Upstairs, Downstairs Inside the Commons

This is the House Of Commons as you've never seen it before.

Locking!

With unprecedented access, we've been filming behind the scenes

for a year.

That's where our laws are set,

these are the people that we're run by.

It's been a year of round-the-clock plotting and high drama.

Something just snapped in the head and I just said,

"Keep your trap shut."

All played out in the ancient Palace of Westminster,

that's in danger of collapse.

The last thing you want to see is your government building

fall apart because that means your government's falling apart.

In this episode, we have a backstage view

when the Queen comes to open Parliament.

The frillies, the jabot and the cuffs.

We'll have to repair that later.

Talking to a Tory? No, I've never spoken to a Tory in me life!

And we see the lengths to which MPs will go to make their voices heard.

I once prepared a 24-hour speech.

As front and back benchers fight to control the agenda

in the countdown to the general election.

It's mid-May, 2014...

and in three weeks,

the Queen will arrive to open the new parliamentary term.

Everything must be spick and span for Her Majesty.

Steady, Graham.

Graham's stopped again, as usual!

Craftsmen are sprucing up the Royal Apartments in the House Of Lords.

That's what I like about this, the coronation damask.

Lovely. It's the original damask that was

used in the coronation in 1953.

Ain't it beautiful?

John Dowzell has worked for 30 years on the lighting

for Westminster state occasions.

We weren't allowed to light these pictures when the French president

came...because they're both Nelson and Trafalgar and Waterloo.

From here, seated beside her husband in the chamber of the

House Of Lords, the Queen will make her speech to open Parliament.

The throne is now lit,

but now we're checking to see if Her Majesty's got two nose shadows.

Her Majesty only has one nose.

At the opposite end of the Palace Of Westminster, in the Commons,

parliamentary officials from both Houses are rehearsing in plain

clothes for the piece of theatre that's come to define

the State Opening.

It represents a pivotal moment in Commons history.

The last reigning monarch to set foot in the House of Commons chamber

was Charles I and it followed his coming into the chamber to demand

the arrest of five Members Of Parliament.

This was one of the defining acts that led to the Civil War

and when we came back to what is known as a constitutional

monarchy, so there were certain checks and balances

and one of which was that the monarch would never interfere

with politics and the affairs of the House Of Commons.

The Lords' official known as Black Rod will play the star role.

The doors will be slammed in Black Rod's face.

Because Black Rod is the messenger of the Queen.

Having slammed it in his face, we open the doors and he's admitted.

Open the door.

So, it's just a little annual reminder of the independence

of the Commons from the sovereign.

I like that, you know, reminder that the

independence of the House Of Commons has had to be won over centuries,

and even now we like to slam that door and remind the monarchy

that we are the elected representatives of the people.

Though it's called the Queen's Speech, it is

in fact written for her by the Cameron government...

..and will outline the coalition's pre-election plans, but a number

of backbenchers, on both sides of the House,

have different ideas about

what issues they want to pursue in Parliament in the coming year.

One of them is the Conservative MP Robert Halfon.

So, my breakfast is often a cigar and either a Coke or a coffee,

a diet Coke...which is very unhealthy,

but it's very relaxing to smoke on the way in.

Robert Halfon is a new MP,

one of 35% who won seats at the last general election.

I got elected in 2010, but it's something I always wanted to do

since I was...ten years old, I was one of those terrible people who

joined the Young Conservatives at 14 and worked in Parliament

for MPs in different capacities at various points in my life.

Having said that, I have sold double glazing before

and debt collecting services and done other kinds of work

but most of it has been politics.

It's been a passion, it's a way of life.

Robert Halfon was born with a form of cerebral palsy.

Although he's a Tory MP, he's been a highly effective

campaigner against his own party.

He's already pressured the government to freeze fuel duty, to

cut the bingo tax, and stop visitors being charged to go up Big Ben.

The Chancellor, George Osborne, reportedly dubbed him

"the most expensive MP in Parliament."

How many hospitals have we e-mailed now?

500.

And there are how many altogether? 1,000?

With a new term about to begin,

he isn't waiting for the Queen's Speech, he's planning his own

campaign to ban parking charges in NHS hospitals,

with Emily his researcher, and Maria his press secretary.

Do we have an average figure for hospital car parking charges?

No, the Chelsea & Westminster Hospital, it's £20 a day.

£20 a day, OK.

I get a lot of e-mails because people really, really hate it.

Because it's so unjust.

Robert Halfon is again aiming to take on his own party's leaders.

Most of the campaigns I've done, which are national campaigns,

have really come about because of local people writing to me,

these guys give me a slap if I'm doing stuff that isn't really

relevant to my constituents, literally, by the way!

Especially Maria!

Oh, no! No!

He's been such an effective campaigner against his own

government's policies that he's now the butt of a running joke

from Labour MPs in the Commons, that he's in the wrong party.

Can we have a statement on nurses' pay and hospital car parking charges

so that we can...?

The Labour frontbencher Thomas Docherty has become

Robert Halfon's biggest taunter.

..to suggest that the honourable member opposite keeps his trap

shut because...

No, that's enough, order! That was tasteless.

I'd had enough because he did it last week, as well, and something

just snapped in the head and I just said, "Keep your trap shut."

