What are the UK’s Weirdest Political Traditions?

The UK’s political system is full of weird quirks that have persisted for hundreds of years. So in this video, we’ll run you through a day in the life of an MP, and explain the origins of some of the odd traditions they’re likely to come across.

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[PsychoSavager]

When the new Speaker of the House of Commons is elected, they are "dragged" to their new seat, as Speaker was traditionally not a desirable role to have.

[johnhughes]

I believe that you missed the point where during the King's Speech they ritually search the basements beneath the Lords for gunpowder, and ritually take an MP hostage.

[CharlesTysonYerkesOfficial]

Missed opportunity to mention that MPs have to stand on a stage with all the candidates in their constituency when elected/re-elected. This meant Bojo had to stand next to Elmo, Lord Buckethead, Count Binface and others when he was re-elected in Uxbridge and South Ruislip in 2019.

[paologat]

Back in 2019, UK missed the opportunity to establish a new tradition: the yearly request to the EU to further extend the deadline for Brexit negotiations. It could have become an unmissable tourist attraction, both in Westminster and in Brussels.

[TheBT]

The monarch doesn't own all the swans.

It is just mute swans.

[hanquanphoon]

Could have ended the video with the mechanism by which an MP resigns from the House, which I think is the weirdest quirk, and we get to hear someone say in the video "The Crown Steward and Bailiff of the Chiltern Hundreds" and "Crown Steward and Bailiff of the Manor of Northstead".

[lewisknight]

The only reason the Monarch still owns all the Mute Swans in the country is because they rarely migrate and cant be shipped of to Rwanda.

[dracooz]

Thing you missed? Where do we start?

- How new Speakers are dragged to their seat
- The bag for member's bills on the back of the Speaker's chair
- When you want to ask a question in Quesiton Time, you "bob"
- The practice of divisions
- Which members have priority seating in the House
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.
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Heck, a brief explanation on how a bill goes through Parliament to become law might be a good one.

[fateenshareef]

Kinda disappointed that you didn't mention the rich tradition until 2019 of Dennis Skinner heckling the Black rod.

[triforium_t]

Up there with the quirkiness of Black Rod is "Le Roy le veult!", i.e. the absolutely hilarious manner of which the monarch signifies to the House of Commons that he or she has given their royal assent to a bill passed by both houses, therby passing it into the law.

This is done at the closing of each parliamentary session (also an occasion where the Commons are summoned to the Lords). The Clerk of the Crown reads out the title of each bill which has been given assent, and then the Clerk of the Parliaments turns around to face the Commons and exclamates in old Norman French, for each bill:

"Le Roy le veult!" or "La Reyne le veult!" meaning "the King/Queen wills it!"

Norman French is still being used in the parliament of the UK over 500 years after the parliament stopped conducting its business in French. Oh you brits!

[jonbob]

Also worth mentioning that MPs generally don’t refer to the House of Lords by name, rather they call it “The Other Place”.

[fateenshareef]

I'm from India and I think your system is fantastic, the best part being your PMQ's where the PM MUST come to answer questions from the whole house. It helps to keep politicians on their toes and prevents complacency.

[abydosianchulac]

You left out the weirdest part of the King's Speech/opening of Parliament ceremony. After the Black Rod is shut out once and then let in to summon the Commons, they are _required_ as a group to be loud and boisterous and irreverent as they head for the House of Lords. This is pageantry as much as everything else is, to show how coarse and low the members of the Commons are compared to the nobility of the Lords with their fur robes and orderly behavior. It's just rare that the prescribed behavior of a governmental ritual/tradition is "be a gentle mob."

[DTWTheWanderingMuzungu]

Snuff was last used in 1989 because they've transitioned to a much more modern powder.

[anubis]

When I toured the House of Commons, I asked about the books on the table that are in every picture and video. The tour official in the room told me they are there to hide the cable from the microphones. If they were useful in the past he didn’t know

[fistsofham]

By far our strangest tradition in the House of Commons is that we address MPs as the "Honourable" member for somewhere or other, despite so few of them having even the merest scrap of such a notion.

[lordbusiness-qsok]

Remember that MPs technically* can’t quit

[antonyeastham]

The putting on of the Top Hat to ask a question? Rees-Mogg too.

[PLuMUK]

Don't forget that your MP is not allowed to die in the Palace of Westminster. Deceased are recorded as dead on arrival at hospital.

You could have mentioned the use of the Woolsack in the House of Lords.

[TommyCrosby]

My favourite weirdest political tradition that even exists here in Canada is the dragging of the newly elected House Speaker. It's just the most unexpected thing you can see in the Chamber of Commons.