The House of Commons is the lower house of the UK Parliament.
The British Parliament consists of two houses: the House of Commons and the House of Lords. The House of Commons is the lower house, and it’s where all laws are made. It’s also where Prime Minister Boris Johnson holds his weekly Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs) sessions. On October 27th, 2020, Johnson was not able to attend PMQs due to Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves taking his place. Here’s why MPs stand up in Parliament.
Why do MPs stand up in Parliament?
In order to vote on a bill or question during a session, an MP must first be called by the Speaker (via Hansard). The Speaker calls each MP by their constituency name followed by their title – for example, “Mr Steve Baker MP for Wycombe”. MPs then have three minutes to ask questions or make statements on whatever they like before being called again by name and title. Once an MP has been called for a second time, they can no longer speak until another MP has been called first.
This means that if you want to ask a question or make a statement during PMQs or another session in Parliament, you need to be ready at all times. If you miss your chance when your name is called out, you won’t get another one until someone else has been given theirs.