Thomas Docherty is also one of the 2010 intake...

..and he's already been promoted to the front bench.

Cheers. You're a star.

He's deputy to Angela Eagle, who's Labour's

Shadow Leader Of The Commons.

By the way, 17 years today, Labour landslide.

Thomas, text me with how many people are standing up.

Part of his job is to negotiate as much

time as possible on the floor of the House, for Labour issues.

In doing so, to his surprise he sometimes finds himself

working with the enemy.

One of the things that you learn quite quickly when you become

a Member Of Parliament is that actually if you want to

achieve something, one of the things you have to do is make allies.

Not just on your own side and with the other parties on your side,

but with the opposition as well.

You have to work together to work the system.

It's a week before the Queen's Speech.

And John Dowzell, the lighting director,

is in the midst of his preparations.

The Palace of Westminster is a maze of tunnels and towers,

and the wiring system required to light the State Opening takes

Dowzell to its highest turret.

Was this the size of people many years ago, to try

and get through these little doorways?

Just tip it up a bit, that one.

There was a mishap here one year.

The Sovereign was in the House Of Lords but everybody...all the Commons

walks through and everybody walks through and all this went out.

Strain!

Yeah!

Pull!

On the eve of the big day,

MPs take on the House Of Lords in a symbolic battle.

The women MPs' team is captained by the Conservative Penny Mordaunt.

She's been chosen by David Cameron to open

the debate in the Commons after the Queen's Speech.

It's a great honour, I'm the first woman to do it in 57 years,

only the second woman ever in the Queen's reign.

That's very stressful, we're very used to speaking in Parliament

but you're supposed to be funny.

You're supposed to be funny

and not too political which is very difficult.

It's the morning of the State Opening.

And for the Commons' top brass, it's best bib and tucker.

For the Speaker, John Bercow...

This is the state robe that I wear on the occasion of the

State Opening.

..the Serjeant at Arms, Lawrence Ward, who's in charge of security...

The frillies, the jabot and the cuffs, I will wear

when there is a Head Of State that visits.

..the Clerk of the House, Sir Robert Rogers...

There we are! All done!

..and the Principal Doorkeeper, Robin Fell.

That's the Police Long Service Medal, that's

the Order Of St John, and that's the Order Of The British Empire.

I might have been excited on my first two or three,

but I don't get excited now.

Mildly apprehensive.

There's something strange going on in the cellars.

The Yeomen Of The Guard are tapping the floor in their ritual

search for barrels of gunpowder.

It's quite good, innit? I find that quite moving.

It goes back to Guy Fawkes, it's more ceremonial now.

All go marching through.

One, good, good.

As the Commons' Doorkeepers line up for their annual group photo,

the Serjeant at Arms realises he's forgotten his white gloves.

Robin? Me, Richie and Leslie haven't got our gloves,

shall we get the others to take theirs off?

Could the associates remove their gloves, please?

I'll tell you why later.

Please have a great day, you know, today is about fun, good luck.

All done. Everything's on, everything's...go.

Except for one little bulb which is going to be done now.

And then we're going for breakfast,

a beautiful poached egg in the House Of Lords canteen.

It's 11am and the Queen has set off from her Palace to the

one in Westminster.

And MPs head to the Commons chamber to await the summons from Black Rod.

Got a clean shirt, have you?

This is a brand-new shirt, brand-new.

Well, not brand-new, it's brand-new and cleaned, so...

Look at this! Product!

God, what have you had done?

Stevie Marriott, that is, it's not Weller, is it?

Look round the back... the bloody back!

I'm going to hide in that doorway

so that I get a...get into...close to the front of the queue.

So, you know, a historic moment of our country, really,

it's the last Queen's Speech before the general election

of a coalition government, so it's a special moment.

FANFARE

This is where it all counts, when you see this,

see the Queen walking through there you think it's...fantastic.

Proud, eh, Rob?

Yeah, definitely.

My Lords, pray be seated.

He's a nice man, Black Rod.

I'm not saying that John Bercow ain't!

Close the west door!

Close the door!

We'll have to repair that later, when we're off!

It is Black Rod!

Open the door!

As Black Rod enters the chamber,

MPs are bracing themselves for another, rather newer, tradition.

Her Majesty the Queen commands this honourable House,

attends Her Majesty immediately in the House Of Peers.

Coalition's last stand!

LAUGHTER

Coalition's last stand.

Dennis Skinner now has an important constitutional

role as part of the pageantry of the State Opening, that you need him

to make his sarcastic comment

and when he finally retires,

somebody else will have to take that role on.

At 11:30, MPs are ushered through to the Lords, where they'll

stand behind the peers to hear the speech.

Labour MP Steve Rotheram is giving it a miss.

Given that I've done it a few times previously, and it's not

the most dynamic thing that you can be involved in and the Lords gets

particularly packed and very sweaty, I decided to stay in the chamber.

For the leaders, it's the chance for an informal chat.

But what do they talk about?

David Cameron and I often talk about our families

because we've both got young kids, and we compare notes on the struggle

to combine being a politician with having a family life.

-THE QUEEN:

-A key priority for my ministers will be to continue to

build an economy that rewards those who work hard.

