Crisis in the Commons

1. Set the Scene – Before the chaos of Parliament begins, it’s election time! Participants must form political parties that will lead the nation through six weeks (rounds) of crises. Split into political parties of 3–6 people. Hand out the Funding Tracker, Law Tracker, and Secret Agenda Cards. You can give each party a premade party (from the Party Worksheets) or let them create their own (from the Starter activity). Teams must make all their decisions based on what their party would prioritise, even if they personally disagree!

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“You have just been elected as Britain’s newest government. The country’s in crisis, the public is watching, and your job is to lead the nation through six dramatic weeks in Parliament. Can your team handle the pressure?”

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2.  Play in “Parliament Weeks” (10 minutes each) - Each week, every party will face two challenges and a news update. Decisions must be made before the 10 minute timer ends.

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- Funding the Future: You have £140 million to distribute between 12 vital public sectors. Departments have sent letters requesting money (2 each week), every choice affects the country’s future and your popularity! Decide how to split your £140 million budget carefully. Once you’ve funded a sector, you can’t change it later.

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- Order Order: The Home Office has received a Proposed Law from the public (2 each week). Some are serious, others controversial, and a few might even be ridiculous! Debate the proposal, vote individually, and let the majority decision win. You may only approve six of the twelve laws this year and once approved, there’s no going back. Make your decisions wisely!

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- Breaking News: Each week, your government will face a headline crisis (1 each week), from royal scandals to protests and data leaks. Decide how to respond before the week runs out. Every choice changes your public reputation. Some Breaking News events may require an emergency funding request, teams can choose to redirect part of their budget or risk public backlash if they ignore the crisis.

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- Behind Closed Doors: A secret game within the game! Each player (or small group) receives a secret mission to follow throughout the game. Their goal? Follow their rule without getting caught, while trying to uncover everyone else’s.

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3.  Reveal the Consequences - After each round, open the matching Outcome Cards or Breaking News envelopes to see how your decisions affected Public Support, Media Coverage, and Government Reputation. Record your results on the trackers, and prepare for the next week in Parliament!