Somewhere near the Palace of WestminsterWhere the UK's House of Commons and House of Lords meet. this morning, Sarah Clarke is dressing up in a black jacket. Some time after 11am she will walk towards the House of CommonsThe democratically elected house of the UK Parliament. It consists of 650 Members of Parliament. , where the door will be slammed in her face.

She will knock at the door three times, then call on MPsMembers of Parliament. MPs are elected to represent people in 650 different geographical areas.  to accompany her to the House of LordsIn the UK, the upper chamber of the UK Parliament. It is made up of hereditary peers, the Lords Spiritual (bishops) and life peers. . At the same time, King Charles will be making his way there in a gold carriage.¹

When they are all assembled, he will read out a speech that he has not written, describing what Keir StarmerThe leader of the UK Labour Party since 2020 and British prime minister since July 2024. intends to do for the next five years.

This will include policies that Charles probably does not like very much. Private schools, like the one he went to, will be forced to pay VATShort for value added tax. It is payable to the government by a business that sells an item. Essential items like food are zero-rated. Children's clothes are also exceptions. for the first time.

The state opening of Parliament, known as the king's speech, is called one of the strangest parts of British politics.² Some see it as a sign that Britain is still stuck in the past.

But others say its rituals are meant to reiterate fundamental facts about the British constitutionA document that sets out the fundamental rules according to which a country is governed, which are usually difficult to change..

Sarah Clarke is officially known as Black RodIn the UK, a House of Lords official who controls access to the House. , and she is the king's representative. When the door is slammed in her face, it symbolises the independence of the House of Commons.

So the Commons is symbolically affirmingDeclare that something is true, or show your support for it. that MPs cannot be bullied by the government.

That is why some think we always strive to maintain our traditions, because they often contain wisdom that we may not be aware of.

ConservativeHolding traditional values, and in a political context, favouring policies such as private ownership. thinker GK Chesterton argued that we have to understand the purpose of things if we are to reform them well.³

But others point out that the reality of British politics is quite different from the ritual. MPs have little power and almost always do what the government says.

The tradition, they say, hides this reality. It lets us think we live in a healthier and freer system than we really do.

Is tradition worth defending?

Yes: Thinker Edmund Burke wrote that traditions represent the reason of all past generations.⁴ It would be the height of arroganceBeing proud and believing that you know better than other people. to think our own modern ideas are wiser than that.

No: Traditions are not wise: most old ideas get out of date sooner or later. And when they no longer match reality they can stop us from recognising what is wrong with our systems and improving them.

Or... Some traditions are good and others are bad. Rather than keeping them all or getting rid of them all, we should understand whether they do good or harm, and reform them accordingly.