My government will reduce the use of plastic carrier bags,

to help protect the environment.

Back in his office, Steve Rotheram decodes the speech.

I'll continue to deliver on its long-term plan to build a stronger

economy and a fairer society,

and I actually think she means, "My government's legislative programme

"will make a valiant attempt to strengthen the economies of London

"and the South East, in order to benefit the wealthiest in society."

-THE QUEEN:

-Legislation will be brought forward to tackle avoidance.

As MPs return to the Commons,

they've heard a speech that promises to end modern slavery,

cap welfare benefits, reward pensioners

and give constituents more power over their MPs.

But on both sides of the Commons,

there's a feeling that in the fifth year of the fixed-term Parliament,

the coalition is running out of steam.

Rather surprised we're legislating about plastic bags.

What we've got is some kind of tactical thing that they've cobbled

together at the last minute because they can't agree on the big issues.

There's inevitably going to be less in it,

especially at the end of a coalition government because there's less

agreement with the parties to that coalition, and also

because it is just coming to the end of the parliamentary session.

One notable omission from the speech,

because the coalition can't agree on it,

is the vexatious subject of an EU referendum,

leaving the Euro-sceptics far from happy.

There was nothing in the Queen's Speech about Europe today, obviously.

Hi there, all right?

-Thank you for considering that, Prime Minister.

-Thank you.

MPs head to the Commons for the Queen's Speech debate.

The opening speaker is traditionally supposed to be funny.

This year it will be Penny Mordaunt.

Order! Miss Penny Mordaunt.

CHEERING

Thank you, Mr Speaker.

The last woman to open the debate was the Tory Priscilla Tweedsmuir,

over 50 years ago, when the Labour leader was Hugh Gaitskell.

Mr Gaitskell, with gallant intent I am sure, replied that

Lady Tweedsmuir had probably made some good points,

but that he alas was unable to respond to any of them,

for such was the distraction of her soft, attractive voice.

LAUGHTER

And so struck was he that despite being a grandmother,

she was rather easy on the eye.

She then recalls her training as a reservist in the Royal Navy.

Fascinating though it was,

I felt that the lecture and practical demonstration

on how to care for your penis and testicles in the field...

..failed to appreciate that some of us attending

had been issued with the incorrect kit.

My office did take the trouble to look up whether those two words

had ever been said on the floor of the House before...

-The two words being...?

-Penis and testicles.

And they have, but in a medical context,

and we did check that saying them would not be unparliamentary,

and concluded that they were things and therefore could be said.

The Leader of the Opposition!

Ed Miliband compliments Penny Mordaunt on her speech

and on her appearance on the ITV diving programme, Splash!

It certainly takes guts to get in a swimming costume

and dive off the high board.

Can I say to her, if she's looking for a new challenge,

she should try wrestling a bacon sandwich live on national television.

LAUGHTER

But the mirthful mood of the House changes sharply as the Commons

reverts to Punch and Judy politics as usual.

This is what the Queen's Speech should have done, Mr Speaker,

a make work pay bill to reward hard work, a banking bill

to support small businesses. The Queen's Speech doesn't do that.

What he does have is a ragbag, lucky dip,

pick and mix selection of '70s statist ideas.

The leaders and their partisans

continue their ritual jousting across the chamber.

But over the coming year, with the coalition government deeply divided,

some of the biggest issues will be fought out by backbenchers.

Yeah, start switching them off now, one, two, three, all the way through.

'OK.'

Thank you very much, that's it.

2014, all over.

As spring turns to summer,

MPs on both sides look for ways to promote their own policies.

One key way of doing this is through a private member's bill.

It's an important thing, the private member's bill,

because it is the only time that a private member

really gets a chance officially

to get a piece of important legislation,

which they attach great importance to, or their constituents do,

through the House of Commons.

There have been great pieces of legislation

through the private members' route,

not least the David Steele abortion bill.

It's a fantastic campaigning opportunity,

it's a fantastic opportunity to sort of raise a campaign

that you've been working on for many years.

It just gives you the profile, it gives you the platform to do it.

The clerk in charge of private members' bills is Kate Emms.

Over the past three years, she's overseen a vast array of bills.

Face Coverings Prohibition Bill, National Service Bill,

The European Communities Act 1972 Repeal Bill...

Any MP who wants to draft a private member's bill

has to register it with Kate Emms.

Fishing Grounds and Territorial Waters Repatriation Bill,

School Governing Bodies - Adverse Weather Conditions Bill,

and so it goes on.

There are limited slots in the Commons' timetable

for private members' bills, so the competition is intense,

and it's decided by a drawing of lots one week after State Opening.

Morning, James, could you just find for me

the tickets for the raffle and show me the tickets in the box?

OK.

So this is the box we use every year for the raffle and I think...

-Are these the tickets here?

-They're the tickets, yes.

So we've got 500 of those.

The process is a bit like running the raffle at the village fete.

The first stage takes place in the voting lobby

by the House of Commons chamber.

Hello.

Form an orderly queue.

To enter the contest, MPs have to choose a number

and then sign their names in Kate Emms' book.

-Right, Mrs Riordan?

-Yes, please.

Have you got a number in mind?

