House of Commons - the hottest moments

[Aldgarkalaughskel]

I enjoy watching the heated debates of the House of Commons, unfortunately BBC is broadcasting it very rarely nowadays. I always thought of it as a bar full of toughs, jeering, bullying, booing, hissing, shouting and openly laughing at. I think this is the real kind of parliament, as MPs are not allowed to read out their scripts, and have to react to each other quickly and wittily.

Can you point me to some "hot" or loud debates?

For starters:

[removeduser_426582376423734]

PMQ = waste of time.

[Garrigan]

The House of Commons? Racey? Listen to some stuff from the Aussie parliament, they apparently descend into full-blown abuse and slander...

[Wheelchair]

Seems like a movie, lol.

[IrishHitman]

If only the BBC was around to record Dillon praising the 1916 Rebels in the Commons....

[Yorkshireman]

William Hague on President Blair of the EU.



Cameron taking the piss out of Brown

[bushbush]

i went to see a canadian house of question period live in ottawa. it was literally a bunch of grown up men and women taunting each other in the most childish manner. We had our minister of defense peter mackay doing face at opposition MPs...it was hilarious.

[JP226]

Why is it our congress is so incredibly dull. I would love watching CSPAN if our legislators(sp?) called pehosi out on her crap. I get the whole President not sitting and hearing the abuse like a PM, our government doesn't work that way, but the speaker the whips and the rest of the gang should be a bit more lively. Is it the system or the culture?

I wish I could go back into the past and hear some of the mid 19th century debates in the house and senate and see actual fist fights and canings, talk about partisanship.

[bushbush]

I wish I could go back into the past and hear some of the mid 19th century debates in the house and senate and see actual fist fights and canings, talk about partisanship.

you can always find that in tawian's legislature. Remember, that's how china will look like times 40 when it becomes a democracy, it would be so much fun on TV , rather than the present dull communist everyday.

[JP226]

Maybe it's just past nostalgia, but it seems the crap we go through today pale's in comparison to what was. Hell maybe that is why the debates suck now. Imagine hearing debates over slavery from people like Henry Clay and Calhoune, Quincy Jr and whoever else. Hearing Debates by people such as John Adams and Jefferson themselves. It just seems light years in advance to today's fools, the Pelosi/ Reid crowd versus Boehner and whoever the hell else is on that side. See they aren't even important enough to remember.

Maybe it's that nostalgia again, a hundred years from now people may be fawning over the uber intelligence of Pelosi...

[Claudius Gothicus]

A very healthy custom, at least you're free to speak your mind and point out the other party failures with out getting sued or something over here well the parliament is like the president's .... yeah our republic is seriously ed up.

[Aldgarkalaughskel]

A question: I see those MPs in the back always standing up when someone has to reply. Why are they standing up anyway when they have no chance of answering?

Another question, here's some hilarious footage. Why does the Speaker have to interject in a style like the MPs were students and he was the teacher? (6:15) Final question, I noticed the people who speak are turning to the Speaker and tell him their speech, often saying his title, like "Mr. Speaker, we the government bla bla". Why's that? Is this a tradition too?

[bushbush]

A question: I see those MPs in the back always standing up when someone has to reply. Why are they standing up anyway when they have no chance of answering?

offering support for their party, it's usually accompanied with jeering and taunting or applauding if the speaker is their own guy.

[VALIS]

A question: I see those MPs in the back always standing up when someone has to reply. Why are they standing up anyway when they have no chance of answering?

They stand up to get attention from the speaker who picks who gets to speak.

[bushbush]

Another question, here's some hilarious footage. Why does the Speaker have to interject in a style like the MPs were students and he was the teacher? (6:15) Final question, I noticed the people who speak are turning to the Speaker and tell him their speech, often saying his title, like "Mr. Speaker, we the government bla bla". Why's that? Is this a tradition too?

you are correct, it's the custom. They always have to address the speaker, instead of directly against another MP. The speaker controls the debate.

[manofarms89]

alas, if only congress would act like that.

[Каие]

[Visna]

Ah, House of Commons debates never get old.
I've heard somewhere that the floor and the benches was originally designed so that the opposing sides couldn't reach each other with various stabbing weapons provided that they stayed behind the lines on the floor. Is that true?

[Каие]

Ah, House of Commons debates never get old.
I've heard somewhere that the floor and the benches was originally designed so that the opposing sides couldn't reach each other with various stabbing weapons provided that they stayed behind the lines on the floor. Is that true?

Not sure about that, but the House of Commons was destroyed by the Germans in WW2 and when it was rebuilt Churchill built it on purpose so that there were considerably less seats than MPs meaning the MPs had to all squish in and it's all so close quarters and intense. Also he wanted some to stand. Also he wanted to make the dispatch box, where the PM speaks to be just wide enough that the two opposing MPs can touch hands across.