Visiting Parliament
It is always a pleasure to arrange for constituents to visit Westminster. Whether you are an individual making the trip to London, leading a school group, coming as a family or with friends, there are many different opportunities to see inside Parliament.
UK Parliament Education Centre
The Education Centre team offer interesting and engaging tours and workshops for children aged 7+ from schools and colleges. Sessions are available for home educators. The Centre also offers SEND quiet days. Where the Parliamentary calendar allows, I am always delighted to meet pupils in person for a Q&A as part of their visit.
You can book your visit directly with the centre here (https://learning.parliament.uk/en/visit-us/) and they will get in touch with my office to try to arrange a time for me to meet your group.
In addition, the team at the Education Centre offer schools in-person visits and online resources for youth and community groups.
Inside UK Parliament guided tours – free for UK residents
These fascinating 75-minute tours run on the following days and times during Parliamentary sessions:
- Monday - 9.00am to 12noon
- Tuesday - 9.00am to 9:50am
- Tuesday - 10.00am to 12noon *
- Wednesday - 9.00am to 9:50am
- Wednesday - 10.00am to 12noon *
- Friday - 3.30pm to 5.00pm
*Slightly shorter tours which include the House of Lords, Central Lobby, St Stephen’s Hall and Westminster Hall, but not the House of Commons.
If you are a constituent of mine you can book a place by contacting my office on michael.tomlinson.mp@parliament.uk
Please note that tours are extremely popular and do tend to book up well in advance, however if you are looking for a particular date we will always try to help to find a space where at all possible.
Guided and multimedia tours of Parliament
Various paid tour options are available during Parliamentary recesses. Please visit Parliament’s website for further details: https://www.parliament.uk/visiting/visiting-and-tours/
Big Ben tours
These fantastic tours of the Elizabeth Tower take you up (and up and up!) to see the machinery of the clock, the bells including Big Ben and behind the clock faces. The tours restarted in summer 2023 and tickets sell out very quickly when they are released. For further information and to subscribe to the newsletter for further news and ticket release dates, please visit: https://www.parliament.uk/visiting/visiting-and-tours/big-ben-tour/
Please note that these tours are best suited for guests aged 11+ who are comfortable climbing 300+ stairs.
The State Apartments of Speaker’s House tours
These special tours take guests into the heart of Speaker's House. Find out about the history and traditions of role and how the current Speaker conducts official business. Please visit the website (Speaker's House Tours) for more information and to book your ticket.
Please note that this tour content is best suited to those aged 16+.
Visiting the galleries
Whenever the House of Commons or House of Lords are in session, members of the general public can come in and watch proceedings from the Public Galleries free of charge.
I am able to book a limited number tickets for constituents to watch debates, including Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs). Tickets for PMQs (Wednesdays) book up several months ahead, and I can only get 2 at a time, but it is usually possibly to visit the galleries on other days of the week without a long queue. Please contact my office on michael.tomlinson.mp@parliament.uk for more information.