I've been told it's like bingo because I've not done this before,

so apparently we have to choose a number.

I hope they've got a big bubbling ball that they sort of...

Yeah, they've got a box with balls in, yeah.

-Do they?!

-Yeah.

Big box and it draws them out.

That's what you want, your pit number.

That's what I'm going for today.

-Have you done yours?

-I've done mine, yes.

What number are you?

364.

Has that got some significance?

It's the highest score by an English batsman in a test match.

So now I need to pick a number that has some relevance, obviously...

-That hasn't already been taken.

-That hasn't already been taken.

396, I'll have.

Is that how many goals you've scored?

It's how many times you've been sent off!

This is my pen that I got when I was 30, that I always use

for special things like this, to sign.

It might be good luck.

The whole point of being here is to try and change legislation

so to get a gift and a leg up with this, even just for the profile

that the topic gets,

would be an absolutely amazing thing, wouldn't it?

It's an opportunity for backbenchers to make their mark,

but there'll also be pressure to toe the party line.

With the coalition split on an EU referendum,

Tory ministers want to use a private member's bill to get it through.

The whips try and remind people to go and put in,

so we've all had a reminder today to come and line up,

which is why there's so many people here, I think.

A lot on our side want to because they want to try and get this

EU Referendum Bill, which was stopped by Labour and the Liberals

in the Lords last time, so we want to get that on the statute books.

If I won it, I would definitely repeat the referendum bill.

If I get the chance, it would be to have a referendum,

an in/out referendum on Europe.

And that lot will all boo me!

Don't "that lot" me!

Robert Halfon isn't prepared to trust that luck

will give him the chance to promote his campaign

against NHS hospital parking charges.

There is another way for him to appear on the Commons stage.

You can sign it on the next page there.

He's buttonholing MPs as they come out of the voting lobby,

to persuade them to sign up to his campaign.

I'd be delighted to sign it.

-I've now got a hundred of colleagues from all parties, and loads from us.

-It's a very worthy cause.

Robert Halfon will take the signatures

to the Backbench Business Committee,

which allocates slots in the chamber each week,

for debates suggested by members.

That's the draft motion and it's a bit like Dragons' Den,

this backbench committee, so I've got to bid for a debate.

To be successful, he needs to show that his is not just a Tory issue,

but has cross-party support.

By a miracle, are you free for five minutes?

-Possibly?

-I don't need to e-mail you?

I don't want these filming me with you, talking to a Tory.

No, I've never spoken to a Tory in my life!

I've been to the backbench committee before but sometimes

they've said no and I've gone back every week until they say yes, so...

if they say no, I'll go and get more signatures and I'll go back

the week after, and if they say no,

I'll get more signatures and go back the week after that,

until I just try and grind them into submission.

It's the 12th of June.

Nice early start!

The day of the ballot for the private members' bills.

Kate Emms leaves her house at 7am.

We're buying chocolate because I give a small non-monetary gift

to all the people who've helped me man the book.

Good morning!

This looks worse than it is, it's not all for me!

It's a big day because it's the beginning of potentially a lot

of very entertaining hard work.

It's exciting!

So here's my box, and here they are.

All my tickets folded.

And here's my ballot book, back from the printers.

And here's my list for today.

The winner of the ballot will have the first choice of time slot,

and the best chance of their bill making it into law.

That's for you so you've got a piece of paper.

Across the Westminster village,

backbench MPs monitor their e-mails for the result of the ballot.

The draw is made by the Deputy Speaker, Lindsay Hoyle.

As of last year, the ballot results will be drawn in reverse order.

As each number is drawn, I will read out the corresponding name

and the member in the ballot book.

-290.

-Martin Horwood.

You probably barely get any time in Parliament

to even talk about the bill,

but it is obviously an opportunity to push a cause that you believe in.

-190.

-Mr David Davis.

'In a way, I always say to people the best one to get

is either number 1 or number 20.

You know, number 1, you've got a very high chance of getting through.

Number 20, no chance at all!

We've been deluged with a number of e-mails

from a combination of lobbyists, charities,

several e-mails from think-tanks.

Down to the last three.

146.

Robert Neill.

It's great news because it gives you a chance to actually,

you know, make a difference.

On the other hand, it's going to be a lot of work.

Shake them up, David, come on. Get the tension going.

196.

Andrew George, winner of today's draw.

It's the MP equivalent of winning the National Lottery.

I have to make a judgment, really, about

whether I want to go down the history of having done

something worthy but extremely boring,

or actually be controversial and, you know,

I still get my day in the sun even if it's voted down.

Missed out, bugger. Never mind.

Sadly I'm not on it but maybe next year.

But for the winners, the ballot is just the start.

They'll face many obstacles if their bills are to become law.

You make a choice.

If you go in for something that is controversial and will raise the ire

of somebody on the other side or even on your own side,

then you will have your hour or two of glory

but you won't get it through.

Your private member's bill has no chance

if it doesn't have the support of either a majority government,

or the two main contributors to the coalition.

For those MPs who weren't lucky in the ballot, there's a third route

to getting time in the chamber, to put forward a bill.

They'll have to turn up at Kate Emms' office in three weeks' time

and queue for the few remaining time slots.

And it'll be first come, first served.

