About Us

What We Do

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The Hansard Society is the UK’s leading independent, non-partisan political research and education charity. We aim to strengthen parliamentary democracy and encourage greater public involvement in politics. At the heart of our work is the principle that civic society is most effective when its citizens are connected with the institutions and individuals who represent them in the democratic process.

We inform decision makers and engage the public in politics by:

providing a platform for debate on current issues around Parliament, constitutional affairs, participation and engagement
generating wide-reaching recommendations to improve parliamentary and legislative processes through timely and rigorous research
pushing the boundaries of new technology and its abilities to engage the public with policy makers
creating and promoting fresh and accessible resources to help teachers present the citizenship curriculum in an innovative and interesting way
running training sessions for teachers and policy professionals to enable them to understand a range of political issues and processes effectively
bringing students from across the globe to study the British political system and to gain experience through internships in a wide variety of political organisations

Our programmes of work

Citizenship Education – Our dynamic Citizenship Education Programme works with teachers and young people to educate and inform them about parliamentary democracy and develop original ways to involve them in participatory democratic activities. It has a strong reputation for producing innovative and accessible teaching resources and student centered projects to improve engagement and knowledge of the political process.

Parliament and Government – Our authoritative Parliament and Government Programme works on all issues relating to the reform of Parliament, engagement between Parliament and the public and promoting effective parliamentary democracy. We set the agenda on parliamentary reform through our work with MPs, Peers, journalists, clerks, academics and other stakeholders, and our recommendations to improve parliamentary processes are regularly adopted.

Study and Scholars – Our internationally recognised Hansard Scholars and Hansard Research Scholars Programmes operate study courses, in association with the London School of Economics, aimed at improving accessibility and understanding of the British political system. They bring together future leaders from around the world to gain first-hand experience of the British political system, academically and practically through internships in Parliament and with political organisations. Our study courses offer increased knowledge of Parliament and the parliamentary system to journalists, public affairs managers, parliamentary and corporate affairs staff, lobbyists and others working within the political arena.

How our work is funded

As a registered charity, the Hansard Society relies on funding from individual donations, grants from charitable trusts and foundations, corporate sponsorship, and donations from individual parliamentarians from Westminster and the devolved institutions who contribute to our Parliamentary Patrons scheme. Our network of members and supporters come from all major political parties and from the public, private and third sectors. Those who support and work with us do so because we are independent and non-partisan, and our projects and programmes of work have genuinely made a difference to the democratic processes in the UK and beyond.

If you are interested in supporting the Hansard Society, please click here.

What people say about us….

“You don’t have a partisan agenda to push.”

“The Hansard Society keeps Parliament honest.”

“Thorough, enthusiastic, authoritative.”

“In terms of delivery, there are no competitors.”

“The Hansard Society is Parliament’s mirror and our critical friend.”

“Hansard Society is well connected.”

Who We Are

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The Hansard Society is supported by our Co-Presidents, Rt Hon John Bercow MP, Speaker of the House of Commons and Baroness D'Souza Lord Speaker in the House of Lords. We are also supported by our Vice Presidents, Rt Hon Ed Miliband MP, Rt Hon David Cameron MP and Rt Hon Nick Clegg MP.

For biographies and email addresses of members of staff and the council please click on the links below.

Staff

Advisory Council

Our History

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The Hansard Society was established in 1944 to promote the ideals of the parliamentary system of government and to ensure that democracy would be safeguarded by being understood, debated and improved by parliamentarians and the public. Our first members were Winston Churchill and Clement Attlee, and since then the Prime Minister of the day and leaders of the main opposition parties have publicly supported the work of the Hansard Society. The Speaker of the House of Commons is the President of the Hansard Society and the leaders of the three major political parties are our Vice Presidents.

From its inception the Hansard Society has promoted the importance of political education in schools and among our most well-known activities are our Mock Elections, which provide an informative and hands-on way for young people to gain a taste of the electoral process. This work has developed over the years to include forums and debates held online to enable engagement with young people through the use of new technology. The Hansard Society's pioneering work in schools led to what is now called Citizenship Education and we continue to ensure that teachers have free access to knowledge, training sessions and stimulating resources.

