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Picture this visit to the House of Commons
Knebworth businessman Paul Mower was a successful bidder at HAD’s golf day auction last September. The prize was a personal guided tour of the House of Comons with WelwynHatfield MP Grant Shapps. Here Paul tells us how the day went...
‘Due our packed diaries – well Grant’s packed diary – it took us quite a while to arrange the trip.
‘I arrived with my wife Jean at the appointed hour of 12.15p.m. Grant (who I had never even seen in a picture) was late due to an over-running meeting and I fully expected an ageing Tory who would be less than happy at missing his lunch and would try to get his duty over with as soon as possible.
‘Oh me of little faith. Firstly these politicians look so young these days especially to those of my age. Secondly he was a great host. I am sure he is a very astute MP but also clearly has a real love of the history and tradition of the place which he took pleasure in sharing with us. This included the important and the trivial.
‘He challenged me to spot the flaw in a huge painting just outside the Lords of the first sitting of the House of Commons after the civil war. It contained a very large number of MPs one of which I recognised as Oliver Cromwell. Apparently Hansard shows he did not attend that day. I felt such a fool for not spotting this!
‘Grant took us round the Lords and Commons chambers and had me standing at the Dispatch Boxes opposite my wife. You cannot believe how close they are and in heated debate it would be very easy to ‘accidentally’ spit in your opponents eye.
‘He insisted on taking us for lunch in the Commons canteen and answered all our questions even the tongue in cheek ones. Finally at my request he signed us in for the afternoon debate which turned out to be the emergency Northern Rock debate which was obviously very well attended. Especially interesting to Jean as she has savings with them. It went on until 3.00 a.m. But we did not stay quite that long!
‘This day was a real treat and in particular for the warm hospitality. It made me seriously consider for a moment whether to vote Conservative, and my wife who already does is urging me to move to Welwyn so she can vote for him.’
Grant also enjoyed the day. ‘I was delighted to welcome Paul and his wife to Parliament and I took the opportunity to show them some parts of the Palace of Westminster that most visitors never get to see. We even grabbed a moment to go out on the terrace overlooking the Thames and take a picture!’
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