Thomas Docherty wants to seize this opportunity to make sure

that Labour bags as many of the time slots as possible.

My task is to secure time on the floor of the House

so that we can debate our issues,

and allow us to demonstrate what a Labour government

would do in its first term.

The way that it's been done in previous years,

it has involved members getting there days ahead and camping out,

literally camping out in an office.

So I will probably arrive two days before Kate Emms unlocks her door

to the front of the queue.

He's come up with a cunning plan to make sure he's first in the queue.

We've reached a deal with a couple of Tory MPs so that over a couple

of days' rota, we're going to cover off all the time.

So I will do the night shifts and so in return for being hardy,

I'll get to go to the very front of the queue.

He's decided to team up with two Tory right wing mavericks,

Peter Bone and Christopher Chope.

Together they plan to grab all of the slots available.

Thomas Docherty hopes to pull a political masterstroke

which will get him time in the chamber for Labour

and embarrass the government by giving a platform

to dissident Tory voices.

Ah! Good to see you, old chap.

They plan to camp outside Kate Emms' office for the next two nights.

Hello, Kate.

Hello, the Three Musketeers here.

How's the living accommodation next door to your office?

Please tell me it's empty, first of all. Thank you.

So are we saying tomorrow night?

The problem I've got, one of our colleagues

is having a party on Wednesday night, and I said I'd go to it.

What I was thinking was, if I start at eight in the morning,

if someone can cover from 10 till 12, I've got some appointments.

I'll come back at noon, I'll basically push on until, say, seven,

if someone can do seven till 10,

I'll get some refreshment which should harden me for the night.

So I have my sleeping bag and pillow in my office.

-10 till 12, I can do.

-Great.

That's not a problem.

I can cover Wednesday night.

They need to strike a deal about how to share out the spoils.

How many bills are we thinking of doing?

Forgive me if I don't want to get involved in the internal mechanics

of how the Conservative...

How many bills do you want to do?

If we take two of the top private members' bills for each side...

Sounds good, as far as I'm concerned.

-I've just got to make sure I'm at 10 tomorrow?

-Yes.

And then the rest will all flow from there.

-Brilliant.

-Thanks so much.

-Cheers, have a good evening.

-Same to you.

-At ten, isn't it?

-Both at ten.

-Just one vote.

-Yes, we won't be in the same lobby.

Peter Bone claims there's a point of parliamentary principle at stake.

If we don't do this at 10 o'clock on Thursday, people who have

been given bills by the whips on both sides will turn up to do those.

Well, that's not what private business is supposed to be about,

it should be about what private members care about.

While MPs concoct their plots,

in Westminster Hall,

lighting designer John Dowzell is preparing for his next big event -

to commemorate the centenary of the Christmas Day truce

in the First World War.

There'll be a joint concert by the choirs

of the German and British parliaments.

What I like is when people sit down,

and they look and they go, "This is the roof of all roofs.

"It's amazing."

Built nearly 1,000 years ago,

Westminster Hall was where King Charles I was sentenced to death,

Winston Churchill lay in state,

and Henry VIII used to play tennis.

They found one of the tennis balls that Henry VIII stuck up

in one of the beams when they went for cleaning,

so it's got a lot of history, this building.

Behind the scenes, the craft team are at work,

keeping the building running and on call for a variety of jobs.

Some more unexpected than others.

If we're not back in half an hour, send a search party out for us.

The locksmith Peter Wasalow has been asked to investigate

a mystery locked room in the cellars.

The Serjeant at Arms is concerned it may be a security threat.

Just along there, as you can see, this gives you an idea

of the scale of the building. That's from one end to the other.

It's taken me about three years to find my way around in the basement

and this is the door that we're concerned about.

A lot of people in the outside world,

they would just put a drill through the door, drill the lock open.

Because of where we are, we don't like to do things like that.

What the bloody hell have we got here? What's that?

It's a store room, innit?

It's got the House of Lords

so it possibly belongs to the catering department.

Well, at least we know where we are now. Pots of jam.

Can you hear anything ticking in there?

The week after the private members' ballot,

the Lib Dem Andrew George visits Kate Emms in her office

to seek advice.

Oh, you're welcome! You're welcome, congratulations!

-Major result.

-It was skill rather than luck.

Obviously, no luck involved, I'm sure.

Have you had any thoughts about what you might want to do for your bill?

Well, I've had an avalanche of suggestions from new friends

that I didn't know I had, and I also have an avalanche of my own ideas.

Oh, OK.

If I give you an example, so an affordable homes bill,

one clause of which would be to try and nullify the most unacceptable

aspect of the spare room subsidy, the bedroom tax.

His bill would exempt people from the controversial bedroom tax

if they'd been at the same address for more than three years.

It would effectively neuter a key government policy.

So that's one and we might call that,

let's say as a working title, the Affordable Housing Bill?

Yes. I prefer homes because that's a more homely word.

Yes, we'll see how we go with that.

But even though Andrew George has won the top ticket,

his position isn't safe.

Some Tories want to push their EU referendum bill

to the front of the queue.

Now, I've been approached last night by Philip Davis.