Since the 1970s the Hansard Society has organised and published research on many aspects of parliamentary democracy, critically examining social and political developments that affect Parliament, seeking to provide authoritative analysis of problems and suggest practical improvements. One important mechanism for this has been the establishment of independent Commissions of Enquiry chaired by eminent parliamentarians or academics. These have included pioneering work on electoral reform, representation of women, reform of the legislative process and the role of scrutiny in Parliament.

In 1985 the Hansard Society established the prestigious Hansard Scholars and Hansard Research Scholars Programmes in association with the London School of Economics. These programmes attract future political leaders from across the globe, to study and work in Westminster. Since it's creation, the study programme has expanded to include training for charities, journalists, companies and other organisations that need to understand how the parliamentary system works. The innovative and forward thinking eDemocracy Programme was created in 1997 to explore the possibilities, through research and pilot projects, for greater connections between new technologies and politics. The Programme focuses on ways in which democratic institutions can adapt to an age defined by digital communications and how new technology can improve public engagement with politics.In 2000 the Hansard Society extended its work to include issues of devolution and an office in Scotland was set up to respond to the changing political circumstances in British politics. The Hansard Society Scotland Programme holds fringe events at the Scottish National Party's Conference and provides a platform for debate about issues relating to devolution and the Scottish Parliament. It also provides free resources on Citizenship Education to Scottish schools and has recently expanded to include a Hansard Society Scotland Scholars programme in association with the University of Edinburgh.

More than 60 years on, the Hansard Society is universally recognised as the independent and non-partisan authority on Parliament and democracy. Today, our work encompasses a wide range of areas, from citizenship education to the role of Parliament, from devolution to the impact of new media on politics. In addition, we organise events in Westminster with high-profile speakers, host influential seminars and hold popular fringe events at Party Conferences.

Supporting the Hansard Society

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As a charity, the Hansard Society relies on funding from individual donations, grants from charitable trusts and foundations, corporate sponsorship, and donations from individual parliamentarians from Westminster and the devolved institutions who contribute to our Parliamentary Patrons scheme.

Our network of members and supporters come from all major political parties and from the public, private and third sectors. Those who support and work with us do so because we are independent and non-partisan, and our projects and programmes of work have genuinely made a difference to the democratic processes in the UK and beyond.

There are a variety of ways in which you or your organisation could support the Hansard Society and work with us. You could donate to us, become a member, join our Corporate Supporter Programme, become a Parliamentary Partner or sponsor an event:

Message from our Co-Presidents

2007-08-01T21:02:00Z

As a proponent of greater Parliamentary democracy the Hansard Society is incredibly proud to be represented by the speakers of both Houses: our Co-Presidents, the Rt Hon John Bercow MP and the Rt Hon Baroness D'Souza.

Rt Hon John Bercow MP
Speaker of the House of Commons

It is one of my ambitions as Speaker of the House of Commons to reach out more to the world beyond Westminster – to be a robust public advocate for democratic politics and the work of Parliament.

That is why I am delighted to be Co-President of the Hansard Society. The role of the Hansard Society is to promote effective parliamentary democracy through education, information and opportunities for participation. Through my time on the Hansard Society Council, I know how effective this work is and I hope you will take up the many opportunities to get involved. It is your Parliament and our parliamentary democracy depends on listening and responding to what you have to say about it.

Rt Hon Baroness D’Souza
Lord Speaker

One of my most important responsibilities as Lord Speaker is to explain and promote the role of the House of Lords. This building of the public’s understanding of Parliament is something I am committed to and is a vital part of ensuring we are an effective and truly responsive institution. The focus should be on connecting with young people and I particularly value the work of the Hansard Society in this area.

As I begin my term of office, I look forward to working with the Hansard Society in building on the many projects already established as well as developing some fresh initiatives that will do more to open up the work of Parliament. I hope these activities will be of interest and encourage as many people as possible to take part.

