���Michael Sylvester wrote: >British parliamentary debates and proceedings must be the >most uncivilized affair on the planet. Members of parliament >disrupt, laugh, boo and throw all types of verbal assaults at >the Premier and cabinet ministers. It continues outside of the >building where members of parliament can be pied and egged. >Consider how shocking it was when Joe Wilson of South >Carolina uttered "You lie" when Obama was speaking. >It is said that this is the first time this has happened in the >history of U.S presidential address to the congress. >The U.S is a nation of laws and this was an unusual violation. >There are other forms misbehavior that occur in other countries >like fist fights and shoe throwing in other cultures but they seldom >occur, but that British "Benny Hill" parliamentary stuff goes on >all the time.
I have little doubt that Michael is referring to Prime Minister's Question Time, which occupies about half-an-hour of Parliamentary time each week. Sure, the behaviour of some members on these weekly occasions is often rowdy and ill-mannered beyond what should be acceptable in a civilised debate, but on the other hand, "Prime Minister’s Question Time (PMQs) is an opportunity for MPs from all parties to question the PM on any subject": http://www.number10.gov.uk/Page5180 Michael's first misconception is that the behaviour of MPs during the weekly PMQs sessi on is typical of debates in the House of Commons, which is far from the case. Michael writes: > It continues outside the building where members > of parliament can be pied and egged. Perhaps Michael will now provide examples of incidents where MPs have been "pied and egged" outside parliament. I can only think that he has in mind an occasion in June this year when Nick Griffin, the leader of the far-right British National Party, was forced to abandon a press conference outside the Houses of Parliament when protesters threw eggs at him. So, Michael, please supply chapter and verse to support your assertion in relation to MPs. >Consider how shocking it was when Joe Wilson=2 0of South >Carolina uttered "You lie" when Obama was speaking. If one MP calls another member a liar in the House of Commons, the Speaker requests that the MP in question withdraws his/her statement, and if he/she does not do so, he/she is ordered to leave the chamber and may well be suspended for a week or more. >There are other forms misbehavior that occur in other > countries… but that British "Benny Hill" parliamentary > stuff goes on all the time. Michael, it is quite evident that you have never seen an ordinary session of the House of Commons, otherwise you would not make such an erroneous assertion. Incidentally, as I'm sure is the case in the State s, most of the really important Parliamentary work gets done in the numerous Committees in which many MPs are involved. Allen Esterson Former lecturer, Science Department Southwark College, London http://www.esterson.org P. S. BBC News 15 May 2008 John McCain has said he would introduce an American version of prime minister's questions if elected US president. The Republican candidate will pledge later to submit himself to regular grillings by both houses of Congress. He said exchanges such as those in the British House of Commons were a way of holding leaders accountable. The weekly half hour PMQ sessions in the Commons are often rowdy affairs with party leaders 20trading insults spurred on by baying MPs. But they allow the main opposition party leaders to put the prime minister on the spot on a subject of their choice and backbench MPs to raise issues on behalf of constituents… http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7403162.stm --- To make changes to your subscription contact: Bill Southerly (bsouthe...@frostburg.edu)
