New Media and Parliamentary Democracy

Abstract

Parliament inhabits the public imagination as much as the gothic citadel which is its physical embodiment. More than simply a physical place or a constitutional body, Parliament is an iconic symbol of democracy. We visit Parliament and bring to it affective and ritualistic expectations. We are visited by Parliament in our homes, vi. TV screens and websites, and through such mediation we witness a disembodied spectre of democratic theatre. Big Ben, as the emblematic image of parliamentary authority, is the most commonly purchased image by tourists to Britain.