Houses of History - Explore the story of Parliament and democracy Video Lecture | How does UK Parliament's Education Service works? - Personal Learning

Pray let me original on you last story a
drama
power of battle and glory for Parliament's tale
is a tale to savour whatever your taste or
political flavour
a thousand years past our kings wanted
a palace
that others would look on in envious malice
competing to build the grandest abode
but Westminster Hall was the most a la mode
the king gets too bossy so here comes Magna Carta to rein in his powers
and do things much smarter council meets in his chambers
for intrigue and drama and Parliament's
born!
with the King in pyjamas two hundred
years later
more voting arrived though it's 400 more till it touches most lives
no paupers or women get electoral
powers
and the wait will be long until
democracy flowers back to the palace
Westminster's ablaze leaving poor
Henry the eighth in the daze
the council remains
but the king's soon a packing so Parliament gets a first home that was lacking
Wales and England unite in a bold new beginning common laws for
both lands, the judiciary grinning
but Guy Fawkes lays fuses on the 5th of
November and gives
whole country a night to remember
now grim civil war
sounds the monarchy's death knell and power is seized by bold Oliver Cromwell
but the outcomes the one that the King's
most dreaded
and on a cold lonely morning the poor bloke's beheaded
Charles the Second does better he's soon back on the throne
and Scotland ensures that he won't
feel alone with Scottish MPs
Parliament now overflowing but a hundred more from Ireland
keep numbers are a growing, reforms now democracies looking for healthy
one in seven can vote if they're male
grown and wealthy
what is it with fires? Again parliament's
burning
Westminster hall saved! Guess the fire
brigade's learning
a new building's built with lots of to do lists and Big Ben is added
which please the tourists. Yet something smells funny
and though Parliament's new they had to sort out the stink from the sewer
Our women want votes! Chained themselves to the railing
their passion is great, their resolve is
unfailing
Then the men go to war in the greatest of slaughters, leaving the land in the hands
of their wives and their daughters
and in 1918 female suffrage arrives
and so in the wake of the war, a democracy thrives! Yet it isn't for long
that we lay down our weapons as once more the spectre of
World War does threaten. Parliament's bombed 14 times in the air raids
and Commonwealth sent in repairs, help and upgrades.
Skip onto the sixties - equality, flares,
voting age eighteen now that Parliament dares. The eighties we're almost back to
the present
time to make Parliament look much more
pleasant it's been
burned-down rebuilt and crowded and smelly but it's scrubbed up all nice
when it gets on the telly and so ends our
tale
of war, fire and mystery why not go find out more
about Democracy's history it.