Auction Status
Current High Bid $160 – Charlie C
Bidding details and link at bottom of page.
Paul Keetch – a good friend and Travel Insider Supporter – is also a former three term and prominent Member of Parliament in Britain (he stood down at the most recent election). As a very generous personal favor to me, he has offered to help set up a visit to the ‘Palace of Westminster’ – the building better known as the Houses of Parliament – to a lucky individual or couple, with himself as host.
Paul will conscript a sitting MP to join the three of you as well to ensure you get to see place fully, including the behind the scenes parts, and as an excellent raconteur with 13 years of parliamentary experience (and a political career spanning back to when he became the youngest city councilor ever in Britain) he’s got plenty of stories to regale you with during your visit.
If Parliament is in session Paul will try to arrange tickets to the Strangers Gallery, and he has further kindly offered to have you as his guests to lunch and a drink in one of the several fine restaurants and bars in the building.
If it is a nice day, you might wish to lunch on the terrace alongside the Thames, and perhaps you might want to sup your drink in the famous Strangers’ Bar – a meeting place where some of the most influential people in Britain can have informal discussions about all manner of interesting things. Who can guess who you might not brush shoulders with!
Paul’s background includes a year as an Honorary Lieutenant Commander in the Royal Navy, plus serving as his party’s spokesman on Defense and Foreign Affairs and serving for a while as party Whip. He was an active member of the House Foreign Affairs Select Committee, and is a Freeman of the City of London.
These days he is a principal in a political and business consultancy, accepting high level assignments in the UK and around the world. He also holds some company directorships, and regularly visits the United States and even occasionally the White House.
Oh yes, Paul will also take you to the souvenir shop inside Parliament, so you can buy mementos of what could be a once in a lifetime visit.
Notes : Parliament only sits for 39 weeks each year, and you’d probably prefer to visit when Parliament is in session. It is in recess for much of the summer (and of course, the weekends). Some weekdays are better to visit than others, and Thursdays are best of all. We need to plan the date carefully.
You are welcome to enjoy your visit anytime from now through the end of 2014, subject to Paul being in London and available, and any constraints that may semi-randomly come and go that might interfere with convenient access for your visit. You may enjoy this experience yourself or give it to a friend.
We ask that you agree not to request a return of your much appreciated contribution if you or your chosen designee(s) are unable to use this opportunity, or if security screening results in your being refused admittance. Oh – and do we need to add that traveling from wherever to the Houses of Parliament, and home again afterwards, is your responsibility, not Paul’s? Yes, there are limits, even to his kindness!
I also must make it plain that Paul will be receiving no pecuniary benefit from this. I mention this because Parliament’s conflict of interest rules are strict and to avoid any misunderstandings.
To bid, please send us an email stating your opening bid (higher than the current bid shown above, of course) and the maximum bid you would be prepared to go up to.
If someone outbids you, we’ll counter on your behalf in increments of about 5% of the current amount bid, or $5, whichever is the lower, until such time as either you regain the upper hand or your maximum bid has been exceeded by the other bidder.
If your maximum bid is exceeded and you lose your winning bidder status, we’ll email you so you have a chance to respond further.
You can return to the main auction listing page here.
