Sara Britcliffe, Member of Parliament for Hyndburn and Haslingden, welcomed 38 of her Hyndburn & Haslingden constituents to parliament on Friday 20 October for a tour and a question & answer session.
It was an early start at Accrington Stanley’s Wham Stadium for Hyndburn MPs constituents, with the coach departing at 6:30am for Westminster. They made good time, arriving in London just after midday, from where constituents were able to enjoy two and a half hours of free time, taking in attractions like St James’ Park, 10 Downing Street, Buckingham Palace and Westminster Abbey.
The tour started at 3pm, when the 40 constituents were split into groups and appraised of the history of Parliament’s Central Lobby, St Stephen’s Hall and Westminster Hall. They were then taken onto the floor of both the House of Commons and House of Lords, as well as the Commons Member’s Lobby and No Lobby and the Lords Prince’s Chamber.
Ms Britcliffe then held a one-hour Q&A in parliament’s Grand Committee Room, with guests sitting in the seats of MPs of years gone by.
Before departing at 5:30pm, there was plenty of time for photos in Westminster Hall and a visit to the gift shop.
In a show of community spirit, Accrington Stanley allowed guests to park for free while the coach was provided by Oswaldtwistle company Moving People, who provided two drivers as well as free water, tea, coffee, and biscuits.
The trip was £37 per person and covered the cost of the coach only, with the tour being free.
