Ghosts & Hauntings

Paranormal encounters abound at the heart of British politics

By T.K. Randall
January 5, 2025 ·  4 comments

Both Westminster and 10 Downing Street are said to be haunted. Image Credit: David Castor With its ornate and instantly recognizable exterior, the Palace of Westminster - which stands in central London on the banks of the River Thames - has served as the heart of British politics for centuries.

It is perhaps no surprise, then, that some of those who work there on a regular basis believe that it is haunted by the spirits of those who previously roamed its labyrinthine corridors.

Recently, Jo-Anne Crowder - who once worked as aide to House of Commons Sir Lindsay Hoyle - revealed a couple of her own unexplained experiences.

In one instance, she recalled the distinct feeling of a dog rubbing past her leg as she worked, but when she looked down she found that there was no dog in the room.

According to other staff members, reports of phantom dogs have been told in the building for years.

Crowder also experienced another paranormal encounter - this time when she noticed someone else's face reflected back at her in the glass of a door in one of Westminster's many corridors.

"I thought, oh, that's my reflection, I can see myself," she told The Sun. "Don't know what made me think of it, I could see myself. But then I actually thought to myself, that is clearly not my face.""That looks like me, but that is not my face."

"There was definitely a grey-haired lady in this panel of glass."

Westminster isn't the only place in British politics to be home to ghost sightings either - the prime minister's residence of 10 Downing Street has also seen a fair few paranormal occurrences.

A few years ago, the building's facilities manager David Heaton described his own experience.

He had been walking through one of the dining rooms when he felt someone brush past him.

"[I] absolutely jumped out of my skin," he recalled.

After looking around the room, he was quickly able to confirm that there was nobody else there at all.

Source: Metro.co.uk | Comments (4)

Tags: Ghost, Haunting