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How To Visit the U.K. Parliament in 2024: Tickets, Hours, and Tours

Eddie Saint-Jean Last Updated: April 30, 2024

The U.K. Parliament in London has a fascinating history dating back to 1215 when disgruntled barons made King John sign the Magna Carta making him subject to the rule of law. This paved the way for the beginnings of Parliament in 1265 under Simon De Montfort. Getting into the Houses of Parliament is not straightforward, so we’ve put together this guide to help you plan. Here’s how to visit the U.K. Parliament.

Pro Tip:  Planning what to do on your trip to London? Bookmark this post in your browser so you can easily find it when you’re in the city. Check out our  guide to London  for more planning resources, our  top London tours  for a memorable trip, and the  top things to do in London .

Visiting the U.K. Parliament: What We’ll Cover

The U.K. Houses of Parliament, also known as the Palace of Westminster, has a long history with many interesting traditions that are still maintained today. The popular Guy Fawkes Day originates from events that took place here in 1605 when the Catholic zealot Guy Fawkes tried to blow up the Houses of Parliament.

While it is possible to visit the Houses of Parliament, you cannot simply walk in and wander around due to strict security. In this guide, discover what you need to know to visit the U.K. Parliament. Here’s what we’ll cover:

• Opening hours and tickets
• How much time to budget for your visit
• What to see at the U.K. Parliament
• Facts and history of the U.K. Parliament
• Places to eat nearby

U.K. Parliament Opening Hours and Tickets

Despite its high-profile politicians and tight security, visitors are allowed inside Parliament for specific purposes: guided tours, certainly, as well as Committee Room events, parliamentary debates, or Prime Minister’s Questions. But its high security means you cannot just wander around unguided or without a specific invite or ticket.

Opening Hours:

The U.K. Parliament or Palace of Westminster is open Monday to Friday from 9 am to 5 pm.

You have a choice of guided tours and multimedia tours. Multimedia tours allow you up to 90 minutes inside Parliament buildings using their audio guides. The guided tours last 75 minutes. All tours mostly take place on weekdays and Saturdays.

There are 3 tours you can pick from:

Speaker’s House Tour

If you’re curious about the role of the Speaker of the House, the highest authority of the House of Commons, , this tour is for you. . You’ll have the opportunity to visit the State Apartments of Speaker’s House, where official business is conducted and the Speaker resides.

Ticket Prices: The Speaker’s House Tour costs £20 for Adults, while Young Adults (16 – 18 years old) pay £12. Concessions (Over-6os, students, and U.K. Armed Forces) are £12.

Self-Guided Audio Tour of the Palace of Westminster

Ideal for independent explorers, this tour offers a self-paced experience. With the multimedia device as your guide, you’ll navigate renowned areas like medieval Westminster Hall, the renowned House of Commons Chamber, majestic House of Lords Chamber, and other iconic spaces.

Ticket Prices: Adults £26 (£28 on the day), Young adults (16-24) £19 (£21 on the day), Children (5-15) free (£9* on the day), Concessions (UK Armed Forces) £19 (£21 on the day), and free tickets available for visitors with disabilities and their essential companions

Guided Tours of the Palace of Westminster

Explore the rich history and function of the UK Parliament with an expert guide. You’ll explore the House of Commons, House of Lords, and Westminster Hall and learn about the captivating history, art, and architecture, as well as gaining insights into the current workings of the Houses of Commons and Lords.

Ticket Prices: The guided tour costs £33 for adults (£35 on the day), £27 (£29 on the day) for young adults (16-24), £17 (£19 on the day) for children. Concessions (UK Armed Forces) £27 (£29 on the day), and visitors with a disability can book a free ticket for their essential companion.

Also, access is more likely during Easter, summer, and Christmas, when Parliament is not in session. Still, visits are allowed at selected times even when Parliament is in session. You can book time slots for either multimedia or guided tours as long as they are between 9 am and 4:15 pm.

Contact the ticket offices at Portcullis House, Victoria Embankment for further information on guided tours in French, Spanish, Italian, and German, all of which are available on selected dates. 

Visits Without Tours:

There are three options. Firstly, you can watch the Prime Minister’s Questions or Minister’s Questions without a guide. These take place in the House of Commons and House of Lords.

Secondly, you can see a parliamentary debate or a committee at work. Thirdly, there are parliamentary talks, events, petitions, and Private Members’ Bills where visitors are permitted.

Address: Palace of Westminster

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How Long To Spend at the U.K. Parliament

Short answer: 75 minutes for a guided tour; 90 minutes for the multimedia tour.

Your tour includes visits to the House of Commons, the House of Lords, and Westminster Hall. This talk covers the history of the building, the creation of Parliament, and the democratic and legislative processes within Parliament today. Since both tours are for set times, you’re unlikely to run over.

However, if you’re attending a separate ticketed parliamentary event, it all depends on the times for the event itself.

What To See in and Near the U.K. Parliament 

• Commons Chamber: Prime Minister’s Question Time, Parliamentary debates
• The Lords Chamber: Question Time, Debates, and Legislation Work
• The House of Lords Committee Rooms: Select Committee work
• The Parliamentary Archives 
• The Churchill Arch
• Statues in the Palace
• The Speaker’s Chair
• The Royal Gallery
• Central Lobby
• The Cloisters
• Parliament Square (includes statues of Nelson Mandela, Ghandi, and Winston Churchill)
• Auguste Rodin’s sculpture The Burghers of Calais (in Victoria Tower Gardens, next to Parliament)

Facts and History of the U.K. Parliament

• The Houses of Parliament are also known as the Palace of Westminster. 
• Westminster Hall was built in 1097 by William II, son of William the Conqueror. It was the biggest and grandest hall in Europe at that time. It’s the oldest building in the Houses of Parliament.
• The first English Parliament was held in 1265, when French nobleman Simon de Montfort, Earl of Leicester, led a group of rebellious barons seeking representational democracy and the curbing of Henry III’s absolute power. 
• The medieval parliament burned down in 1834. The fire destroyed most of the Palace of Westminster. 
• Oliver Cromwell was sworn in as Lord Protector in Westminster Hall. He was anti-royal but was sworn in wearing regal-looking robes. 
• In 1605, a zealot Catholic called Guy Fawkes tried to blow up the Houses of Parliament. He was caught in the House of Lords basement with barrels of gunpowder.
• The Queen is banned from the House of Commons. This convention was introduced in 1642 after King Charles I entered the Commons with soldiers to try and arrest five MPs for treason.
• A parliamentary official with the title Black Rod has the Commons door ceremoniously slammed in his face before the Queen’s Speech. After this ritual, he bangs on the door three times with his rod. This traditional act occurs when he summons MPs from the Commons Chambers to hear the Queen’s Speech. The slamming of the door represents the independence of the Commons.