Internships

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Hansard Society Internships

The Hansard Society has a long tradition of supporting interns in beginning or further developing their political careers. Many that have worked for us have gone on to distinguished careers in a variety of sectors and organisations including the civil service and Parliament, public affairs consultancies, NGOs and charities, the media and some have attained permanent positions within the Hansard Society. We really appreciate their immense efforts and hard work over the years and attempt to welcome all interns in the same way as any other member of staff. We feel we are able to provide a spring board into a political career through our broad network of contacts and wealth of experience of the political system.

We have a number of internship opportunities available throughout the year working with different programmes and issue areas - if there are current opportunities they will be listed on www.w4mp.org.

We hope to give our interns as wide an experience of our area of work as possible and some new challenges. If you don't believe us why not read some testimonies below.

What you can expect as a Hansard Society intern....

Citizenship Education
An intern in the Citizenship Education department's primary role is to assist in the running of a range of innovative political literacy projects for schools. These projects include The Y Vote Mock Elections and HeadsUp. Other duties include processing orders for citizenship resources, managing databases and research for HeadsUp debates. Attending and supporting other staff at events and external meetings may also be required. Those wanting to work in educational policy and training or with young people would benefit from this type of internship.

Communications and Events
As an intern in the communications department your work will be divided amongst fundraising, events and communications work. Work is widely varied and will allow you to gain an understanding of the breadth of work that the Hansard Society undertakes. You will attend Hansard Society events at the Houses of Parliament, produce daily round-ups of news articles for all the members of staff and edit material for the website, amongst many other things. Interning in the Communications department at the Hansard Society will give valuable experience to those wishing to pursue a career in public affairs, events planning or fundraising.

Parliament & Government
Interns with the Parliament & Government Programme will involve researching background materials for current and prospective projects, and drafting written materials ranging from bullet-point summaries to articles. Other work may include researching biographies for speakers or contributors to publications and monitoring the work of Parliament. This internship would suit those wishing to pursue a career in research, policy or public affairs.

My Experience of the Hansard Society....

Sherri Whitehead - Parliament & Government Intern 2010

The time I spent at the Hansard Society was intellectually rewarding and truly enjoyable. I applied for the internship with the Parliament and Government Progamme so that I could learn more about the institutions and processes of the UK parliament and gain practical experience in research, and that is exactly what happened. I was given the opportunity to research on a wide range of topics and employ a number of research skills. The staff at the Hansard Society were very friendly. I was a co-worker, not just an intern. My efforts were positively acknowledged and the guidance and support provided by the P&G team will forever be appreciated by me. I highly recommend the internship positions at the Hansard Society to anyone that wants to gain knowledge or experience in non-partisan politics.

Katie Russell - Communications and Events Intern 2009

My experience with the Hansard Society has been fantasitc. Nowhere will you find a warmer welcome as an intern. My role has been wide and varied, ranging from a daily media monitor, drafting press releases, producing a monthly newsletter to organising seminars, lectures and receptions. This is brilliant opportunity if you want to emerse yourself in the political, get a grip of the political media landscape and of course know the names faces to watch in 2010! The great thing about working for the Comms team is that you get an overview of each and every programme, touching on all that is done by the society including research publications, youth projects and international visits.

An internship with the Hansard Society is perfect for those looking for a varied and stimulating political experience. Furthermore, there is life after the internship...support, encouragement and advice are there on tap to help you take the next step on your chosen career path.

Daniel Baldwin - eDemocracy Intern 2009

On my first day, I was made to feel like I would play a real part in the work being done. During the weeks to follow, this was borne out and having left, I miss being there! It was a collaborative and stimulating environment to be in, in most part because of how involved I became in a short space of time and how participatory the dynamic of the eDemocracy team is. All this made the time I spent there useful, interesting and worthwhile.

Adrian de Mello - Communications and Events Intern 2008
I had a very enjoyable time at the Hansard Society. Working as a communications intern here you are thrown in at the deep end, really finding out how an organisation like the Hansard Society is run. My work varied widely, from considering invitees for different conferences to browsing through the newspapers everyday to compile a list of the day's most relevant stories.

