Prompt Cast
The convoluted process of resigning from the British House of Commons
TLDR Resigning from the British House of Commons is illegal, but there is a complex workaround involving the assignment of empty titles. This process, known as "taking the children hundreds," allows MPs to effectively resign from Parliament.
Timestamped Summary
00:00
It is illegal to resign from the British House of Commons, but there is a convoluted way to quit.
02:05
It is illegal to resign from the British House of Commons, a law that dates back to 1624.
03:27
MPs can't resign from the British Parliament, but they can be expelled if they accept an office or place of profit from the Crown without permission from the House of Commons.
04:50
In 1750, MP John Pitt wanted to vacate his seat in Parliament to run for another seat, so he requested a position from the king in order to be removed from Parliament, and the Prime Minister got him appointed as the crown steward and bailiff of the three children hundreds of Stoke, Desborough, and Burnham.
06:00
The legal fiction of "taking the children hundreds" and the appointment to the positions of crown steward and bailiff of the Manor of Northstead are used today to remove sitting members of Parliament who want to resign.
07:12
Resigning from the British Parliament is a complicated process involving the assignment of empty titles, but there have been instances where MPs have resigned without officially resolving the issue.
08:31
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