FROM THE CHAIR

It is easy to spend years in the Palace of Westminster and be aware of only a fraction of the estate’s rich history. As Oscar Wilde unimprovably put it: “He to whom the present is the only thing that is present, knows nothing of the age in which he lives.” So in a break from our usual routine, we’ve decided to take you on a historical tour of Parliament for this issue, and a rich bounty of stories and other curios have resulted.

To understand how closely politicians and historians have interacted over the years, I recommend starting with Andrew Southam’s fascinating trip down memory lane, which takes in everything from T.E. Lawrence to Dominic Cummings. After that, among other delights, we learn about how the Chapel of St Mary Undercroft almost caused a religious split until a resourceful Speaker managed to diffuse the situation, while Patrick Kidd takes us through the hilarious history of Parliament’s cricket team. If you think there has been a fair share of parliamentary scandals of late, just wait till you read Paul Seaward’s retelling of some of the past misdeeds from those who’ve walked these corridors.

We’ve plenty more for those more focussed on the present. Baroness Manningham-Buller looks at the National Security Bill. Dr Michael Maguire writes on standards in public life. My House advisory board colleague Alistair Carmichael visits a grisly exhibition. And Philip Cowley asks a particularly pressing question: why have constituency names got so long? All this and more in your House magazine.