7635]

Doesn’t work in the UK, the welsh, northern Irish and Scottish would have zero representation.

[@KernowWarrior]

@@eddiel7635 of course it would, there are still constituencies, each constituency would still be represented for the people living there.

[@eddiel7635]

@@KernowWarrior na, don’t get it? I vote for my constituency MP. Whoever gets the most votes represents me in parliament. How can you have proportional representation and a representative MP at the same time?

[@KernowWarrior]

@@eddiel7635 The way it works is let's say 4 people stand for the constituency. When you vote you put a number in each box, as to your preference. 1, 2, 3 etc. You don't need to vote for all of them (you can, just don't have to). So once all ballots have been cast. A quota is set, for example half voters plus 1. so if 10,000 people vote the quota would be 5,001. For the first count of the ballots, first preference votes are counted. So for example, after first count Mr A gets 4,000, B gets 3,000, C gets 2,500 D gets 500 votes. Because no one has reached the quota threshold a second count is done, D gets eliminated because he is the lowest and C gets eliminated because there is no mathematical way he could reach the quota threshold. Their votes are re-counted and redistributed via the 2nd choice preference. This process continues until the a person reaches the quota. This is a simplified explanation if how it would work in 1 MP per constituency. In Ireland we would have more than 1 TD per constituency, mine for example has 3, so the quota would be lower and the first 3 people to reach the quota gets elected.

[@janemcdonnell9002]

Hi Steve, They have been in this chamber for hundreds of years during both wars and they will still keep going. Since Charles 1st the King or Queen is not allowed in that room. We have the same system in Australia the best government system in the world. thanks Steve. If you have time Steve watch the 1980's YES MINISTER they speak very politely!

[@trevorashworth7307]

The two red lines on either side are two sword lengths apart.The gold thing is The Mace which is the symbol of authority when the House is sitting.

[@stevetaylor7403]

😊1. The Chamber is only full for The State Opening of Parliament and for PMQT (Prime Minister’s Question Time). This is when MPs ask the PM a question for which they must give notice. However, the question is usually along the lines of “what is in the PM’s diary for Wednesday week’. They can then ask a ‘supplementary question’ about anything at all. The PM has no idea what a SQ is about until it’s asked. 2. All the work is done in Committee Rooms, the committee being formed by MPs from all the major parties.

[@janewilson8676]

Makes you realise why the country is in such a mess 🙄

[@shithappens1975]

When something is withdrawn in parliament it officially struck from the record of the days proceedings, otherwise it's there for ever.

[@darrellpowell6042]

3:17 Calling an MP a liar or dodgy is an offence in the House of Parliament. It is an agreement that MP's must NOT lie in parliament as it brings the whole place into disrepute. Also everything said in the House has to be truthful and factual. Calling an MP dodgy is also in the same category to bring a MP reputation into disrespect and possibly saying they are corrupt without proof or police evidence.

[@amandalewis3898]

There is lots of old fashioned pomp in our House of Commons that goes back to the stone age!

[@Lizthinksaloud]

Trust me, us British people would like to know what they do as well. Haha Yes Dodgy Dave was David Cameron. A former Prime Minister. Withdraw means to retract a statement that will not be recorded. The man in the big chair is the speaker of the house. The guy took away the government symbol of office. It is always there for a debate in parliament. The debate you're watching is the Prime minister's questions. It is a session they have every week and have gotten a lot worse at times.

[@andrewjones4568]

The guy is the Speaker of the House. Unlike in the US system, the Speaker here is completely neutral and doesn’t vote on any bills. He/she is just there to essentially referee all debates. The golden sceptre is the symbol of the Crown and the King/Queen’s authority. It must be present in the chamber for any bills passed to be legitimate. Otherwise they have no authority to make laws. It is part of the rules of our parliament that you cannot accuse someone of lying in the chamber.

[@brian9731]

I've been on the floor of the House of Commons chamber (when it was empty). My reaction was that of most people apparently, that it was much smaller than I thought. When all 650 MPs turn up, it is absolutely packed. The Government's (governing party's) MPs sit on one side and the Official Opposition's (second largest party's) MPs sit opposite. The other smaller parties' MPs fill in all the rest of the spaces they can find. Remember, this is the Parliament for the entire United Kingdom which results in tiers of power. It's complicated but Scotland has its own devolved Parliament in Edinburgh; Wales has a devolved Assembly in Cardiff; and Northern Ireland has its devolved Assembly in a place called Stormont outside Belfast (that's where it gets even more complicated). All these legislative bodies have separately agreed devolved powers. England does NOT have a separate legislative body but the English MPs in the UK Parliament vote on exclusively English issues. This was not always the case and it took a very long time for MPs from other constituent countries of the UK to NOT be allowed to vote on those exclusively English issues, that is, matters which are devolved to the other parliament/assemblies. Clear as mud, right?

[@johnsnoddy]

It call comes down to this… MP’s are considered “Honourable” and therefore you can’t reasonably accuse an Honourable person of dishonesty or refer to them in a derogatory way.

[@tracyhutchinson4929]

MPs aren't allowed to call each other by name. They call each other the right honourable lady/gentleman, or the prime minister

[@Savagetechie]

While it's useful not to use names (who on earth could remember that many names) the fact that they call each other honourable is one of the biggest jokes in UK politics.

[@caroldelaney4700]

Being rude is not acceptable in parliament

[@Jbatley1]

They’re always like this. Watch the PMQ’s one week. They litterally just act like children all day lol

[@t.a.k.palfrey3882]

Isn't it interesting how well disciplined the UK House of Commons appears cf the US House of Representatives? This week, one congressman had to be physically restrained from striking another one (of the same party) on the House floor, and nobody is disciplined!! In Westminister, you're expelled from the House for uttering an insult. It is said that Winston Churchill wanted to accuse a Member of not telling the truth. Because MPs are referred to as "honourable members", and an honourable person would never lie, it is forbidden to call a Member a liar, on the floor of the House. So, Winston just stated, "I believe the honourable gentleman may have uttered a terminalogical inexactitude".

[@juliarabbitts1595]

You can say anything you like in the House of Commons, you can libel and slander because you are protected by the rules of the House; sometimes people have revealed secrets of court cases or other information for the benefit of the people. What you cannot do is accuse another member of lying by saying they are lying or something similar, however there are subtle ways of saying it which are allowed.

[@debbiegabrielsen4942]

Prime Minister Questions every Wednesday, around midday, highly entertaining

[@johnsbone]

In addition to the UK Westminster Parliament there are 3 devolved elected assemblies, for Scotland, wales and North Ireland. Thus in that UK sense , the Westminster Parliament is therefore the "federal level" of our UK Government System. England does not have similar devolution - so the Westminster Parliament is the also the national government for the "English Nation".

[@Monty2022]

Thanks for doing my suggestion :D