Who Sits Where? - Tour of the House of Commons

We discuss who sits where in the United Kingdom House of Commons, as well as some of the traditions in the chamber.
Eleven Weird Facts About The House of Commons: • 11 Weird Facts About T...

[@l27tester]

Seriously, wouldn't you pay good money to see a sword fight in the Commons

[@nurlindafsihotang49]

I would think that most of the house of commons members often wished they have a sword just to stabbed eachother.

[@ariavachier-lagravech.6910]

I want to see the Lords fight the Commons

[@dl4350]

nah I think its just a myth, cos this house of commons was designed after WWII, based off earlier images of it, though there weren't any mention of stripes on the floor but yea i'd love to see Mark Francois v Ian Blackford

[@najamasaf7556]

@The Real Vinyl ààa

[@acasualcactus5878]

I’d like to see Bercow fighting Lindsay.

[@TheMorris360]

This is a vastly underrated channel

[@TLDRnews]

Thanks so much for your support. We are growing slowly at the moment but we really appreciate you watching and subscribing

[@TheMorris360]

Just keep on uploading great content and the people will come! There are many other similar, and arguably inferior channels, like yours but with hundreds of thousands of subscribers.

[@RK-ep8qy]

TLDR News Brexit was as much as a blessing and a curse to your lot’s channel lol

[@wlkatz]

So what happens with the MPs who don't get a seat? Where are they? And how is it determined who gets a seat and who does not in a given session? Do parties manage that internally?

[@nathanbrown492]

@Jack Walker In addition, it might be worth pointing out that the government's party/coalition (assuming they have a plurality of seats but not a majority) have the advantage as since one side of the house is dedicated for their party, their members would have greater chances of having a seat.

[@szz6624]

@@nathanbrown492 But if their members are half or more of the total strength (a majority) shouldn't government backbenchers be at a disadvantage vis-a-vis seating? More than half the members with just half the seats?

[@nathanbrown492]

@@szz6624 Yes, that is why I said a plurality (most seats in house) but not a majority (50%+ seats).

[@szz6624]

@@nathanbrown492 So the DUP sits on opposition benches? I did not know that.

[@nathanbrown492]

@@szz6624 I'm not sure actually, I assumed they sat with the opposition, since no cabinet minister is from the DUP. If they sit with the government, then ignore what I had originally said....

[@grendelum]

2:59 The distance between the two red lines is two arm lengths *_plus_* two sword lengths... ~4m.

[@pf4106]

I didn´t know a lot about uk politics and these videos have helped me a lot!

[@TLDRnews]

Thank you so much, we really appreciate your support :)

[@judeevans8303]

Just watched "Why is the house of commons so unruly."

[@andrerenault]

ORDAAAAH

[@mattg5878]

Worth mentioning that the back benchers sit in groups too, based on opinion/ loyalty to the government.

[@Thewinner312]

Wait a minute... This wasn't the "weird side" of parliament?! Not enough seats for everybody, a magic talking stick in the middle and people sitting sword length apart is the normal part? Can't wait to watch the "weird" video now^^

[@Jenie0van0DenHaag]

Your channel needs to be wildly poluparised. Great work.

[@TLDRnews]

Thanks very much comments like this mean the world to us. We really enjoy making these videos so the fact people also enjoy watching them is fantastic. We are growing slowly at the moment but we really appreciate you watching and subscribing.

[@obamaprism9702]

So if I steal the mace I break democracy forever?

[@Nucleotide5313]

What happens if the majority party gains more than MP positions than there are seats on their half of the HoC? I assume they absolutely would not also sit on the opposing side also. Does this mean no matter how many MPs the majority party has, they have a finite number of seats for their MPs to sit in so all can't be represented at once?

[@td1559]

They always win more than the amount of seats on their side of the chamber, not being seated in the chamber means they cant speak, but it doesn't mean they cant vote, voting is done in the lobbies.

[@jamespaton9839]

Wow, that helped me understand the hoc a lot better. Thanks for your good work

[@closetglobe.IRGUN.NW0]

okay but who sits in the 3 seats in front of the speaker?

[@warren5037]

Clerks

[@martinstent5339]

Not enough seats? There is no sense in clinging to tradition in this situation. Nobody criticized prince Philip for moving the dining room nearer to the kitchens in Buck-House. It's time to cut loose from all this old stuff. Build a new parliament house somewhere inside greater London with lots of office room . Get 2 big debating chambers in semicircles (commons and lords). This helps to reduce all this childish confrontation in the commons. Change the voting system to proportional representation. Make the mass media (and internet platforms) more democratic and transparent. Give everyone in the debating chamber a small desk with a button ( yes/no) to stop all this ridiculous walking out of the chamber to vote. Also have the various factions have one speaker on each issue. (saves a lot of time). For my sake keep the mace and some of the older artefacts, but get a rule book about debates and give all MPs a copy. It's no wonder that the majority of recent laws and regulations came from Brussels if this is how the British parliament runs. Get out of the 12th century and into the 21st century!!!

