Westminster Abbey Institute Welcomes New MPs

The event, held in partnership with the House of Commons Service, took place in Politician's Aisle – the area of the Abbey where politicians including William Pitt, William Gladstone and Benjamin Disraeli are honoured. 

The reception was held in addition to the induction programme being offered to all new MPs by the House of Commons Service following last week's General Election. MPs were invited to evensong and a tour of the Abbey, before being welcomed by the Dean of Westminster, the Very Reverend Dr John Hall, the Clerk to the Commons, David Natzler, and the Director of the Institute, Claire Foster-Gilbert. 

Westminster Abbey Institute was established by the Dean and Chapter of Westminster Abbey in November 2013 to revitalise moral and spiritual values in public life, working with the public service institutions around Parliament Square. It provides Parliamentarians of all faiths and none with an opportunity to step back from public life, reflect critically on the good they are trying to do and reconnect with their vocation to public service. 

A service for the new Parliament will be held at St Margaret's Church, Westminster Abbey, at 9.30am on Tuesday 9th June 2015, at which the Archbishop of Canterbury will be preaching.