Westminster really isn’t the best place to watch the World Cup. Whilst there are many fine drinking establishments in the vicinity, none of them cater for football with the requisite big screen and it’s a fair trek to the West End or Victoria before a decent venue can be found.
Inside Parliament, the situation is similarly dire. Whilst the Sports & Social and now Bellamy’s have decent plasma screens, space is at a premium and both get packed very quickly. MPs for the most part don’t have it any better, with those still around yesterday (after the deliberately early end of business) choosing to join their researchers in one of the two bars or watching the game on the office television.
But, like England’s usual World Cup fate, it could all have been so different. Whilst watching the far from incisive performance last night, Red Tamarin was told that Sky Sports offered to put up a proper big screen in the Portcullis House Atrium for the England matches. And that the Sergeant-At-Arms, with his usual appreciation and understanding of those in his care, declined. Arrrrggghhhh! Damn you!
Anyway, apparently the place to be for the Sweden match on Tuesday is the Atrium in 4 Millbank, where the All Party Football Group are having drinks served from 7pm at the largesse of the Football Foundation and Camelot. Definitely an event worth crashing.
Edit: I’ve discovered that the first result for the search world cup in Google images produces a very surprising result, even with the default Moderate SafeSearch on. I suggest you don’t click the link if your boss can see your screen.
redtamarin[at]gmail.com
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Erm, no idea why my comment has gone onto the other article now you’ve added that!
What I said FYI was…
This problem goes back a long way, to the last World Cup and the previous Serjeant at Arms.
In short, an event for researchers to attend to watch the Argentina game on a big screen in PCH was arranged by a prominent mobile phone company. SAA got wind and cancelled the viewing saying it was “an inappropriate use of Parliamentary resourcesâ€.
Not only was the event cancelled, all large committee rooms were locked to stop staff sneaking in and watching the games together - being a recess week none of this affected MPs.
It was a particularly nasty movce by SAA because as you know staff do not have access to TVs if they are not in with their MPs. Only MPs are entitled to annunciators, not staff.
The really annoying thing was that for the later group match vs Nigeria the BBC arranged a screening on the Terrace for MPs only. When this was brought to the SAA’s attention (by me) he replied that the event could go ahead as it was an “appropriate use of resourcesâ€.
One rule for them - another for us.
I believe that is why the SAA are trying to discourage all football related events this time around. Hope that helps.
It was reported in Private Eye and the Mirror at the time if you want to check it out.
At least staff can watchthe games online now, if nothing else.
Hope you got that, as I’m not typing it again!
Kerron Cross said this on June 16th, 2006 at 4:26 pm
Am I not clicking on the right link or have we gone so puritanical as to think that the edge of a woman’s nipple poking out from behind her bikini is shocking?
Liney H said this on June 19th, 2006 at 12:43 pm
I don’t mind..
Howler Monkey said this on June 19th, 2006 at 12:59 pm