Places To Eat Nearby

There’s a café in the Palace of Westminster. But you’re just as likely to find healthy, filling snacks and meals—and perhaps rub shoulders with politicians—in the nearby cafés and restaurants. For more options, check out the full list of best restaurants nearby .

Jubilee Café : £££ | Coffee Shop —This café in Westminster Hall has a selection of snacks, paninis, and sandwiches, plus pastries, sweets, and cakes. The quaint English Jubilee cream tea is a visitor favourite, but there’s also barista coffee and other beverages.

Riverside Café : ££ | River Views —This is a short but soul-lifting walk through parklands known as Victory Tower Gardens, and then over Lambeth Bridge. The café has the best views of Parliament and the Thames river compared to other eateries in the area. It serves a full English Breakfast, of course, as well as pizza, burgers, baguettes, salads, and hot and cold beverages.

The Cinnamon Club : £££+ | Former Victorian Library —There’s an elegant and exclusive atmosphere to this classy Indian restaurant. The curry, seafood, and soup dishes have a gourmet touch. Traditional English game such as venison is served in an artisanal Indian culinary style. There are a few menu surprises, too, like snake!

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Posted on 14th June 2023 Categories Things to do

By: Author Julianna Barnaby

Want to Visit the Houses of Parliament on a Tour? Here’s How…

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Planning to visit the Houses of Parliament and not sure where to start? Check out this step by step guide to the types of tours, ticket prices and what to expect before you go. 

The Houses of Parliament are more than just an iconic London landmark. They function as the heart of British power. 

Set in the Palace of Westminster, a Victorian Neo-Gothic affair on the banks of the Thames, the 1000+ rooms of the palace count among them two of the most important locations in UK politics – the House of Commons and House of Lords. 

Little wonder then that visiting the Houses of Parliament is one of the first things that people think of when visiting London. 

Who wouldn’t want to take a peek at the innards of authority, the place where decisions that shape the lives of British citizens are made on a daily basis? We certainly did for sure. 

Having taken a Houses of Parliament tour previously, we can honestly say that it is one of the most fascinating things we’ve done in London full stop. This coming from a team that spends a lot of time researching and writing about London, and who’s as reticent to give out high praise as Scrooge was to give out money before his Christmas Carol transformation. 

In other words – you should totally go. 

The difficult thing is knowing where to start. That’s why we’ve written this guide to walk you through the options for visiting with and without a tour, the different kinds of Houses of Parliament tours available, where to get tickets and what to expect when you do. 

Do I Have to Book a Tour to Visit the Houses of Parliament? 

Usually, no. But it’s best to book in advance or you risk being turned away. 

There are several ways that you can usually visit the Houses of Parliament without booking a tour – the main ones are: 

• Watch a debate or a committee

Watch Prime Minister’s Questions 

• Watch Minister’s Question Times in the House of Commons or House of Lords 
• Book onto one of Parliament’s special events or talks.

You do not have to book tickets for the first three, although it is advisable to book tickets for Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs) as it is very popular and you are not guaranteed entry without a ticket. 

We will go into more detail on each of these in the section “Visiting the Houses of Parliament Without a Tour” below if you want to know more info but we thought it was worth dealing with the tours first as this is what we’ve been asked most questions about.

Choosing Which Houses of Parliament Tour to Book 

There are several different types of Houses of Parliament tour that you could go on – we’ve given you a breakdown of each of them as well as options for how to get your hands on tickets and (where relevant) lead times for each.

Houses of Parliament Guided Tour

This is a 90-minute guided tour of the Houses of Parliament for which you have to pay. 

The tours are usually held on weekdays when Parliament is not in session and most Saturdays throughout the year. They go at a slow pace, allowing you to soak in the architecture and history of the buildings. 

These tours also held in French, Spanish, German and Italian on selected dates.

Cost: £32 for adults, £16 for kids, £26 for concessions, Disabled visitors are charged as per the above but an essential companion is free. 

How to Get Tickets: For the latest information on when these tours will return, click here .

Rather take things at your own pace instead of going on a group tour but still want to explore the Palace of Westminster? You should consider an audio tour. 

The 90-minute audio tour provides a wealth of information about the buildings and the politics that happen within Parliament’s walls – in audio and video formats. 

It’s also available in a much wider range of languages than the guided tours and there are different versions for children and adults. 

Cost: £25 for adults, £9 for kids, £18.00 for concessions, under 5s free. Disabled visitors are charged as per the above but an essential companion is free. 

How to Get Tickets: Get your tickets for Parliament before they sell out here .

Private Guided Tours 

Want to explore in a private group? Book a private guided tour. 

On the face of it, the £500 fee looks pretty steep but when you consider that it covers up to 10 people for a completely tailored tour, it doesn’t actually look so bad after all.

You’ll have to enquire about this privately as you can’t book online, but the tours generally begin first thing in the morning (Monday to Wednesday) and last around 75 minutes. 

Cost: Starts from £500 per group of up to 10 people 

How to Book: For bookings of 10 people or more, contact [email protected]

How to Take a Tour of the Houses of Parliament for Free

Did you know that UK residents can visit the Houses of Parliament for Free?

Scrap that, if you’re a UK resident, you can take a Democratic Access Tour of the Houses of Parliament for Free. 

We’ve taken one of these tours and it was riveting – 75 minutes of sights and information that had every single person fixed on every word our tour guide Sean had to say. 

The locations you cover during the tour depend on what’s happening on the day  – we were lucky enough to visit both houses (we literally squeaked into the House of Lords just in time). 