I was also lucky enough to be given my own project to work on. I met with some academics who were hoping to work with the Hansard Society to kickstart their project Our Democratic Heritage (an attempt to re-engage people to the political process by re-igniting their interest in their democratic past). Following a couple of trips to the British Library and the LSE library, and drawing from suggestions from people throughout the office, I researched into and compiled a list of sites of ‘democratic significance'. I put these onto a database before placing them onto an interactive map. I also developed a website for the project which I hope the next intern will continue to develop where required -- and hope that the Hansard Society will continue to promote the project as it grows in strength over the next few years.

I was made to feel very welcome here - they are a very friendly bunch and from the first day everyone was warm and welcoming. It was both fulfilling and interesting, I learned a great deal in a short time, and would recommend that anyone with an enthusiasm for politics and the political process apply.

Karishma Desai - eDemocracy Intern 2008
I have had a thoroughly enjoyable three months at the Hansard Society. I was given a substantial project to work on during my time in the e-Democracy team. Being given my own project made me feel that I was part of the team as well as that I was actually undertaking work of some importance. It was fascinating to see the large amount of thorough research that was needed for a particular project. By the end I had a very good understanding of the subject matter as well as having discovered the different and most efficient ways of undertaking research. I also was taught how to use the research computer programme, Invivo, where I coded the material I had researched to ascertain the main themes of the area.

There were also always Hansard Society events to attend. I have been to a drinks reception at the House of Lords where I got to meet a number of Lords and Baronesses and their staff. I attended a debate on ePetitions in Westminster and have also been invited to the Hansard Society Reception in the House of Commons. For an internship where you are able to thoroughly develop your research skills on very topical political issues in a friendly and professional environment, the Hansard Society is an excellent choice

Clare Helm - Citizenship Education and Parliament & Government Intern 2007
My internship experience with the Hansard Society has been nothing but enjoyable. I have benefited from having my time split between two programmes, as this has helped me to gain a greater insight into the work of the Society. The staff have made every effort to ensure my internship has been engaging and allowed me to expand the work in my own areas of interest. Being able to attend seminars and a reception at the Speaker's House were highlights of my internship.

My enthusiasm for research has grown through this experience and I think an internship with the Hansard Society would be of great value to anyone who is interested in, and keen to work around, politics.

Will Hoyles - Communications and Events Intern 2007
Interning at the Hansard Society has been a completely different experience to other internships. I was immediately treated as part of the team and it was obvious that while I was here I would be thought of as a full member of staff. At first this was quite intimidating and I had a very steep learning curve but I think I've gained more from the experience, and contributed a lot more, as a result. On my first day I went to a drinks reception with the Speaker of the House of Commons and I've since spent time at seminars attended by cabinet ministers and written copy for important advertising materials.

Everyone has been incredibly supportive and made sure that I've got what I wanted out my time at the Hansard Society, and I have been given a lot of help in trying to find paid employment when I leave, including arranging meetings with senior people at organisations I'd like to work for. I'd recommend interning at the Hansard Society to anyone who wants to gain a broad knowledge about the way political organisations work.

Jenny Stevens - Parliament & Government Intern 2007
Working as an Intern within the Parliament and Government team at the Hansard society has been an exciting, illuminating, and thoroughly enjoyable experience. I was immediately made to feel part of the team, and treated less as an intern, but as a permanent member of staff. The work was engaging, challenging, and worthwhile. I felt that my knowledge and skills were encouraged, enabling me to develop a good understanding of Parliament and the political environment.

The Hansard Society's Parliament and Government team were incredibly supportive of all aspects of my work, and I was given help and support with job applications and careers advice in a professional environment. I would highly recommend an internship to anyone serious about working in a political environment, who wants to work for an excellent organisation and a wonderful team.

Annual Report

2006-04-24T09:34:00Z

The Hansard Society is the UK’s leading independent, non-partisan political research and education charity.

We aim to improve public understanding and involvement with parliamentary democracy, especially among young people, and improve the effectiveness of political institutions.

Click here to read the Hansard Society's Trustees' Report and Financial Statements for the year ended 31 December 2012

Vacancies

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The are currently no vacancies