Hansard Society

2008: Women and the Vote - 30 June 2008

admin — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 13:04:00 GMT

The coalition celebrates 80 years of universal suffrage

On 2 July 2008, members of the 2008: Women and the Vote campaign (1) will celebrate the 80^th birthday of women finally winning equal voting rights as men (2).

With universal suffrage now eight decades old, the coalition partners are drawing attention to both the progress and the barriers still faced by women in British politics.

The alliance has now called on the British, Scottish and Welsh Governments, and political parties to put gender inequality back to the top of their agendas.

The 2008: Women and the Vote members commented:

Nan Sloane, Director, Centre for Women and Democracy
‘It has taken us 80 years to achieve 127 women MPs (out of 646), and the quality of our democracy is the poorer for the lack of women's active participation in it. We don't want to see another 80 years elapse before our grand-daughters get anywhere near parity of representation - we think this problem can and should be solved much more quickly than that, especially since democracies elsewhere in the world have already managed it.'

Beatrice Barleon, Women's Officer, Electoral Reform Society:
'It is now 80 years since adult men and women won the right to vote on equal terms. Yet still only 1 in 5 Members of our Parliament are women. Our neighbours in Scandinavia have managed it. Spain and even Rwanda have pulled it off (5). Now is the time for Britain to get serious on equality. This will require some more creative thinking than we have seen thus far, and must tackle the structural barriers to greater equality in representation. We have a winner takes all electoral system that experience has shown favours male incumbents. It's time for a change.'

Karen Dargo, Communications Lead, Engender
Our elected representatives should reflect the people they seek to serve. Women make up half the population and the fact that we do not have equal representation in Westminster or Holyrood is a failure of our democracy to truly represent the interests of all it's people.

Having a high number of women in the Scottish parliament 1999-2003 was shown to change the focus of the traditional political agenda and the way politics was carried out - becoming less adversarial and more consensual. Women MSPs also made an impact on the policy agenda with for example, substantial progress on action to tackle domestic violence. Equal representation is good for democracy and good for women.

Katherine Rake, Director, Fawcett Society
Eighty years ago a key milestone for women's rights was reached. However, full political equality for women is still a long way off. The low numbers of women in positions of political power raises serious questions about how open, meritocratic and relevant to the electorate the British political system is.

The call to address gender inequality is not simply a numbers game. It is about governments and political parties recognising the wider cost to democracy and society when women are not equally represented. We cannot afford to delay any longer in taking the steps required to transform the culture of UK politics to achieve a representative democracy that engages and is relevant to all.

Fiona Booth, Chief Executive, Hansard Society:
‘This anniversary is a milestone for how far women have come in the last 80 years but also highlights how much further we have to go to achieve equal political representation between the genders. I would like to call on the major political parties and the House of Commons authorities to work together to encourage more women to stand for Parliament and make the House a more female friendly place. We all need to tackle the pervasive culture of acceptance that means currently only one in five of our MPs are female. More needs to be done if we don't want to find ourselves in the same position 80 years from now. A well-established democracy like ours should be leading the international league tables for female representation, not lagging behind.'

Alexandra Runswick, Deputy Director, Unlock Democracy:
This anniversary is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate how far we have come and to commemorate the trailblazers who got us to where we are now. Without the suffragists and suffragettes this debate would still be stuck in the Victorian age. But in marking their legacy let us invoke their tireless reforming spirit at the same time.

After 80 years only 127 - 1 in 5 MPs are female and only 15 MPs come from a BAME community. One of our greatest challenges remains ensuring our elected representatives resemble the people in whose name they do their jobs. Unlock Democracy continues to campaign for a fair and participatory democracy.

ENDS

Notes to editors:

Further information about the campaign can be found on www.womenandthevote.com

On 6th February 1918, the Representation of the People Act gained royal assent, granting women over 30 and married women the right to vote. This was followed 10 years later by the Equal Franchise Act (2nd July 1928) which extended the franchise to all women over 21.

Join us at Facebook
2008: Women and the Vote http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=8634882182

Partners of the 2008: Women and the Vote campaign

Centre for Women and Democracy
www.cfwd.org.uk

Electoral Reform Society
www.electoral-reform.org.uk

Engender
www.engender.org.uk

The Fawcett Society
www.fawcett.org.uk

The Hansard Society
www.hansardsociety.org.uk

Unlock Democracy
www.unlockdemocracy.org.uk

Spain has currently 36.6 percent women in its lower House. Rwanda has 48.8 percent female Representatives.

