Westminster Walk: Discover the history of parliamentary democracy

Events

Westminster Walk: Discover the history of parliamentary democracy

21 Oct 2022

Discover the history of Westminster on this bespoke tour, created for the Hansard Society and led by Oonagh Gay, Footprints of London guide and former Head of the Parliament and Constitution Centre in the House of Commons Library.

11:30am, 21 October 2022 Starting at Westminster Underground Station (Exit 5)

About this walk

Parliament Square contains the World Heritage Sites of Westminster Abbey and the Houses of Parliament. Its significance as the seat of Government dates back centuries.

Join this guided walk to discover how the Square took its modern shape and how the buildings and statues tell a story of the development of modern parliamentary government, from the monarchy to the franchise and judicial independence to the established church.

The Hansard Society has previously made recommendations to pedestrianise the Square, arguing that it could be transformed into one of the world's great civic spaces, where we could reflect on the journey to democracy and the obstacles which remain. The walk will examine how the Restoration & Renewal programme for the Palace of Westminster could be enhanced by including the wider footprint of Parliament Square as well as Whitehall itself.

Your guide

The tour will be led by Oonagh Gay, a qualified Footprints of London guide who has been devising and leading walking tours since 2015. Oonagh worked in the House of Commons Library for over 30 years – specialising in constitutional briefings for MPs – and is a former member of the Hansard Society Council.

Oonagh specialises in political and feminist walks across London, as well as a variety of local walks in North London. Other walks include Ada Salter and the Beautification of Bermondsey; Marx and the Chartists in Soho; and Conrad’s Secret Agent and Anarchists in Fitzrovia. She is a Footprints of London Guide and you can find out more information here.

Further information

Time: The walk will start promptly at 11.30am and will last approximately 75 minutes.
Meeting point: Outside Exit 5 of Westminster Underground Station.
Weather: The walking tour will take place regardless of weather conditions, so please do wear sensible shoes and dress accordingly.
Price: There is a concessionary rate of £10 for this tour for Hansard Society members; £15 for non-members of the Society.
Cancellation: Cancellations made within 24 hours of booking are fully refundable. After 24 hours of the booking date, all tickets are non-refundable and cannot be rescheduled.

Our members form a valuable network of people who care about Parliament, public life and politics and want our parliamentary institutions to prosper in the future.

Learn more about our membership options.

Latest / Highlights

News / Parliament Matters Bulletin: What’s coming up in Parliament this week? 8-12 December 2025

Chancellor Rachel Reeves faces questions in the Chamber and before the Treasury Committee about the Budget. MPs debate the Railways Bill for the first time, continue “ping-pong” on the Employment Rights Bill, and are expected to conclude proceedings on the Planning and Infrastructure Bill. The Conservative Party chooses the topic for Wednesday’s Opposition Day debate. In the Lords, Peers debate the English Devolution Bill, continue Committee scrutiny of the Crime and Policing Bill and of the assisted dying bill. Select Committees probe the Afghan data breach, Bank of England interest rates, and problems with the Whole of Government Accounts, and take evidence from the Energy Secretary and the Leader of the House.

News / 2024: The year our party system finally broke? - Parliament Matters podcast, Episode 118

This week we spotlight our new book Britain Votes 2024, featuring research by leading political scientists such as public opinion expert Professor Sir John Curtice. We explore how Labour secured a landslide on just a third of the vote, why the election broke so many records, and what these reveal about the fragility of UK democracy. We also cover the Budget fallout, the role of the Treasury Committee in the appointment of the new head of the OBR, more backbench dissent, ex-MPs shifting to the Greens and Reform, and a brewing row over delayed mayoral elections.

News / 101 resolutions and a Finance Bill. How the Budget becomes law - Parliament Matters podcast, Episode 117

It’s Budget week, so we look at what happens after the Chancellor sits down and how the days announcements are converted into the Finance Bill. We speak to Lord Ricketts, Chair of the European Affairs Committee, about whether Parliament is prepared to scrutinise the “dynamic alignment” with EU laws that may emerge from the Government’s reset with Brussels. And we explore the latest twists in the assisted dying bill story, where a marathon battle is looming in the New Year after the Government allocated 10 additional Friday sittings for its scrutiny. Please help us by completing our Listener Survey. It will only take a few minutes.

News / Is the House of Lords going slow on the assisted dying bill? - Parliament Matters podcast, Episode 116

In this episode we look at the latest Covid Inquiry report addressing the lack of parliamentary scrutiny during the pandemic and the need for a better system for emergency law-making. With the Budget approaching, we explore how the Commons Speaker, Sir Lindsay Hoyle MP, might discipline ministers who announce policies outside Parliament and why a little-known motion could restrict debate on the Finance Bill. Sir David Beamish assesses whether the flood of amendments to the assisted dying bill risks a filibuster and raises constitutional questions. Finally, we hear from Marsha de Cordova MP and Sandro Gozi MEP on their work to reset UK–EU relations through the Parliamentary Partnership Assembly. Please help us by completing our Listener Survey. It will only take a few minutes.

Blog / The assisted dying bill: Is the number of Lords amendments a parliamentary record?

The assisted dying bill has attracted an extraordinary number of amendments in the House of Lords, prompting questions about whether the volume is unprecedented. This blog examines how its amendment count compares with other bills in the current Session, and what the historical data shows about previous amendment-heavy legislation.