High flyers: The House Magazine and Boeing welcome parliament's new intake

The occasion was a chance for the new intake to gain a greater understanding of the publication and the position it occupies in Westminster.

Its current editor, Labour MP Gisela Stuart, explained the unique relationship that has developed between the magazine and parliamentarians, since it was first published in 1976.

She said: “It is one of the most intensely political magazines, which nevertheless tries to be not party-political… There is no spin, so if you think about it carefully this is your platform.”

Urging colleagues to embrace the opportunity, Ms Stuart added: “Come and talk to any of us and we will talk to you about what you want to write and when we can publish it… If you have got any suggestions just come and tell us.”    

Second to address attendees, was former House editor and life president Lord Cormack who paid tribute to former Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy, who served on the editorial board.

He described Mr Kennedy as a “very valued member of the team.”

“We spoke frankly to each other every week,” he said, “with only one aim in view; to produce a magazine that was interesting, informative, highly political but totally non-partisan. Because a magazine like this cannot be welcomed across both houses unless it can be trusted in both houses and it can only be trusted if it doesn’t take a partial line, and we never have.

“Of course we have had articles which have been provocative and doubtless we will have them again, but we have always made sure there was balance. And under Gisela’s direction that has been maintained most scrupulously.”

Trumpeting the publication’s status as a wholly private initiative, Lord Cormack expressed his gratitude to the individuals and businesses securing its future.

“We are dependent upon those who subscribe from outside, seeing this as a unique window into Westminster, and we are dependent even more on those who take out advertising space, and who are prepared, as Boeing are today, to help with events and occasions like this and we are extremely grateful to them.”   

Boeing President UK & Ireland Sir Michael Arthur praised the company’s association with House and described its optimistic outlook for the future in the UK.

He said the aerospace industry was “roaring ahead globally and Britain is the second biggest aerospace industry in the world.”
 
Sir Michael added that Boeing had achieved its current successin the UK through partnership with both industry and government, and was “determined to build that up much more during this parliament.”