After our museum trip, it was another short hop on the Tube down to Westminster. This is the home to the British Parliament. The word parliament comes from the French word parler, which means to speak and where laws are spoken.
Parliament is made up of two houses: the unelected House of Lords (807 members), and the House of Commons (650 members). This two-house setup is the model for many systems across the world, including our own. The Prime Minister is the head of the majority party. Interestingly, there is only one month of campaigning prior to the election. Parliament dissolves, they go back home and campaign, and then return with a new parliament.
The two Parliament buildings are along the river Thames. Big Ben sits at the end closest to the House of Commons. Big Ben is actually the bell inside of the clock tower. It chimes every 15 minutes. We had a blast taking pictures in Parliament Square facing the buildings. This little park is filled with statues of famous people like Mandela, Churchill and Lincoln - although no women! Next year the first woman will be installed to celebrate 100 years of Women's Suffrage.
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