Why the British Parliament is called the ‘mother of parliaments’?

The British Parliament was once described as the ‘mother of parliaments’ by the nineteenth century radical John Bright. It is one of the models of democratic government followed by many countries throughout the world, and is result of over 800 years of development and honoured tradition. During its first 400 years, Parliament developed from being the royal debating chamber or, the King’s Great Council, to becoming one of the nation’s key political institutions.

The British Parliament has influenced democratic systems in America and in many European countries, as well as Australia, New Zealand and Canada. In fact, most of the nations that were once part of the British Empire-including India- have parliaments and constitutions that are inspired by the British parliament.