Visitors' Experiences in the House of Commons Visitors' Gallery
The Visitors' Gallery above the House of Commons is free to enter after security checks and does not require booking. On a recent Thursday, about 12 people, including Yinwen Yeh and her mother Karen Fan, who missed their full Parliament tour due to a diary mix-up, watched MPs for about an hour. The gallery is separated from the chamber by a glass screen and has a rule against clapping; visitors observe proceedings including questions to business and trade ministers. Topics during the day included Brexit, the hospitality industry, and employment rights law, with the tone described as amicable.
Pakistani expatriates in Dubai, Alize Zobairi and Zarmeen Noor, observed MPs' surgeries and noted a perceived connection between MPs and constituents, citing cases such as vaccine access and visa renewals. Renton Fewster, a dairy farm worker, and Libby Robinson, an NHS apprentice, described the experience as feeling like they were not supposed to be there and remarked that the Lords chamber seemed more casual with decor that was over-the-top.
In the afternoon, a St Andrew's Day debate took place where Pruthvirajsinh Zala praised the building while defending the preservation of historical paintings as memory. Tom Bell spoke about the parliamentary journey and the value of experiencing Parliament in person. The day attracted an estimated 400 to 600 visitors.
