I ARRIVED back in Westminster this week to witness some of the drama that surrounds the first few days of a new Parliament.

On Monday we were all summoned to the House of Commons chamber for the traditional ceremony of electing a Speaker but this year the process was enlivened by much jostling on the Opposition benches for prized seats.

The new SNP members were all lined by 9am, arms folded, staking their claim to the traditional Labour benches, including the Opposition front bench, which is the only piece of protected territory on that side of the House.

Several vigorous conversations and a bit of struggling followed with the result that when the House assembled at 2.30pm the SNP had been booted off the front bench and were scattered all over the place, with one pony-tailed gentleman almost sitting on the lap of the venerable 83- year-old “Beast of Bolsover” Dennis Skinner MP, who had refused to relinquish the traditional spot that he has occupied in the Commons for the past 45 years.

It was all quite light-hearted, as was the re-election (unopposed) of John Bercow as the Commons Speaker, but it does raise interesting questions of procedure and precedence going forward and with the tartan army in full cry I see some very late nights for contested voting ahead.

The next piece of business was the swearing in process where all MPs must take the oath of allegiance to the Crown or make a “solemn affirmation” before we can take seats in Parliament. The four Sinn Fein MPs refuse to swear allegiances and therefore do not sit in the House, although they still draw the salary that goes with the job!

The choice of using an oath or affirmation depends on religious beliefs and, if members choose, like me, to ask for God’s help in fulfilling the oath, then there are a choice of religious texts ranging from the King James’ Bible to the Sikh scriptures contained in the Granth.

The State Opening of Parliament and the Queen’s Speech takes place next Wednesday, when Her Majesty will set out the Government’s agenda. This ceremony is also steeped in tradition like the search of the cellars and the delivery of a Parliamentary hostage to ensure the safe return of the monarch.

The Queen has carried out every State Opening bar two since 1952 when Winston Churchill was her Prime Minister and her presence is a reminder that while politicians may jostle and scrabble, the institution of Parliament can rise above it all.