[@battledroid224]

And get rid of the HOL and Monarchy

[@aaronjacobs3980]

@@battledroid224 not get rid of the HOL, but make them elected positions, along with splitting England into regions and making the UK a federal state

[@Junken1]

so a third of MPs is not allowed to participate in big debates? what do they do then? where are they? and do they like being excluded?

[@MegaBallPowerBall]

PES They stand behind the white line. Seats are first come first serve so they understand.

[@MrKashmire123]

This maybe a very random comment a few years after this video went up, but to be able to forever say that I sat on the 5th row row, on the Government's side and just inside of the Staircase on the right hand side; for the UK Youth Parliament's annual sitting on November 14th 2014, is quite surreal to mention!

[@meyerjoshua123]

How don't you have more views? Your channel is just great

[@arius1]

3:18 "We have a whole video which covers the weirder side of parliament". Only 1? Must be incredibly long.

[@toschrama]

Who got here from the unruly video?

[@SitriUvali]

I see checkmarks and x's on the top edge of the benches. what are those for?

[@haashirkabeer2671]

Social distancing

[@lorenende7661]

Amazing

[@TLDRnews]

Thank you so much, your support means a lot. Hope you subscribe so we can update you with our latest videos - Jack

[@senateurabou514]

thank you for this video

[@rrp6405]

Would that not be the exact right size for sword fight?

[@charlotteice5704]

I wouldn't say so. Let's say, for simplicity's sake, that the sword is 1 metre long and that one arm is 70 cm long. That would mean a minimum of 1.70 m per side, or 3.40 m overall which 4 m is well above of.

[@noidexe]

Are the Prime Minister, the ministers, the shadow ministers and the leader of the opposition all part of the executive branch of government?

[@SinnedNogara]

No just the Prime Minister and their cabinet.

[@juliaconnell]

*thank you* most useful - ok so the "bar of the house" - the white line - why are there always people standing there - EVEN WHEN THERE ARE SEATS available. (I understand that there are more MPs than seats - but still, even when House is basically empty there are always been there....)

[@edford3354]

People that aren't MPs are also allowed to stand "at the bar" similarly MPs are allowed to stand at the bar in the House of Lords but not go past it

[@dombautistagonzales9656]

Can you please explain who sits where in house of Lords?

[@Youthure]

Wouldn't it be the Opposition, capital O?

[@BritishRoyalFamilyFans]

OK but what's annoying me is who is it that sits in the 3 seats directly in front of the speaker ?

[@ghislainedidntkillherself]

also, post the one word your can’t say video

[@TheKingArabia]

what is it?

[@Magic_beans_]

There is no one word, nor even a specific list of words. It's up to the Speaker to decide what's beyond the pale. In general though, personal insults and accusations of incapacity or corruption (e.g., idiot, coward, liar, or traitor) will draw the Speaker's ire. The MP is usually afforded an opportunity to withdraw their statement, and if they refuse they can be disciplined, commonly by either being called out by name or by being temporarily ejected from the chamber.

[@TheJas-vr2vr]

wait if you have to be sitting to speak but there aren't enough seats for every elected mp to sit, how is it decided who doesn't get a voice in high attendance debates?

[@connor-jq5yc]

Another MP took the mace and tried to leave the chamber with it in 2018 and he also got suspended

[@seemamateen6393]

You didn't mention where the chairman sits chairman of committee of whole house!

[@Avidcomp]

Tells us about the remembrancer please.

[@dhtsoaedsdhtnadi9575]

all those lines, i'm surprised there's not a referee calling "out of bounds" and "off sides".

[@k3tarnin]

Now this wont work in our house of representatives where members switch parties as oft as they change underwear

[@jardon8636]

house of representatives, where, in australia-nz-canada-usa-south africa? the UK house of commons... dilapted in need of repair*.very old building that does not have enough space, for number of elected mp's...and a outdated stale voting system....FPTP first past the post.... of course there are traditions,101 regulations, this is not a modern transparent parliment, more like enclosed traditional victorian chamber with tv cameras, the mother of all other parlimentary democracies: is in need of electoral reform.....

[@k3tarnin]

@@jardon8636 in the Philippines

[@vilda747]

Yes, this channel is great, but slow down folks, getting into millions of subs, considering this kind of video content, this channel would be shut down before you finish the other eye blink, or am I wrong? Great respect for guys doing this good job.

[@Julio974]

It seems stupid that some elected MPs can't speak or sit with the others

[@worker8736]

Small size Parliament

[@ghislainedidntkillherself]

is it 437 or 427 make up your mind

[@TheSebastian1012]

So the speaker isn't a man 2:57

[@McAlpaca]

Pretty much - the Speaker will often refer to his/her position as "The Chair", and the role is to referee in a non-partisan fashion. The Speaker rules the roost in the Commons, and can expel members, choose motions for the day, oversee voting, and bid the chamber un/locked.

[@vinrod4]

I got what I came for. But I do wish you will up your editing skills.

[@plskie9527]

Canada's house of Commons looks much nicer.