History & politics: London calling

An RGS school trip to London brought politics to life for sixth former JESS POLITO, and even included a few close encounters with leading politicians, including the prime minister

THE RGS London trip was an amazing opportunity to see the places that have in the past, present and future had a profound effect on our lives.

Studying politics at A-level, one of the core topics is the British legislature and its law-making ability, our trip to the Houses of Parliament was a fantastic experience where we got to enter the House of Commons, where all legislation is debated and voted on and the House of Lords which was beautifully decorated in real gold.It was interesting to see where politicians come regularly and see where they sit.

One thing that surprised me about the House of Commons was how small it was, I learnt that there aren’t enough benches to fit every MP and MPs come in before a debate to reserve their seat by putting in their ‘prayer card’. It inspired me to come back one day and watch Prime Minister’s Questions live from the public gallery.

While walking around London, we spotted Conservative politician Jacob Rees-Mogg and saw Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s car go past, which was really exciting.

We also visited the Churchill War Rooms where we were able to see the underground offices and bunkers where Churchill and his cabinet conducted the Second World War.

The most interesting part was the maps on the walls, left exactly as they were in 1945. It was amazing to see all the annotations and pins on it.

I also enjoyed learning about the incredible work the women of WW2 did as well, who often go uncredited. I learnt that they contributed hugely to the translation of messages, breaking of codes and worked long, draining shifts, often going weeks without seeing daylight.

The War Rooms also went into depth about Churchill’s personal life, his wife and childhood especially, this was fascinating as it’s something I’d never studied that much before.

As we walked around London, we observed and learnt about the different memorials and statues on display. This included Oliver Cromwell outside the Houses of Parliament as well asDavid Lloyd George and NelsonMandela, along with many others in Parliament Square.

I enjoyed this aspect of the trip because many of the figures like Benjamin Disraeli and Millicent Fawcett are particularly relevant to both the A-level history and politics courses and it really made me feel like I was able to apply my knowledge outside the classroom.