Commons

4 May 2026 by Kylie MacFarquharson

“Commons” Rules - Working draft

This is a draft of the rules for a (drinking) game based around parliamentary rules of address.

It is intended to be played as a background drinking game, while other ordinary party activities go on. Think International Drinking Rules, or Pennying.

The game starts by separating spades and hearts (Tories and Labour) from a deck of cards. From these select pairs of face cards (in order : AKQJ) from each of those suits, and enough numbered cards to make up the rest of the players. Shuffle and have players draw face up one by one. Suit of first ace is party in power, ace: PM / LotO, king: (shadow) chancellor, queen: (shadow) foreign secretary, jack: (shadow) home secretary. Remaining numbered cards are backbenchers.

e.g. A game of 9 players: ace and king + 2/3 numbered cards of spades and hearts are placed into a separate pile, shuffled and dealt out face up. The first ace is a spade so the tories are in power, the drawer of that card is the PM, the drawer of the ace of hearts is LotO, of the king of spades is chancellor, of the king of hearts is shadow chancellor, all other players are backbenchers of one party or another.

All communication during the game must follow parliamentary rules of address:

  • Refer to other Members in third person, you is not permitted.
  • Ordinary Members are honourable.
  • Frontbenchers (face cards) are right honourable and referred to by office. e.g. My right honourable friend the Foreign Secretary.
  • Backbenchers are referred to by the constituency in which the player grew up, if they grew up outside the UK, use where they did grow up instead. e.g. The honourable Member for <constituency>.
  • Members of the same party are friend. e.g. My honourable friend.
  • Any lawyers/law students playing are a KC and are learned. e.g. The honourable and learned Member.
  • Agreement should be communicated with hear, hear, clapping is not allowed.

Any violation of these rules is a penalty (a drink). Some variation is allowed if compatible with parliamentary norms (The honourable Member opposite). Members can point out a penalty by raising a point of order, if correct the Member who made the mistake takes a penalty, if incorrect the one who made the point of order takes a penalty.

Flavour:

  • After a Member of the opposition speaks, Members should mutter childishly (for flavour only, don’t be too antisocial).
  • If a Member wishes to avoid a question they can answer something like I refer the honourable Member to the answer I gave moments ago.

Optionally:

A Speaker role, chosen by random draw/host/vote/whoever turned up {latest,earliest} who can add one rule at the start (ideas: anything from international drinking rules), and is referred to as Mr/Madam Speaker. If they are nearby, points of order should be directed at them, otherwise play as usual.