He said it's not blackmail, of course, but if I don't step aside

and allow his Tory chum to have first crack

at the first Friday to allow that bill to go into committee

before mine, then he'll talk my bill out.

Thanks, bye!

Talking a bill out, or filibustering,

is when opponents deliberately string out the debate

until the allotted time for a bill runs out.

In trying to prevent the passage of a bill,

members can try to take up time, and they will give long speeches.

We have all done it.

In fact, I once prepared, 20 years ago, a 24-hour speech.

Most Members of Parliament quite like the sound of their own voice,

a fault which I attribute to myself among them.

It's the 1st of July, and Thomas Docherty is about to begin

the 48-hour occupation of the room opposite Kate Emms' office.

Morning, Mr Docherty. Settling in?

Do you want to know where the showers are?

That would be splendid.

-Oh, wow!

-See?

We can't be accused of spending a lot of money, can we, on...?

Perfectly serviceable, OK? And it's very convenient.

There's an open window ventilation system.

Got to make sure it was frosted glass!

While Thomas Docherty is staking his claim outside Kate Emms' office,

Robert Halfon is waiting for the doors

of the Backbench Business Committee to open, so he can put in his pitch

for a Commons debate on hospital car parking.

The Labour MP Natascha Engel chairs the committee.

We've had loads of people writing to us with proposals,

and we've not been able to do anything about it.

So they're just piled up now, so it's going to be a huge number of people

who are going to come and see us today and we've hardly got any time

to allocate to them, so I'm going to have to be particularly tough.

Robert Halfon is hoping his long list of cross-party supporters

will be enough to make him stand out from the rest.

Emily, can you tweet the thing?

Yeah, thanks.

Good afternoon, Chairman.

We are asking for a debate

on the problem of hospital car parking charges.

As you can see, we've got support for the debate

from 108 MPs from all parties.

What the 108 MPs have signed is for the motion to have a vote

on the government considering ways in which hospital car parking fees

can be reduced.

Having put his case,

Robert Halfon has to wait for the committee's decision.

We've got a Facebook page, everything on it,

so we'll call you hero of the week or whatever.

Thanks a lot.

I'm relieved it's over, to be honest.

It's quite nerve-racking, but as I said, it's Dragons' Den,

but it's...

I've got to go and see a nurse from a hospital now,

who's come here to talk about nurses' pay.

It never stops.

As MPs head home, Thomas Docherty arrives for the night shift

in the 48-hour vigil opposite Kate Emms' office.

So you're in very good time.

Spot on!

I am nothing if not a...

A clock watcher.

The Tory Christopher Chope and his wife

have been holding the fort for the last three hours.

Where are you going to sleep? A camp bed?

I'll take six of these chairs and line them up...

in two rows of three.

Anyway, have fun.

Have a good night's rest, I'll see you 8 o'clock-ish.

"Ish" is fine, "ish" is fine.

I hope the chairs are more comfy than they look.

-Cheers, Thomas.

-Goodnight!

It's like the less gracious bit of this

is trying to clamber into my sleeping bag.

Do you mind getting the lights?

Good stuff, and...off the TV.

See you in the morning.

As Thomas Docherty beds in for the night,

the Commons becomes a very different place.

It morphs from Hogwarts into Night At The Museum.

On this floor, I work alone.

It's just me, or I might see the guards

when they come around to do their rounds.

It's very quiet here at night, spooky at times.

If you hear a little sound, you jump, you know?

After two nights in his sleeping bag in the Commons,

Thomas Docherty doesn't have much longer to wait.

Morning.

So I got my head down about half midnight...

..and it's not bad, actually,

I only woke up twice.

I'm so tired that actually I was able to sleep right through.

It's 9:30am.

In half an hour, MPs will be allowed into Kate Emms' office,

to claim the few remaining time slots.

We're nearly there now, got these members to deal with this morning.

Just to confirm I've got the right date.

My wife has just asked whether I've had breakfast.

"No, do you want to bring tea and toast

"for four members to the bunker?"

I'm going to get a rude response in a minute.

The answer was no!

The odd menage-a-trois have been able to keep their ploy

a secret from the rest of the House.

The Tory MP Andrew Percy is on his way to Kate Emms' office.

I think the government and the opposition whips decide between them

who's getting which week, so there shouldn't be anybody there.

Otherwise, it would just be crazy because you could have somebody

who went and lined up for every single one.

Private Bill Office?

-Third floor.

-It's that lift there, isn't it?

See, I did know where I was going.

The Serjeant at Arms has sent a Doorkeeper to prevent any trouble.

I'm just here for a bit of calm, quiet authority.

By 9:45, the Commons' only Green MP, Caroline Lucas,

has taken up her position outside Kate Emms' office.

Are you waiting for a ten-minute rule bill?

-I am.

-Oh, no! Because last time I came there was just me here.

I'm surprised because I've done one of the overnighters before,

to try to get to be one of the first ones.

Oh, really? You had to wait overnight?

Yeah, it's mad.

BELL CHIMES

Ooh, look at the time! Ah!

Time for Kate Emms to open up shop.

Have a seat, Mr Docherty.

Thank you so much.

After two days camping out in the bill office waiting room,

Docherty, Chope and Bone are first in line

and they bag all the best time slots.

-Good morning, Mr Percy, how are you?

