The Wet Parliament

For many years now, notable Parliaments have earned nicknames, usually telling or mocking by nature but which summarises their term and how they are remembered by. I will list a few examples below, but I was just thinking about what this Parliament would be remembered as.

A few months back, I felt sure that History would remember the Lisbon Treaty stitch-up and deride this Parliaments’ role in it, however, it now seems more likely (to me) that the current MPs expenses revelations will be the abiding memory.

So my suggestion would be the wet Parliament, because of the spit and bile so generally reserved and aimed by the public towards those who sit within and have profited personally so much from this Parliament. I would not believe anyone who told me that there had been a Parliament which came before which ignored its manifesto commitments so egregiously or which contained a group so self-interested.

Anyway, I am sure you can come up with better so let me know in the comments. But for some ideas, here are a few example of previous Parliaments.

The Long Parliament (actually had in part 2 nicknames ) – Was formed by Charles I in 1640 and was formed following the Bishops Wars. It earned its name from the fact that through a unique Act of Parliament it could only be dissolved with the agreement of its members. It sat between 1640 and 1649, when it was purged by the New Model Army of Parliamentarian. Those who sat past this purge sat in what became known as the Rump Parliament.

The Rump Parliament – This Parliament, now free of those who were opposed to the notion of trying the King for Treason but were under effective control of the Army during and after the Civil War until restoration in 1660. It was known as the Rump Parliament as an homage to the hind end of an animal, refereeing to it as a remnant.

The term has been used since on any Parliament which is left over from a Legitimate Parliament.

The Mad Parliament (1258) – was formed during the reign of Henry III of England in Oxford which founded through disaffection with the King then laid out the Provisions of Oxford founding a 15 member Privy council to supervise ministerial appointments, local administration and custody of Royal Castles. The Mad Parliament met three times a year to monitor the performance of the Privy Council.

The Parliament of Devils (1459) – this Parliament was summoned in October 1459 in Coventry and lasted until December 1459 and its main business was to bring charges of Treason against Yorkshire Noblemen during the War of the Roses.

The Parliament of Bats (1426) – Held in 1426 in Leicester, and is so named for the ban on carrying swords implemented by the Duke of Gloucester. As such, members brought clubs and bats.