P is for Prime Minister in Purple

Super exciting day today! I have been looking forward to today since I was told that I would be going a week ago. I sat in on Prime Minister Questions today!

Elliot and I watched the Speaker’s procession in the central lobby before being led (up multiple flights of stairs) to the gallery. Although I have walked around the Commons chamber a few times now, seeing Parliament’s key players in action there was a whole another experience. Truly distinctive and meaningful. It’s one thing when you read about Cameron and Miliband during Wednesday or watch it on BBC News. But when you are in the same room as them and you add in the mix of frontbenchers, backbenchers and the Speaker, it’s a much more unique dynamic that you cannot get from reading an article in the Telegraph or Guardian. Later Elliot described it as having a slightly cozy feeling because these politicians are talking with one and evaluating one another on these green couches where everyone is sitting tightly next to one another. Also no one expect for the PM and Miliband have their own microphone. 

While Miliband or Bolls was posing a question to Cameron, who would confer with George Osbourne (Chancellor of Treasury) in regards to about economics and Greece or Teresa (Home Office) over DNA retention, all of the frontbenchers of the opposition would point and tattle on Cameron. Their claim being that he needs the help of his people to answer the questions and he cannot do them himself. Miliband said that thousands of people each year are arrested but not charged on suspicion of rape but sometimes went on to commit other offences. The Speaker had to call order as the noise levels rose when Cameron was confering with May. Cameron said it seems to come as a surprise that he talks to his ministers and suggests Miliband does not talk to his own shadow chancellor. Cameron certainly had his riposte ready for when Miliband brought up the subject of the Justice’s U-turns.

The government backbenchers were really rowdy at some points. At one point Cameron said, "I'm afraid I didn't get all of that" and the Speaker told off the noisy government backbenchers. There was a really random interjection in the Greek debt crisis debate and Lib Dem MP Andrew George suggested that the UK should give Greece back the Elgin Marbles. Cameron doesn't agree and joked that the short answer is "we haven't lost our marbles". It was so witty, I loved it! Another fascinating aspect of the experience was how in the beginning with the questions to the Secretary for Scotland the chamber was a little bare. As time passed during question to him and the time was approaching for PMQs, the famous green Commons benches were packed!

Later in the afternoon, I attended a committee meeting on UK Energy. It was a meeting mainly for researchers, and staffers. Charles Hendry, the Minister of State for the Department of Energy was one the speaker and director of discussion at the meeting. The Minister said that gas and electricity supplies must transform the way they deal with consumers. He asserted the determination to radically overhaul the retail energy market and mentioned how the “big six” power companies’ complex tariffs are going to come under further scrutiny over the next few months. He referred to the UK’s 20-20-20 pledge, which is a 20% cut in greenhouse gas emissions, a 20% increase in the share of renewable energy, and a 20% cut in energy consumption by 2020. The Minister added towards the end that in terms of coalition energy policy by 2050 business energy has to be more affordable, secure, and less dependent on carbon to meet ambitious targets.

For dinner, Justine and I decided to search for a place in Covent Garden. Exiting busy tube stations in the late afternoon/evening, you will be given flyers by people promoting their businesses. It’s a bit annoying at times but this time it was worth it. We were handed a 2 for 1 meal pamphlet for Los Locos. We strolled over the restaurant, looked at the menu options and gave it a shot. Definitely worth it!

Following our fantastic find of a meal deal, we sauntered over to LSE. The public event that we attended was titled, “Global Imbalances and Social Challenges”. Everyone is welcome to LSE’s public events. In this case, two speakers spoke for twenty minutes each, followed by a short discussion among the two and the LSE chair, and then a question and answer period. What I did not realize was that at these events some of the most influential figures in the social sciences can be heard. The two speakers were Jean-Michael Severino and Martin Wolf. Severino is General Inspector of Finances for France’s Ministry of Finance. Wolf is the associate editor and chief economics commentator at the Financial Times. These top commentators on economics, development and finance discussed some of the most pressing global imbalances and the social challenges that they post in the years ahead. From what I could tell, the entire audience was very interested in their comments; captivated by the realities they were addressing.