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The parliament that met 750 years ago in 1265 was one of the most important ever. But it was not the first meeting to be called a parliament. And, long before they was anything called parliament, kings were bringing together assemblies of the most powerful men in the country to discuss the decisions they had to make. These assemblies began to change when kings started to ask not just the great magnates to attend them, but also people who could represent local communities. The king wanted them to agree to new and ever more burdensome taxes. The representatives saw a chance to secure better government from the king.
Contributors— Sophie Ambler Linda Clark Hannes Kleineke John Maddicott Charles Moreton Simon Payling