The tour is informative and educational, walking you through the daily business of MPs while they’re in the houses, the procedures that govern them and showcases the highlights of the Palace of Westminster along the way. 

We cannot recommend this enough – if you’re a UK resident and capable of getting to London, do it. 

The decisions that are made here influence every aspect of your life – not in an obscure and difficult to define fashion, but directly and with significant impact. Taking the time to understand how it works is never going to be a bad idea. 

How to Get Tickets: 

You have to be a UK resident to book one of the Houses of Parliament free tours. You’ll need to book through your local MP or a Member of the House of Lords to book up to six months in advance. 

There are often last-minute Houses of Parliament tickets available (within the next seven days) – you can email Parliament to book a space on one of them, or pop into the Ticket Office in front of Portcullis House. 

More information can be found here

Behind the Scenes Houses of Parliament Guided Tour 

This tour isn’t run by Parliament itself and is significantly more expensive than the standard guided tours we included above. 

So why are we listing it? Because it’s a much more in-depth and intimate tour that allows you to really immerse yourself in the world of Parliament past and present. 

In the course of two hours, you explore sections of the Palace of Westminster – including several places that aren’t covered by the other tours. 

This is really a tour for those who want to get down to the nitty gritty of the history and architecture of the Houses of Parliament and want to do it as part of a smaller group. 

Cost: £65 Adults, £59 Children (4-12), Infants three and under are free. 

How to get Tickets: Book online on Get Your Guide

Take a Virtual Tour

Can’t make your way to Parliament right now? Don’t stress. You can take a virtual tour of the buildings online. You’ll walk your virtual self through the corridors of power. It’s not the same as being there in person, but at least you don’t have to get off the sofa. 

Cost: Absolutely free. Hurrah.

How to get Tickets: Book online here.

Visiting the Houses of Parliament Without a Tour

Now you’ve got a good grasp of the kinds of tours that you can take of the Houses of Parliament, We’re going to walk you through the ways that you can usually visit Parliament without a tour. 

It’s probably worth noting that you’re not allowed to just walk around the Palace of Westminster unguided (unless you’re doing an audio tour), so if you want to look around the buildings and learn about their history, a guided or audio tour are the only ways to do it. 

Watch a Debate or Committee 

MPs in the House of Commons and Peers in the House of Lords debate issues and proposed legislation on a daily basis – all of which anyone is able to view from the public galleries of the respective houses. 

In addition to this, both houses also hold committee meetings examine issues in detail on subjects large and small – all of which are open to the public. 

Though the waiting times vary dependent on the popularity / contentiousness of the subject, you are normally able to just turn up and hop into the queue for both debates and committee meetings.

The visitor attendants can give you a good idea of how long you can expect to wait when you arrive. 

How to Get Tickets: Not ticketed, just turn up and queue . 

Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs) happens every Wednesday at 12pm when Parliament is in session.

Even before the explosive events of the past few years, PMQs has always been the most popular event at Parliament, which is why it’s a ticketed event. 

How to Get Tickets: Contact your local MP to request a ticket. If you’re not a UK resident or you haven’t booked a ticket in advance you can turn up on the day and try your luck but the pool of seats available is small. Not currently running but keep your eyes peeled on the website.

Watch Minister’s Question Time

This happens in both the House of Commons and the House of Lords – generally at the beginning of the day Monday to Thursday and you can go and watch it from the public galleries of the respective houses. 

Cost: Free 

How to Get Tickets: You can contact your local MP to request a ticket or turn up on the day. Minister’s Question Time can be popular, but it’s generally OK to turn up on the day. Not currently running but check the website for updates.

Book a Special Event or Talk

There’s so much going on at Parliament – they really take their role of educating the public about aspects of life in Parliament, the history of the buildings and issues we face as a country.

The only problem is… only a select number of people know about them, buried as they are in an obscure section of Parliament’s website. 

Now,  you know that we’re full-on geeky (we’ve learnt to embrace it), but the subject range is fascinating. These are the kinds of talks that if you put them on TED Talks millions of people would be watching them, but when it’s Parliament… they’re hardly the talk of the town.

Don’t get us wrong – they still sell out but when’s the last time you saw them on a list of interesting things to do in London this week. It’s a shame – we want to thoroughly encourage you to go and check out the calendar and book onto any that interest you. 

At the moment, these talks are all virtual. Current ones on the calendar include The Elizabeth Tower’s Conservation and How UK Parliament Works – a great place to start if you’re looking to learn more about Parliament.

Cost: Varies – most are free

How to Get Tickets: Check the Calendar of Upcoming Events and book tickets (mostly free) online.

Houses of Parliament and the Palace of Westminster: Frequently Asked Questions

They actually refer to the same place. The Palace of Westminster, where the Houses of Parliament are based today, actually used to be a royal palace: Henry VIII was the last monarch to use it as such.  These days, it’s no longer a royal palace and serves as a meeting place for the House of Commons and House of Lords, together: the Houses of Parliament.

Yes, you can go into the Houses of Parliament – either on a tour, to go and see a debate or committee, to watch Prime Minister’s Questions or Minister’s Questions, to attend a talk or event or to go and petition your MP.  You can’t, however, just walk around and see the inside of the Palace of Westminster unguided. 

Yes, you can visit the Houses of Parliament for free by going to watch a debate, Prime Minister’s Questions or Ministers Questions in the appropriate house. You can also book a spot on one of the free Democratic Access Tours run by Parliament on a frequent basis. 

It depends on which tour you book. The free tours of the Houses of Parliament are around 75 minutes while the paid guided tours last for 90 minutes. They also recommend allowing at least 90 minutes for the self-guided audio tour. 

No, there is no formal dress code for visiting Parliament… but it is illegal to enter Parliament wearing a suit of armour, just in case you were thinking of doing that. 

You can take photos in Westminster Hall and St Stephen’s Hall in the Houses of Parliament if you’re visiting but no, you can’t take photos in the rest of the Palace of Westminster.

Yes, the buildings are old but they’ve been updated to make them accessible to everyone. From ramps to information in sign language and tours specially tailored to people that need a little more help than others, it’s all there for you.  What’s more, for the tours and such, essential companions can go free. 