-How are you? I'm good.

-I'm fine, thanks.

-I want a ten-minute rule bill.

Right, all the ones that came free today have been taken, I'm afraid.

They've been queuing on a rota system since Tuesday morning,

and overnight, in order to be here at 10 o'clock this morning.

I'm just a failure.

No, I don't think that's true.

I don't want you to go through your day with that attitude.

I didn't get pulled out in the private member's bill,

I didn't get a ten-minute rule bill, so I'm letting people down.

This could spoil my weekend.

I really hope it doesn't.

It'd be a great shame and possibly slightly out of proportion.

I just wish I was better, like everybody else.

I can't help it.

48 hours have been a long time in politics for Thomas Docherty,

but he's bagged a precious prize.

He's put nine Labour bills on the agenda

and gained a whole day of time in the Commons.

If I've got to give up a couple of nights' comfortable kip

to guarantee that we can have a debate in the House of Commons,

I think that's a sacrifice I'm prepared to make.

It's Wednesday the 2nd of July,

and the winners of the private members' ballot

will be the first to introduce their bills

as starting the lengthy process.

Step one - the titles of their bills must be read out in the chamber.

-Safety and Quality Bill.

-Second reading, what day?

Friday the 7th of November.

Third on the list is the Conservative Bob Neill,

who'll be introducing the EU Referendum Bill.

-Mr Andrew George.

-Affordable Homes Bill.

The biggest cheer is for bill number three.

-Mr Robert Neil.

-European Union Referendum Bill.

CHEERING

While there's no truce between the warring coalition partners,

in Westminster Hall, the stage is set for the Anglo-German concert

to commemorate the World War I Christmas truce.

And John Dowzell's lighting is once more being put to the test.

It's been a good day so far, Black Rod seems to be happy.

He shouted out my name on the rehearsals

that I hadn't given him enough light for him to read his music,

so we've looked after him so he can actually see his music.

So he seems to be very happy today, so that's OK.

I often have a coordinating and organising role.

Someone's got to knock them into shape

and quite often it ends up being me.

By six in the evening, it's a full hall.

The choir's going to come in.

Rather than processing down here,

the word they were using is they're going to ooze down here.

Ooze?!

Thank you for coming in such magnificent numbers

for this auspicious occasion.

MUSIC: Zadok The Priest by George Frideric Handel

It's a week since Robert Halfon appeared before

the Backbench Business Committee and he's just received an e-mail.

Well, we won't get our debate before the summer recess, which is fine.

Would I be able to hold a debate on the 1st of September?

-First day back.

-That's amazing.

We can say that we have got a debate.

We can say we've got a debate. That's fantastic.

He'll now be able to make his case for the Chancellor George Osborne

to find the money to make NHS hospital car parking free.

But then he has a mystery caller.

This came as a kind of bolt from the blue.

Last, I think it was Wednesday evening,

it was either Wednesday or Thursday, I get an e-mail saying,

"Mr Switch would like to speak to you." A Mr Switch.

And there was a London number and I'm thinking, "Who on earth is Mr Switch?

"That's a really weird name," and I ring the number and it's

the Downing Street switchboard and literally your heart goes like this,

jumps, and they say, "The Chancellor would like to speak to you."

When I say it was unexpected,

I was expecting to speak to a Mr Switch rather than the Chancellor.

And then he gets on the phone

and he said, "I'd like you to be my Parliamentary Private Secretary."

I said, "It's a great honour and thank you."

A Parliamentary Private Secretary is the lowest form of ministerial life.

Hello. It's Rob Halfon. I've got a meeting. Thanks a lot.

But it's often the first rung on the ladder

to a proper paid job in government.

All right, shall we do this?

Thanks. Hi. Hi.

-Hi, Rob.

-Hello, how are you?

-Good to see you.

-Yeah, good to see you, too. Thank you very much.

-It's a great opportunity.

-Come on through.

-Thank you. Thank you.

-What are you doing this summer? Are you going away?

-I'm doing

a fitness thing for a couple of weeks with lots of exercise,

swimming, physio, I've got to get fit so... Especially for the election.

-Fit for the election.

-Yeah.

Well, you've got to be my eyes and ears and you've got to...

-I want to hear what's not working, as well as what is working.

-Yes.

And also we need to know what the...

you know, what our MPs want from us.

They'll have specific issues that they'll come to us through

-and they'll come to you first.

-Yeah.

-Welcome to the team.

-Thank you.

-It's fantastic.

The Chancellor has decided to deploy the persuasive skills

of his former bete noire to his own cause.

But now that Robert Halfon is inside the government tent,

his days as an entirely free agent are over.

I can campaign but obviously I've got to...

I'm a kind of semi-member of the government

so I've got to think, because

you're slightly...

you know, you're slightly constrained

but I'll be able to make the case for it inside,

which I would never have been able to do before.

Speaker!

It's the 5th of September, the day of the debate

on Andrew George's Affordable Homes or "Bedroom Tax" Bill.

He's anxious that some Tories,

keen to clear the way for their EU Referendum Bill,

might obstruct his bill by pointing out technical errors

in the way it's drafted.

I've been given an indication that I may be challenged.

