until I saw it on C-Span, late Sunday night.
That is, it used to be called "Question Time" -- it's questions & answers & debate in the British Parliament.
In the Thatcher era it was called "Question Time"
-- now it's "Prime Minister's Questions."
P.M. Gordon Brown presides.
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It's sort of semi-hilarious, in an off-hand sort of way.
The representatives call out questions and show support or opposition in choruses of shouts; yet there are boundaries and a certain decorum is observed; it never degenerates beyond a certain point, noise- and interruption-wise.
You can tell everybody knows the rules; it's like steeped in tradition.
Last night a proposed investigation was mentioned:
"an inquiry into binge drinking and loutish behavior."
The British just have a way with phrases.
On the topic of wind energy, someone accused somebody else of being "all talk and no action; all wind, and no turbines."
It's a really fun and interesting mixture of impenetrable dignity, intellectual elegance, and -- boisterous hollering.
I had thought they had two parties: Conservative; and Labour. But noticed last night, several of the reps appeared with their names on the screen, succeeded by the title "Liberal Democrat." So that's three parties, at least.
I'm wondering...how many parties have they got? Surely not 10 or 12 more.
If they had that many, they would be Italy, not England.
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