You can find more information about parliament’s accessibility here

Yes, you can! Parliament’s Jubilee Cafe is open from 9:00am to 5:45pm Monday to Wednesday and 10:00am to 5:45pm Thursday to Saturday. They do a selection of refreshments, sandwiches and such in case you’re peckish.  Alternatively check out our guide to Westminster for some good food nearby.

Unlikely, but possible. Obviously whoever the Tories have chosen as our leader for the month that you happen to visit will be present at PMQs – if you can get a ticket to that – but most of the time they will be working from No. 10, around the corner – or off in a foreign country doing important diplomatic work. 

Map of the Houses of Parliament, London 

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Visiting London's Houses of Parliament

TripSavvy / Taylor McIntyre

The Parliament of the United Kingdom is one of the oldest representative assemblies in the world. Parliament consists of the House of Commons and the House of Lords. The site of the Houses of Parliament is the Palace of Westminster, a royal palace and former residence of kings on the River Thames . Edward the Confessor had the original palace built in the 11th century.

The layout of the palace is intricate, with its existing buildings containing nearly 1,200 rooms, 100 staircases, and well more than two miles of hallways. Among the original historic buildings is Westminster Hall, now used for major public ceremonial events. The iconic Big Ben , a symbol of London, rises above the Parliament buildings. 

Getting There

Dennis K. Johnson / Getty Images

The Houses of Parliament are directly opposite the London Underground's Westminster station exit. You can't miss Big Ben as you leave the station. Use  Journey Planner  to plan your route by public transport.

Stop for Lunch or Dinner

There is a cafe inside the Houses of Parliament where you can stop once you are inside the building after your tour, but if you want to have lunch before your visit you have several convenient options. The ​Central Hall is a two-minute walk from the Houses of Parliament and has a peaceful cafe on the lower ground floor. The cafe is open daily and serves a full English breakfast, sandwiches, salads, hot lunches, and desserts, cakes. 

Another great little-known location for a cuppa is the Supreme Court, which is on the other side of Parliament Square and has a free permanent exhibition and a basement cafe worth knowing about.

Houses of Parliament Tours

David Murray / Getty Images

Tours of the Houses of Parliament last an hour and 15 minutes, and tours start every 15 minutes. You'll be in a group of about 20 people with a Blue Badge qualified guide. The tours are usually at their busiest in the afternoon so try to get there in the morning for a chance at a smaller group if you would like more opportunities to ask questions.

Tours are available every Saturday all year and during the summer recess of Parliament in August and September, when Parliament is not in session, or as the Brits say, does not sit. During the recess, you can take a tour from Monday to Saturday. There are no tours on Sunday or on bank holidays. Check the dates for the summer recess on the official website when you are making plans for a tour.

Tours include the chambers of both the House of Commons and the House of Lords, plus highlights such as the Queen's Robing Room, the Royal Gallery, Central Lobby, and St. Stephen's Hall. A bit of bad news: You won't be able to take photos except in Westminster Hall.

Seeing Parliament in Action

WPA Pool / Getty Images Europe

If you just want to turn up and go to the public galleries to watch a debate and maybe history being made, you can simply join the public queue outside St. Stephen's Entrance, but there is usually a one- or two-hour wait in the afternoons. To keep your waiting time down, it's best to arrive at 1 p.m. or later. The House of Commons Information Office can let you know in advance what is to be debated on specific days in the House of Commons. The public gallery is open when the House is sitting (​check the website for official times).

You can also sit in the public gallery and watch the House of Lords, which usually has a shorter waiting time.

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The inside story

On the banks of the River Thames, mesmerising gothic architecture reflects in the water of London’s most iconic landmarks – the Houses of Parliament. Also known as the Palace of Westminster, a former royal palace used last by Henry VIII, the building is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its most striking features are the Victoria Tower, the largest of the building, and Big Ben. This four-faced clock was renamed the Elizabeth Tower in 2012 to mark Elizabeth II’s diamond jubilee.

More than just a tourist hotspot, The Houses of Parliament is now the meeting place for the House of Commons and House of Lords – the heart of British politics that shapes the lives of British citizens. Guided tours take visitors around the opulent rooms, catching MPs in their daily lives. Look out for opulent red seats, carpets and the mesmerisingly golden Monarch’s Throne in the House of Lords. Some tours will also show you the Division Lobbies – content or not-content – and Westminster Hall. It’s also possible to book to watch live debates, special talks and even Prime Minister’s Questions.

Across the river from the London Eye, a short walk away from Downing Street, the Houses of Parliament is a worthwhile stop to add to any London trip.

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"Order!" he bellowed as Opposition Leader Peter Dutton heckled Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. 

Tanya Plibersek, just days from having joined with Labor women to offer support to crossbencher Zali Steggall , was also in the speaker's sights. 

"The minister for the environment is not helping the situation," Dick said early in Question Time on Monday.

"We're just going to take the temperature down in the house today. It's far too high."

The scenes that play out in the pantomime that is Question Time have been a mainstay of parliamentary sitting days for decades. 

It's made-for-TV content that sits in stark contrast to the lacklustre proceedings unfolding in the chambers the rest of the day.

These chambers are built for conflict. In the UK's House of Commons, the government and opposition benches are said to be two sword-lengths apart.

This weeks's unveiling of legislation for a long-awaited Parliamentary Standards Commission will likely mean Dick still will have his hands full during the often unedifying question time ritual.

But that's not really the point. It's about what happens in the parliament, away from the cameras, behind closed doors and in shadowy corners of the building that's of greater concern. 

For too long, politicians have been invincible. While staff can be sacked and moved on, any actions taken against misbehaving politicians have been akin to slapping them with wet lettuce.

It's been no secret that the parliament has cultural problems — from accusations of rape in a ministerial office, to allegations that the opaque department that runs the building has a toxic culture .

The stories of bullying and intimidation in the house on the hill are the thing of legends. 

But there are signs of change. This parliament has more family-friendly hours, there's a new workplace support service and now an enforceable code of conduct will loom large over the people the public sends here.

Kate Jenkins's landmark report in the parliament was aptly called Setting the Standard. 

The commission forms the final piece of the legislative response to her inquiry. 

