The theatre and pomp of our Parliament provide us with a living connexion to eight hundred years of democratic history. They are a reminder to each generation of MPs that they are merely the custodians, for some short while, of something far older than themselves.
There are in each political generation those, especially the young, who dream of sweeping away all that is old and rebuilding from the ground up. The results of this self-centred and short-sighted impulse are seldom impressive.
Parliament’s customs cost us little, and enrich us greatly as a living, daily connexion to and reminder of our democratic history. They are part of a broader tapestry of history and tradition that puts the flesh of nationhood on the bones of a constitution.
Prime Minister’s Questions are by far the most-watched Parliamentary events in these islands. If there is some great hunger out there for a quieter, more forgettable Parliament, it hides itself well.
Extracted from:
Parliament’s traditions are something to cherish
by Henry Hill