Earlier today – amidst constitutional crises in the House of Commons and
the House of Lords – 3 Staffordshire school children and their parents
visited Cherie Blair at Number 10 Downing Street, took a tour of Downing
Street (though the Cabinet Room was occupied for crisis meetings over
the controversy of detention without a judge’s authorisation), witnessed
the debate in the House of Lords and toured parts of the House of
Commons. They were accompanied by Michael Fabricant throughout their
visit. The event started at 3.15pm in Parliament, followed by the walk
to Downing Street at 4.15pm, and terminated back at the House of Commons
from 5.30pm until 7pm.

"It was an exciting day for the visitors" says Michael Fabricant.
"Cherie Blair met our group and chatted with us and we were given a tour
of Number 10 by the friendly staff. And with constitutional ping pong
with legislation flying backwards and forwards between the Commons and
the Lords, they couldn’t have visited on a more dramatic day
politically. The only unfortunate thing was that we couldn’t visit the
Cabinet Room as the PM was occupying it at the time in crisis meetings
with his Home Secretary".

The photograph taken in the Terracotta Room of Number 10 Downing Streetshows left to right: Matthew Hoccom (15) from Chase Terrace TechnologyCollege, Michael Fabricant, Alex Bastin (10) from St Michael’s School inLichfield, Cherie Blair, and Mark Smith (12) from Lichfield Cathedral School.

Photograph on the steps of Number 10 Downing Street shows left to right:
Mr Jonathan Smith, Mark Smith (12) from Lichfield Cathedral School, Mr
Mark Bastin, Alex Bastin (10) from St Michael’s School in Lichfield,
Michael Fabricant, Mrs Ruth Hoccom, and Matthew Hoccom (15) from Chase
Terrace Technology College.