Now the question is whether elected officials can meet those standards, and how they will be held accountable should they fail to.

Kate Jenkins's landmark report in the parliament was aptly called Setting the Standard. ( ABC News: Jerry Rickard )

Let the legislation flow

The government looks to have spent the weekend on the prunes because parliamentary pipes were flowing with gusto this week.

Labor has been straining to clear its legislative agenda, which has been backed up in the Senate for months.

The first signs of a breakthrough came with a Labor-Coalition deal to put the embattled CFMEU into administration .

And with that, the Senate was off and racing, passing a crackdown on sharing deepfake porn on Wednesday. 

After months of bickering, Labor and the Coalition struck a deal over contentious NDIS legislation, which seeks to rein in growing costs on the disability support program. 

The government also struck a NDIS peace deal with state governments but it's not without its detractors. 

Some in the disability community are nervously awaiting what comes next with foundational supports . These are services for people outside the NDIS that are typically delivered by health services, early childhood education and schools.

State stoush on schools

It wasn't all smooth sailing for Labor this week.

Education minister Jason Clare is fast learning what every federal water minister also quickly discovers when they take charge of the Murray-Darling Basin.

Politicians might be from the same party but state interests always trump political allegiances. (Hence why Paul Keating famously warned that you shouldn't stand between a premier at a pot of money.)

Standing outside Canberra's Parliament House on Wednesday, Clare's Labor counterparts from Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia, Queensland and ACT sought to shame the Albanese government.

State Labor governments are demanding more education funding for public schools.  ( ABC News: Adam Kennedy  )

Victorian MP Ben Carroll told RN Breakfast that federal Labor was falling short of what Malcolm Turnbull's Coalition government offered when it struck education deals.

The states are demanding the federal government ensure public schools are fully funded to appropriate standards. Under current agreements, the states cover 75 per cent and the feds 20 per cent of costs, leaving a 5 per cent shortfall.

Clare is offering a 2.5 per cent increase, a deal WA has already accepted in return for the state's signing up to changes he wants. 

The withholding states are vowing they won't sign up until the feds up their offer. 

Albanese's missing joke

Albanese is getting accustomed to hearing crickets when he cracks a joke.

Just a few week backs there was near-deathly silence from Albanese's colleagues after he made a pronoun joke that only he was laughing at . 

He drew a similar response when he attempted to make a joke about ending live sheep exports in an address to the Rural Women's Awards dinner at Parliament House on Tuesday. 

Sadly for those wanting to relive the hilarity, the joke didn't make it into the transcript the government published after the event. 

But that didn't stop Coalition frontbenchers David Littleproud (the Nationals leader) and Michaelia Cash (Liberal) from seeking to make hay. 

Both politicians were falling over themselves to accuse the PM of not understanding West Australians. 

The response gave the impression that the Coalition parties were more worried about the battle for Bullwinkel — WA's new federal seat. 

That seat is setting up to be a must-watch three-cornered contest at the next election. Bullwinkel is notionally Labor, but will feature former state Nationals leader Mia Davies running against journalist-cum-Liberal staffer Matt Moran. 

Back on the jokes, we're unable to tell you if Peter Dutton brought the funnies when he addressed a National Farmers' Federation event at the National Library on Wednesday. 

Ahead of Dutton's speech, media were kicked out of the room. 

When is the next presidential debate? Donald Trump, Kamala Harris set to face off. Here's when

The first presidential debate between presidential candidates Kamala Harris and Donald Trump is almost here and it's expected to be heated.

Vice President and Democratic nominee Harris and former President and Republican nominee Trump are expected to go head to head in a debate moderated by ABC on Sept. 10. But in recent days, Trump has cast doubt on whether or not the debate will take place.

"Why would I do the Debate against Kamala Harris on that network?" Trump asked in a Truth Social post. He criticized Jonathan Karl’s interview with Tom Cotton on ABC’s “This Week,” as well as the show’s panel of commentators.

Trump has remained critical of the network since agreeing to debate Harris. He has also pushed for a Sept. 4 on Fox News, but Harris' campaign hasn't agreed to it.

This much anticipated debate between the political rivals comes after a turbulent summer in the political world, in which President Joe Biden dropped out of the 2024 presidential race, clearing the way for Harris to pick up the mantle, and after a n assassination attempt on Trump during a July rally in Pennsylvania .

Sign-up for Your Vote: Text with the USA TODAY elections team.

“ABC News will host qualifying presidential candidates to debate on September 10 on ABC. Vice President Harris and former President Trump have both confirmed they will attend the ABC debate,” the network said in a statement last week.

When is the next presidential debate?

Harris and Trump are expected to meet on stage  Tuesday, Sept. 10 , the same date Trump and Biden were expected to meet for their final debate. The debate will be at 9 p.m. ET.

Where will the presidential debate be held?

In Philadelphia, one of the key  battleground states  in this year’s election, at the National Constitution Center, a museum devoted to the U.S. Constitution in Independence Mall, which also contains the Liberty Bell, according to USA TODAY.

What are the rules for the ABC presidential debate?

It may be a new debate, but the rules haven't changed.

On Tuesday, a Trump spokesman stated that both sides agreed to  the same terms as Trump and Biden's CNN June debate . Here's what the rules are:

• No studio audience
• No use of notes
• No interrupting each other during the debate
• Microphones will be muted when candidates are not speaking

The ABC debate also banned any props and it will include two commercial breaks.

Where can I watch, stream the presidential debate between Harris and Trump?

The debate will air on ABC and can be live streamed on ABC News Live, Disney+ and Hulu.

Who is Kamala Harris' vice president pick?

Harris's campaign for the White House came together quickly after Biden stepped aside as the presumptive candidate for the Democrats in July after mounting pressure from the party for him to step aside after his first debate with Trump.

Harris, who was Biden's VP pick before his departure, chose her running mate,  Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz just ahead of the Democratic National Convention in August.

Who is Donald Trump's vice president pick?

Trump announced his vice presidential selection at the start of the Republican National Convention on July 15.

"After lengthy deliberation and thought, and considering the tremendous talents of many others, I have decided that the person best suited to assume the position of Vice President of the United States is Senator J.D. Vance of the Great State of Ohio," Trump shared in a post on Truth Social on Monday.