I just wanted to be sure I could actually say,

-"The clerks have looked at this..."

-You can.

-"..and scrutinised it."

I want to make sure that it's reasonable for me

to refer to your authority rather than to my judgment.

You can say the clerks in the Public Bill Office

have scrutinised the text of the bill.

-All right, thank you.

-I hope everything goes well.

-OK, thank you

-very much.

-I'll be there at the beginning and at the end.

-All right, lovely. Thanks.

-See you later.

-See you.

I'm sure that I've done all I can do.

There's no confidence about what's going to happen today.

Totally unpredictable.

The debate will begin at 9:30 and must be finished by 2:30.

So the greatest threat to Andrew George's bill is a filibuster.

Tory Euro-sceptic Jacob Rees-Mogg

is a master of the art.

I won't speak at great length if others want to do so more than I do

so... But, yes, I can share a word or two on this debate.

Mr Andrew George.

Thank you, Mr Speaker.

The area of policy I would like to advance the case for is that to

address the desperate need for affordable accommodation of...

No sooner has Andrew George opened the debate,

than the Tories make time-consuming interruptions.

I have been...

INDISTINCT

Will the honourable gentleman give way?

Will the honourable gentleman give way?

I will just... If the honourable lady,

if she wouldn't mind, just allow me to make this point.

Give way...

No, no, I will not give way.

I'm well aware that there are a large number of members who wish to

speak in this debate and therefore I don't intend to speak for long.

Soon the filibustering begins in earnest.

Mr Speaker,

I do want to congratulate the honourable member for St Ives

on coming top in this year's private members' bills ballot.

Although, of course, when I say he came top, he wasn't first.

He was, in fact, 20th, of course.

And, in fact, the first honourable member whose name was drawn

out of the hat in the ballot was

the honourable...my honourable friend, the member for Cheltenham.

Mr Nuttall, you've been speaking for 35 minutes.

The rest of the house will be desperately disappointed

that he does not elaborate on all these points.

After three and a half hours, Andrew George presses for a vote

to end the filibustering and move to a decision on his bill.

The Deputy Speaker decides the opposing voices have been

given a fair hearing.

JEERING

Division. Clear the lobby!

With Andrew George's opponents out in force,

it looks as if he won't have the 100 votes he must have

to win the vote.

But Labour have spotted a chance to defeat the Tories.

They've put out a three-line whip to summon as many MPs as they can

to support Andrew George.

MUSIC: Zadok The Priest by Handel

The ayes to the right, 304.

The noes to the left, 237.

CHEERING

# Zadok the Priest...! #

The government whips have been caught off guard

and an ordinary backbencher has defeated the Conservative Party.

This is a phenomenal and really exciting outcome

and to get it through where the main party

in the coalition government is strongly opposed to it,

I think is a remarkable outcome

and it gives us a great opportunity really now to forge ahead.

It was absolutely Private Members' Bill World.

I honestly didn't always expect that to happen.

Mr George has won the day.

Andrew George has only won the first round.

There's a long way to go before his bill can become law.

Robert Halfon is about to have his day in the sun,

but it's bittersweet.

We come now to the backbench motion on hospital car parking charges.

Thank you, Mr Speaker.

When the debate he's fought for for so long finally goes ahead,

Robert Halfon has been muzzled.

As he now works for the government, he must watch from the sidelines.

We have to remember that the NHS

should be in the interests of patients.

The debate raises the profile of Robert Halfon's campaign

but it won't change the law.

For that to happen,

he must lobby the government to introduce legislation -

something he's now much better placed to do.

It's been a long slog.

You know, it's been many months of campaigning on this issue

and it wasn't even on the agenda.

It's a really great step,

but it's worth it because it's been a great...

-Would you say it's been a great day?

-Yeah, I think it was.

I thought it was a really good debate.

I'm looking forward to going to bed tonight, though, I must admit.

I'm so knackered.

Andrew George's triumph is short-lived.

A few weeks later,

his bill is debated at what's called the committee stage.

INDISTINCT

The Tory filibusters, like Jacob Rees-Mogg, are back in force.

But I want, really, to talk about time.

Time, like an ever-rolling stream, wears all its sons away

and dies forgotten as a dream does at the opening day.

You can see when they're engaging in this, a smirk on their faces

as they enjoy engaging in evident verbal diarrhoea,

filibustering in order to play for time and to frustrate progress.

I believe that it's important that we proceed

and we don't play childish political games with something which is

actually extremely serious.

While the Tories continue to block Andrew George's bill at every stage,

the Lib Dems refuse to make way for the Tories' EU Referendum Bill.

With the governing parties in deadlock, neither bill will pass.

So the final outcome of a tortuous Commons contest is that there's been

a great deal of noise and heat but very little light and no winners.

Next time, we explore the legendary dark arts of the whips' offices...

There's the whip. SHE LAUGHS

..we meet some of Westminster's younger members...

So I'm going to go and take my son to go and get him into his pyjamas.

..and show how the traditional party system

is falling apart at the seams.

SHOUTING

Basically, democracy lost and the government won.

Are you interested in finding out

more about the topics raised in this series?

Then go to...

..and follow the links to the Open University,

where you can watch topical round table discussions

and get an insight into the making of the series.