Contacts
Contact Beatrice Barleon at the Electoral Reform Society on 020 7202 8600 or email press@womenandthevote.com

Law in the Making launch event

admin — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 12:52:00 GMT

Wednesday 16 July, 2.00-5.30 pm, Portcullis House, Westminster

Keynote Speech by Rt Hon Jack Straw MP

External Influences on the Legislative Process
Alison Harvey, Immigration Law Practitioners Association,
Baroness Warwick of Undercliffe, Universities UK,
John Wright, Federation of Small Businesses
Julia Hobsbawm, Editorial Intelligence

The role of Parliament and Parliamentarians in Influencing Legislation
Baroness D'Souza, Convenor of the Crossbench Peers
Oliver Heald MP
David Heath MP
Rt Hon Patricia Hewitt MP

Law in the Making: Influence and Change in the Legislative Process, a new publication from the Hansard Society, assesses the influences and elements that come together in making the laws of the land. Through five in-depth case studies, it analyses how legislative proposals change as they progress from policy proposal to Act of Parliament. The study contains exclusive interviews with ministers, parliamentarians, officials, pressure groups and others, shedding light on the legislative process and our political system.

Referendums split panel at Hansard Society debate

admin — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 12:58:00 GMT

The Hansard Society was fortunate enough to be joined by a panel of high profile speakers; Dr David Butler, Chris Huhne MP, Rt Hon David Curry MP, Rt Hon Clare Short MP and Steve Richards at it's recent debate entitled Referendums: What are they good for? This meeting covered the issue of referendums and whether (or how) they could be appropriately used in the British political system.

Conservative MP David Curry opened the proceedings by stating that he believed referendums were the ‘landfill site of democracy’ - in his opinion a referendum does not answer the question proposed, but only panders to wider fears that the public hold. For him, a public vote on a single issue represents a challenge to the sovereignty of Parliament and could not be seen as legitimate because of the often low voter turn out. However he did conceed that referendums could have a role to play at local level.

Next, academic Dr David Butler gave a more measured account of the debate surrounding referendums. He pointed out that most countries have used referendums at one time or another but at least five hundred of these have been undertaken by Switzerland. For Dr Butler referendums had a part to play on issues of ethical importance and boarder disputes, but could not deal with the often complicated nature of political debate. His conclusion on the matter was that he felt it is better to be governed by informed politicians than an ‘impatient low turn out public’.

Liberal Democrat MP Chris Huhne appreciated the part that referendums can play in politics as part of a varied political tool kit. He cautioned against the contradictions that can be thrown up when the public vote on single issues, citing the case of proposition thirteen in the state of California. Mr Huhne did suggest that referendums could be effectively used as a safe guard on constitutional matters for example, to hold the House of Commons to account by way of a public vote on legislation that has been passed after a cooling off period.

Next to speak was Independent MP Clare Short who appeared to be the most pro-referendum voice amongst the panel. She pointed out that we talk about referendums like they are not already part of our political setup - a mistake as public votes have helped to shape the British politics on a range of important issues like the European Union and the future of Northern Ireland. For Ms Short, referendums are an essential tool to be used to help reinvigorate an alienated public dissatisfied with current political arrangements that they often feel are damaging British democracy. She highlighted examples like the Iraq War protests to illustrate that people believe that they no longer have a voice that political elites listen to. A referendum could possibly be a way of reconnecting the public with important political debates.

Last to address the audience was The Independent’s Steve Richards. For Mr Richard, referendums do not resolve political problems but instead undermine the opportunity for important debates to take place. He highlighted the fact that the 1975 vote on Europe had solved nothing, as Britain's relationship with Europe was still very much on the political agenda. He highlighted that Government's are able to use referendums as a way of sidestepping debates on important and contraversial issues for example, Tony Blair promised a number of referendums on issues such as electoral reform so that discussion could be held off until a more convenient time.

Issues raised by the audience included; whether referendums should be initiated by the public rather than the legislature, and whether unequal access to money or media influence could skew the outcome. The panel was also asked what issue it would choose to have a referendum on, with all but David Butler wanting one on electoral reform.

For Lord Norton's take on this debate please visit the Lords of the Blog

Blogging and freedom of expression

admin — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 13:22:00 GMT

Blogging has taken off as a low-cost way for individuals to publish online. It's not surprising then that politics and campaigning draws a large number of commentators - from the amateur observer, to the seasoned insider and the marginalised. The internet can help to level the playing field and it can be particularly powerful where oppressive regimes limit citizen's views to demonstrate and stifle a free opposition.