Will there be a vice-presidential debate?

Vance and Walz have both agreed to an Oct. 1 debate hosted by CBS News.  

Kamala Harris, Tim Walz interview with CNN's Dana Bash

Harris and Walz will sit down with CNN Anchor and Chief Political Correspondent  Dana Bash Thursday night for the Vice President's first large interview since accepting the Democratic nomination.

The Harris and Walz interview will air as a primetime special on Thursday at 9 p.m. ET/ 8 p.m. CT  across CNN's platforms .

Will there be another presidential debate?

Harris’ team has  agreed to a second presidential debate to take place before the November election , but it’s not clear when or even if it will happen. According to USA TODAY, the Harris-Walz campaign in a statement earlier this month said “the debate about debates is over. Donald Trump's campaign accepted our proposal for three debates – two presidential and a vice presidential debate.” 

“Assuming Donald Trump actually shows up on September 10 to debate Vice President Harris, then Governor Walz will see JD Vance on October 1 and the American people will have another opportunity to see the vice president and Donald Trump on the debate stage in October,” the campaign said. 

Who's winning the presidential race?

Harris has surged ahead of Trump in several polls over the last month since she started her campaign for president.

The latest USA TODAY/Suffolk University Poll found Harris has exceeded Trump in the polls 48%-43%. It was just a few short months ago that Biden trailed behind Trump, putting into question if the sitting president would be able to pull the win come November. Since Harris has become the Democratic candidate, she has forged a small lead fueled by large shifts among some key demographic groups traditionally crucial for Democrats, including Hispanic and Black voters and young people, reports USA TODAY.

Here's what the poll showed.

• Voters 18 to 34 years old moved from supporting Trump by 11 points to supporting Harris by 13 points, 49%-36%.
• Hispanics, a group the Republican campaign has been cultivating, moved from supporting Trump by 2 points to supporting Harris by 16 points, 53%-37%.
• Black voters, traditionally one of the most overwhelmingly Democratic groups, moved from supporting Biden by 47 points to supporting Harris by 64 points, 76%-12%.
• Lower-income voters now support Harris 58%-35%

Take a look at the methodology and more about the poll at usatoday.com .

NEW! Find where to watch all of your favorite sports!

How to watch 2024 PGA Tour Championship: ESPN+ schedule

The third and final leg of the season-ending FedEx Cup playoffs is here. The Tour Championship tees off this week at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta, as the top 30 players in the FedEx Cup standings look to capture the PGA Tour's biggest prize. Each golfer will begin this week's tournament with a designated score. Since Scottie Scheffler is in first place in the standings, he'll open at 10 under par. Xander Schauffele , who sits at No. 2 in the standings, will tee off at 8 under. The remaining 25 golfers outside the top five will be split into groups of five and start anywhere from even par to 4 under depending on where they stand. Who will be the 18th FedEx Cup champion? May the best man win.

Here are key facts to know about the 2024 event.

When is the Tour Championship?

It runs Thursday to Sunday.

How can fans watch?

Fans can tune in on ESPN+ via the ESPN streaming hub .

What is the schedule?

*All times Eastern

Thursday : Coverage starts at 11:15 a.m.

Friday : Coverage starts at 11:15 a.m.

Saturday : Coverage starts at noon.

Sunday : Coverage starts at noon.

There will be traditional PGA Tour live coverage each day with main feed, featured groups and featured holes.

Who are the top five players in the FedEx Cup standings heading into the Tour Championship?

▪︎ Scottie Scheffler

▪︎ Xander Schauffele

▪︎ Hideki Matsuyama

▪︎ Keegan Bradley

▪︎ Ludvig Åberg

How can fans access other golf content from ESPN?

Check out the ESPN golf hub page for breaking news , analysis , rankings , scores , schedules and more.

In ‘At War with Ourselves,’ McMaster recounts his time in the Trump White House

Geoff Bennett Geoff Bennett

Dan Sagalyn Dan Sagalyn

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• Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/in-at-war-with-ourselves-mcmaster-recounts-his-time-in-the-trump-white-house

As the presidential race heats up, a new book looks at Donald Trump’s first administration with respect to foreign policy and national security. Trump tapped H.R. McMaster, a three-star general who served in the Gulf War and Iraq War, to be his national security adviser in 2017. Geoff Bennett spoke with McMaster about his book, "At War with Ourselves: My Tour of Duty in the Trump White House."

Read the Full Transcript

Notice: Transcripts are machine and human generated and lightly edited for accuracy. They may contain errors.

Geoff Bennett:

As the presidential campaign heats up, a new book looks back at Donald Trump's first administration with a focus on foreign policy and national security.

It's written by Lieutenant General H.R. McMaster, a three-star general who served with distinction in the 1991 Gulf War and the Iraq War, and who also served for 13 months as Mr. Trump's national security adviser.

McMaster's book is "At War With Ourselves: My Tour of Duty in the Trump White House."

And I spoke with him earlier today.

H.R. McMaster, welcome to the "News Hour."

What was your intention in joining the Trump administration back in 2017? What were you hoping to achieve?

Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster (Ret.), Former U.S. National Security Adviser: Well, first, to serve the elected president.

As I write in the book, this was my sixth commander in chief. I had taken the oath of service when I was a 17-year-old on the plane at West Point. And so what I wanted to do is help, in President Trump's case, what everybody knew would be a disruptive president, disrupt what needed to be disrupted in the area of national security and in foreign policy.

And, Geoff, I have been on the receiving end of a lot of policies and strategies developed in Washington that really made little sense to me in places like Kabul, Afghanistan, or Baghdad, Iraq. And I thought this was an opportunity to help advance American interests and to help promote American security.

You write in the book about navigating the competing interests within Trump's inner circle in the early days, to include then-White House adviser Steve Bannon, who's now serving a federal prison term on contempt charges, as well as then Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.

And you say that they viewed Trump as dangerous and seemed to construe their roles as if Trump was an emergency and that anyone abetting him was an adversary.

When I read that, that word dangerous stood out to me. Dangerous in what ways?

Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster (Ret.):

Well, I think that they were afraid that the president, because of his disruptive nature, would be overly disruptive and put into place policies that may be cut against U.S. interests.

