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All the United Kingdom England London Parliamentary Division Bells
Gastro Obscura

Parliamentary Division Bells

A network of bells in the pubs and restaurants around Westminster alerts politicians when it's time to cast their votes.

London, England

Added By
Ethan Nicholls
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Bell in the Marquis of Granby pub.   Ethan Nicholls / Atlas Obscura User
Bell in the Marquis of Granby pub.   Ethan Nicholls / Atlas Obscura User
Exterior of the Marquis of Granby.   Anthony O'Neil/cc by-sa 2.0
Exterior of the Westminster Arms.   Oast House Archive/cc by-sa 2.0
Bell in the Westminster Arms pub.   Richard Pope/cc by-sa 2.0
Palace of Westminster.   Adrian Pingstone/public domain
The Albert   SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
The Albert   SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
Division Bell, The Red Lion.   royhinchliffe / Atlas Obscura User
Parliament Bell at Westminster Arms  
PMs, The Albert   SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
PMs, The Albert   SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
The Albert   SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
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About

A major part of any politician's job is to cast votes on the important matters of the day. There are many ways of doing this, from electronic ballots to the roll call method used in the United States Congress. In the United Kingdom, Westminster has a particularly peculiar system, with an amusing side effect. 

Votes in the House of Commons or the House of Lords are known as a division, with members dividing into "Ayes" or "Noes" (Content or Not-Content for their lordships). The moment a division is called, members have eight minutes, and not a second longer, to make it to the voting lobbies in person.

At Westminster, members of Parliament are alerted that a vote is taking place by a network of around 380 bells, similar to those found in schools. These bells are found mostly in the Palace of Westminster itself, or in the nearby buildings that house the offices of politicians. But what if the voters happen to be out of the office?

As votes are often preceded by several hours of debate, politicians can frequently be found in the lounges, pubs, bars, and restaurants around Westminster, especially if votes are expected to take place in the evening. As a result of this, several establishments maintain their own bells to ensure they don't lose any business.

This can sometimes lead to the entertaining (or unseemly, depending on your point of view) sight of politicians quickly finishing their drinks upon hearing the bells and making a mad dash to Parliament to cast their vote.

An unsuspecting tourist visiting The Westminster Arms, The Red Lion, or the Marquis of Granby for a drink might be startled by the unusual alarms and attempt to evacuate, mistaking them for fire alarms, instead of British democracy in action.

Related Tags

Politics Government Tradition Rites And Rituals Bars

Know Before You Go

Wikipedia has a full list of establishments that have their own division bells, but the easiest to see are located in the pubs around Westminster, including the three mentioned in this place entry. If you want to hear the bells in action, visit during the late afternoon or evening of a weekday when Parliament is in session.

Community Contributors

Added By

Ethan Nicholls

Edited By

SEANETTA, royhinchliffe, amyjohannes

  • SEANETTA
  • royhinchliffe
  • amyjohannes

Published

January 30, 2019

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  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=luJWcXRjLqc
  • http://www.mostlyaboutbeer.co.uk/a-call-to-arms-the-pub-division-bells-of-westminster/
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Division_bell
  • https://www.bbc.com/news/av/uk-politics-38758635/parliament-s-division-bell-system-warning-mps-to-vote
Parliamentary Division Bells
9 & 10 Storey's Gate
Westminster
London, England
United Kingdom
51.500567, -0.129787
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