The potential for the internet is perhaps at its greatest in those countries that restrict press and broadcasting freedoms. It has become a medium for citizens to express opinions more openly.

The internet is a tool to communicate within a country and also to ensure that unfiltered alternatives to state-controlled media seep out beyond the borders. Political reformers in Zimbabwe have used the internet to raise global awareness of the electoral crisis, thereby increasing pressure on the government of Robert Mugabe and the ruling ZanuPF party. Whereas political websites there have been able to generate grassroots campaigns, in other countries, net activists have been subjected to a government-led backlash.

In these places, blogging is not without risk. As authoritarian regimes wake up to the power of the internet, they are increasingly likely to widen to net of censorship to include the online. In Iran, the power of political bloggers, who unlike the press had been able to criticise the regime, is being systematically eroded by the introduction of stringent laws that ban political websites. In future, it is feared that Iran's bloggers will face the same harsh penalties experienced by dissident journalists.

Even in countries where censorship is not routinely practiced, there have been attempts to regulate political communications during elections. Sometimes this appears to encroach on individual rights to freedom of expression. Where legislation has been introduced in an attempt to make elections fairer, the result can be a stifling of the local blogsphere.

Whilst South Korea's 2002 general election was largely decided on the internet, it has introduced legislation to curb negative campaigning. The result has been less internet-based election activity, despite world leading levels of broadband penetration. In Japan too, internet campaigning was banned in 2005 because it was thought to marginalise older voters - the very demographic that forms the core support for the ruling party. Candidates' websites were held in stasis during the elections there and breaches penalised.

Such measures may have restricted freedom of expression in Korea and Japan, but in New Zealand, citizen activism has not declined despite the introduction of the Electoral Finance Act 2007 to regulate political activity including the internet; indeed, bloggers have threatened to deliberately flout the law which they say impinges on their rights.

The internet is now a key tool in the fight for freedom, democracy and basic human rights. Last year, 36 bloggers were arrested for using the internet to organize civil society, expose corruption or human rights abuses or to criticize governments and politicians.

Karishma Desai
Intern, eDemocracy Programme
eDemocracy[@]hansard[.]lse[.]ac[.]uk

Test Blog post 1

admin — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 09:26:00 GMT

this is just a test please ignore

Hansard Society to give evidence to Finance Committee's Review of the Budget Process - 13 June 2008

admin — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 10:34:00 GMT

Alex Brazier, joint author of the Hansard Society's 2006 report The Fiscal Maze; Parliament, Government and Public Money will be giving evidence to the Finance Committee's review of the parliamentary budget process on Tuesday June 17.

The Fiscal Maze examined the Westminster Parliament's financial scrutiny and accountability. It investigated:

Which mechanisms could strengthen Parliament's ability to carry out financial scrutiny?
What can be done to ensure that this scrutiny work has more of an impact?

Findings and recommendations of The Fiscal Maze were influential on the Westminster Parliament's Liaison Committee Report Parliament and

Government Finance: Recreating Financial Scrutiny (published in April 2008).

The Fiscal Maze; Parliament, Government and Public Money (A. Brazier & V. Ram, July 2006) is available to download.

For further information, contact Virginia Gibbons on 020 7438 1225, 07812 765 552 or mediaprog@hansard.lse.ac.uk

Editors' Notes

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
The Finance Committee launched a review of the Parliament's process for scrutinising the Scottish Government's budget on March 27, 2008
Alex Brazier is Director of the Hansard Society's Parliament and Government Programme which undertakes research on political and constitutional reform
Hansard Society Scotland provides an independent and non-partisan platform in Scotland to consider issues relating to the Scottish Parliament and the implications and lessons for other parts of UK parliamentary democracy. The programme includes events and activities to bring together MSPs and staff of the Parliament, political journalists and academics, modern studies teachers, corporate affairs staff in the private and voluntary sector, and others with an interest in parliamentary democracy in Scotland.

Lord Speaker's Competition - Winners Announced!

admin — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 10:25:00 GMT

The winners of the Lord Speaker's competition for young people 2008, have attended the winners’ day at the House of Lords and presented their findings to a special sitting of the House of Lords Science and Technology Sub-committee on Waste Reduction.

The winners were:

Key Stage 3: William Lewis and Harry Roffey from Bodiam Manor School for their in-depth investigation into why plastic cannot be recycled in their local area, quizzing the local council and supermarket in the process. The team presented their findings in a PowerPoint presentation.