But my experience was, Geoff, whenever you could give the president multiple options, best analysis, obviously, and information, but multiple options, it's in the comparison of those options, that he could look at the long-term costs and consequences and make decisions that oftentimes cut against his predilections.

Other members of the Cabinet and other White House officials, what they really wanted to do is either control the president or, in the case of some, who came in with their own agendas, they didn't want to give multiple options. They wanted to manipulate decisions consistent with their agenda.

And as a historian and a historian who had written about the Vietnam War and how decisions were made in the Lyndon Johnson administration, I realized that this was not unprecedented. This kind of infighting, this is not something new, and I did my best to try to transcend it. And I succeeded to some extent, and I failed to a certain extent.

That manipulation that you talk about, you describe meetings in the Oval Office as exercises in competitive sycophancy.

How did that undermine the functioning of the White House and the presidency?

So that was early in my time as national security adviser. And I looked around, I said, this isn't going to work.

And I began to limit who's in the meeting based on the purpose of the meeting and to provide the president with information the way he likes to receive information, and to also structure the venue. But on one occasion, we went to Camp David, for example, to get away from all distractions and help the president focus on a really important decision involving Afghanistan and the South Asia strategy.

Well, on that front, you write that you had key differences with Mr. Trump on major foreign policy issues, which you enumerate as the allies, the authoritarians, and Afghanistan.

Trump thought that some U.S. allies were freeloaders. He embraced some authoritarian leaders that you despised and distrusted. And you pushed for a more significant commitment in Afghanistan. And you have said that Donald Trump bears some responsibility for that chaotic U.S. withdrawal, that same withdrawal that he attacks the Biden administration for.

Tell me more about that.

On Afghanistan, this is an example of one of the themes in the book of the president being very capable of evolving his understanding of a situation and then coming to a completely different conclusion.

And he put into place, I believe, in August of 2017 — and it's actually worth going back to read that speech that he gave — the first sustainable, reasoned approach to the war in Afghanistan and more broadly to South Asia.

But, sadly, he abandoned that approach and I think actually recreated a lot of the deficiencies of the Obama administration with the timeline for withdrawal and talking to the Taliban without the Afghan government present. And that was kind of a setup for the Biden administration's failures.

But the Biden administration did not have to adhere to that. Remember, the Biden administration said, well, we had to adhere to Trump's policies. I think that might be the only area where they felt so obligated, right?

Yes, that was their public line, yes.

Exactly, yes.

Another theme in the book, you write about your perception that Trump often sought the praise and approval of strongman foreign leaders like Vladimir Putin, the Philippines former President Duterte, so that he could be seen similarly as a strong leader.

In that first year of the Trump administration, I relate the story of really imposing more sanctions on Russian entities and individuals than the previous eight years of the Obama administration, the provision of lethal assistance to Ukrainians.

But President Trump really always had faith in his ability to make a big deal, right? And I think he fell into the same kind of trap with Putin that George W. Bush did, President Obama did remember the reset strategy, and then even President Biden when he went to Geneva and thought that maybe they could have a meeting of the minds.

And so my message — and I relate this in the book — is, I would remind the president, hey, this guy is the best liar, best deceiver in the world.

Well, you say that you observe in the book that you wished Trump could separate the issue of Russian election meddling from the legitimacy of his presidency…

… why has he been so unable to make that kind of distinction?

Well, you have to think, when he came into office, right, there was this cloud of so-called collusion, which was proved to be false, right, on the part of the campaign.

And he had the Mueller investigation. That created kind of a sense of beleaguerment for him. And what he would do is conflate three distinct, but kind of related questions of, hey, did they attack the election and try to undermine our democratic process? Heck, yes, they did. That's what the Russians do, right?

There's the great book by Thomas Rid called "Active Measures." They have been doing this kind of thing, the Soviets, going all the way back to the '30s. But the second, related question is, do they care who wins? I really don't think the Russians give a damn who wins our elections, right?

The chaos is the point.

And what they want is, they want large numbers of Americans to doubt the legitimacy of the result. I think the president tended to conflate those questions. And I wish he had said this, that, heck, yes they did, and we're going to impose costs on them, and we're going to defend our democratic principles and institutions and processes and — but, at the same time, acknowledge that obviously it did not affect the legitimacy of his presidency or his election.

That's what Russia wants. And that's why the president's election denial was terrible in 2020. And that's why others on the other side of the political spectrum who denied the legitimacy election in 2016, it's a gift to Putin.

This book arrives at a timely moment, just as many Americans are starting to consider whether Donald Trump or Vice President Kamala Harris would make a better commander in chief.

Would a second Trump term, in your estimation, be poised to properly address the range of foreign policy challenges we face as we stand so close potentially to regional wars in the Middle East and the South China Sea?

Yes, that's for readers to decide. You have got the information in the book.

And I think, in some of the areas where President Trump has been consistent, yes, I think he would advance American interests. I think a great example is in the area of energy security. I think we have tremendous potential in our country to really loosen the grip of authoritarians on energy supplies internationally.

And then I think that where else he's been consistent is burden-sharing, right? That's a good theme, reciprocity in trade. So I go through all of these in the book. Those are all positive.

You said you would not serve in a second Trump administration if he's reelected. Why not?

Well, I will tell you, Geoff, I would serve in any administration where I think I could make a difference. I think now, with President Trump, I can't make a difference with him. We just got kind of used up in that process.

And I think I was at peace with that. But I think the main theme, though, Geoff, is that I think we got a lot done in that first year that everybody was describing — remember, the word chaos was used in like almost every headline.

And, yes, it was chaotic. And it was less than harmonious, I guess I should say. But I think we worked through a lot of that tension and we put in place, I think, some really important and long overdue correctives to previous unwise policies.

H.R. McMaster. The book is "At War With Ourselves: My Tour of Duty in the Trump White House." It is an intriguing read.

Thanks for being here.

Well…

We appreciate it.

Oh, thanks for the opportunity to be with you, Geoff. Thank you.

Listen to this Segment

Watch the Full Episode

Geoff Bennett serves as co-anchor of PBS News Hour. He also serves as an NBC News and MSNBC political contributor.

