Walking the corridors of power

Year 12 pupils drew inspiration for the start of their AS Politics course from a visit to Westminster.

The 14 boys visited Whitehall and the Houses of Parliament, before finishing the day with a workshop on debating.

Head of Politics Liam Hargadon said: “Parliament always inspires the boys who get the chance to visit. Afterwards they can more readily appreciate terms like ‘frontbencher’ and ‘backbencher’ MPs and understand the reasons behind some of the more obscure practices, all of which help to explain why Parliament works in the way that it does.”

The trip involved an opportunity to see Downing Street, Whitehall and Parliament Square, where the boys savoured the range of statues of historic figures and political leaders. A tour of the Houses of Commons and Lords including walking by the green and red benches and standing at the Despatch Box. The group also visited the 900-year-old Westminster Hall, which is the oldest building in the Parliamentary estate and has been the venue for countless historic occasions, including the lying-in-state of the Queen Mother and addresses to joint sessions of Parliament by successive world leaders.

The workshop on debating focused on what constitutes acceptable and unacceptable parliamentary language; why, for example, MPs never ‘lie’ but may instead be ‘economical with the truth’.