As the deputy senior producer for foreign affairs and defense at the PBS NewsHour, Dan plays a key role in helping oversee and produce the program’s foreign affairs and defense stories. His pieces have broken new ground on an array of military issues, exposing debates simmering outside the public eye.

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Harris aims to expand electoral map with two-day Georgia bus tour, Savannah rally

Trump was in Detroit on Monday for a National Guard Association conference speech. He is due back on the campaign trail Thursday and Friday, with a town hall in Wisconsin and rally in Pennsylvania — both key battlegrounds. He spent some of his Monday remarks going after Harris and Biden. “If you have a smart president, you’ll do fine,” Trump said, insinuating that Biden hasn’t been one and Harris would not be one before calling them both “incompetent.”

Trump also accused Harris of trying to take his proposal to get rid of taxes on tips.

“Every time I come in and say really bad things, they end up like I said, ‘No tax on tips.’ It caught on like crazy — no tax on tips,” Trump said to chuckles from the military audience. “This doesn’t affect you guys. You’re not big for tips. … You don’t need tips. But there are a lot of people that no tax on tips is a big deal.

“I went two, three months, and all of a sudden she’s making a speech,” he said. “It goes, ‘Oh, by the way, no tax on tips.’ It didn’t play well. But they do that.”

As Harris was prepping for a planned Sept. 10 debate with Trump and her Georgia swing, senior Trump campaign officials fired off a memo to colleagues advising them not to be surprised if Harris gets “a temporary 2 to 3 point bump” after last week’s Democratic National Convention.

“These bumps do not last,” the senior Trump officials wrote. “While the media is going to focus on the national polls, we need to keep our eye on the ball — that is the polling in our target states. Our goal is to get to 270 [Electoral College votes] and winning these states is how we do it. We’ll let the media make mountains out of molehills, while we keep driving forward.”

Giles Alston, an analyst for Oxford Analytica, wrote in a recent white paper that Harris’ successful convention “merely means the two candidates start the final stretch of the campaign on level terms, making their September debate the next crucial event.” (Oxford Analytica is owned by FiscalNote, which also is the parent company of CQ Roll Call.)

“Although Harris has turned Biden’s deficit in national polls into a marginal lead over Trump and drawn level in several battleground states, that reflects the enthusiasm that greeted her assumption of the candidacy,” Alston added . “However, as the party learned in 2016, a successful convention is no guarantee of a successful election outcome.”

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Harris and Walz Point Their Campaign Bus to Rural Georgia

The Democrats’ presidential ticket will head to the Sun Belt, aiming to sway voters in more conservative areas to their side.

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By Maya King and Nicholas Nehamas

Maya King reported from Atlanta, and Nicholas Nehamas reported from Washington.

• Aug. 28, 2024

Vice President Kamala Harris and Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota, seeking to build Democrats’ momentum in the Sun Belt, will campaign on Wednesday in the rural counties of southeast Georgia before holding a rally on Thursday in Savannah.

Democrats outside the party’s Metro Atlanta engine have long complained that focusing on the capital city, where a majority of Democratic voters in the state live, ignores pockets of supporters in less populous areas. Organizers have emphasized the particular need to engage voters in rural South Georgia and the state’s mountainous northern regions — both heavily conservative parts of the state that will still require high turnout from Black and moderate white voters to keep Democrats competitive.

A visit from the presidential ticket, some rural Democrats say, shows that top party leaders heeded their calls.

“A little does a lot in rural areas,” said Melissa Clink, the former chair of the Democratic Party in Forsyth County, north of the Atlanta suburbs. “If we can get some face time with, especially, the top of the ticket, then not only does that help donors open up their wallets to fund get-out-the-vote operations on the ground but it also inspires more people to do more work because they feel seen.”

The Georgia bus tour is similar to a campaign trip that Ms. Harris and Mr. Walz took to a conservative-leaning county outside Pittsburgh this month. Like South Georgia, Democrats in western Pennsylvania have also said their voters were being unwisely ignored by presidential campaigns. On their tour, Ms. Harris and Mr. Walz made sure to highlight the diversity of the area, engaging with residents in Aliquippa, a former steel town that has a large Black population, where they spent time with a high school football team alongside the former Pittsburgh Steelers star Jerome Bettis. (Mr. Walz is a former high school football coach, which might also play well in Georgia.)

More broadly, Democrats hope Mr. Walz — who flipped a largely rural and more conservative House district in southern Minnesota in 2006 — can help stem their losses with rural and white working-class voters, especially men, who have grown increasingly hostile to their party. He has worked to present a more caring version of masculinity that contrasts with the brash aggressiveness of Mr. Trump.

His party knows it cannot hope to win those rural voters outright. But in what is expected to be a tight election, Democrats are aiming to keep their margins manageable outside the cities and suburbs, something Joseph R. Biden Jr. accomplished during his 2020 campaign. Ms. Harris has made few gains with white men since taking over the ticket.

The Harris campaign says it has invested heavily in rural Georgia, hiring nearly 50 staff members across seven offices, in places including the small cities of Valdosta and Albany close to the Florida line and rural towns like Millen and Cordele, which calls itself the watermelon capital of the world .

Polling shows that Ms. Harris has made Georgia competitive , after it seemed to be slipping out of reach for Mr. Biden. And Mr. Trump has devoted a significant chunk of his advertising budget to the state, suggesting his team also sees the state as being back in play.

In Savannah, where Ms. Harris will hold a rally on Thursday, Democrats are hoping her visit will reignite energy in a city that is home to the second-largest cluster of blue votes in the state.

“Love is an action word — you show people first by your presence,” said Van Johnson, the mayor of Savannah, who has lobbied the Biden and Harris campaigns to campaign in the city for months since Ms. Harris visited in February. “Her presence is going to really be indicative of that esteem she has for our community.”

Maya King is a politics reporter covering the Southeast, based in Atlanta. She covers campaigns, elections and movements in the American South, as well as national trends relating to Black voters and young people. More about Maya King

Nicholas Nehamas  is a Times political reporter covering the presidential campaign of Vice President Kamala Harris.  More about Nicholas Nehamas More about Nicholas Nehamas