Key Stage 4: Josie Palmer and Katie Leivers from Ridgeway School presented an examination of what could be done to reduce waste using an eye-catching collage. To really bring the message home, the team raided senior staff's wastepaper bins and got creative with what they found.

Key Stage 5: Mark Malik, Alice Jones, Daniel Beech, Sultana Akhtar and Matthew Jones from Joseph Leckie School set themselves the challenge of coming up with an innovative solution to the waste reduction problem and the result was a reusable shopping bag scheme. By using recycled materials and a community-centred approach, this social enterprise looks set to rid their community of plastic carrier bags.

The competition, run in partnership with the Hansard Society's Citizenship Education Programme, asked young people to submit their ideas on how to reduce the amount of waste the UK produces. Over 87 teams of young people submitted their ideas in the form of short films, animations, collages, essays, research papers and presentations.

Entries covered issues including the role of councils in recycling and the contribution of big business and were then judged by an eminent panel including the Lord Speaker and the Chairman of the House of Lords Sub-Committee on Waste Reduction, Lord O’Neill.

While the winners presented their findings in person, every entrant to the competition will have their voice heard by the Sub-Committee as a report compiling the entries has been submitted to Lord O’Neill for response. It is not just the winners who will have their views heard as the Hansard Society have compiled a report based on all entries which Lord O’Neill will respond to.

Since when did eGovernment need the Royal Mail?

admin — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 12:19:00 GMT

eGovernment is supposed to save us time (and them money). It is supposed to make things easier and more accessible for citizens. Well, that's the theory at least. The reality can be somewhat different.

I've moved, so decided to order a new drivers license. You can do this online via DirectGov. In theory it's a simple exercise. I have a digital passport (so no need for a new picture) and I have my Government Gateway User ID.

Good. Only trouble is I have no idea what my password is. Why would I. I never use it. I know the number (it's on the card) and I've tried every possible combination of every possible password I have ever used. Not working.

No worries, you can reset the password.

Well, you can.... But to do this, you have to provide information to confirm who you are: Name, date of birth and address. Not unreasonable but I'll come back to this.

You then answer three security questions set up months, even years, before. If you're like me these aren't something you're going to get right straight away. Eventually I narrowed down the options, an exercise in mental contortion in its own right. The system told me it would send me a new password. By post. To the address I entered. Hello! I don't live there anymore, do I! That's what I wanted to change in the first place.

Apart from being hugely frustrating for the user (me), this is also a really badly designed system. And not exactly secure either. Posting me a password to an old address is possibly the most stupid way you could do this, short of scribbling it on a beer mat and leaving it on the bar in some random pub.

And the point of this is? If we are to engage people online, get them transacting online, participating online and eager to come back and do it again (online), then the visitor experience must be a pleasant and successful one. Bluntly, it must be easier and more convenient than doing any other way: It must work for the user.

This is a classic example of a system designed on the inside, by the inside, for the inside. This paradigm died years ago and is even more inappropriate in a web environment.

If government is serious about working online then online needs to work.

Andy Williamson
Director, eDemocracy Programme
a[.]williamson[@]hansard[.]lse[.]ac[.]uk

Hansard Society eNewsletter - June 2008

admin — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 11:58:00 GMT

Hansard Society News
Budget evidence to be given to Scottish Committee
2008: Women and the Vote Campaign

Events
Referendums: What are they good for?

Hansard Society News
Budget evidence to be given to Scottish Committee
Alex Brazier, Director of the Hansard Society's Parliament and Government Programme, will be giving evidence to the Finance Committee's review of the parliamentary budget process in the Scottish Parliament on Tuesday June 17 2008. Alex co-authored the publication The Fiscal Maze (July 2006), which looked at the ways in which Parliament holds Government to account on the raising and spending of public money. He will be discussing with the Finance Committee, the report's recommendations, and whether any parrallels can be drawn between budgetary processes in Westminster and the Scottish Parliament.

2008: Women and the Vote Campaign
2008 marks 90 years since the Representation of the People Act gave women the right to vote and 80 years since women won equal voting rights with men. The 2008: Women and the Vote campaign is an alliance between a number of organisations - including the Hansard Society - that are celebrating women's achievements over this time and also highlighting the gulf in political representation between men and women that still exists. This lack of political equality is shown by the fact that in the 90 years since women gained the vote there have only been 291 women MPs out of a wapping total of 4654! If you think this is unacceptable in 2008 sign up to the campaign and encourage your MP or MEP to do the same. The alliance will be holding events to mark this anniversary throughout the whole of 2008 so watch this space....

Events
Referendums: What are they good for?
Tuesday 17 June, 6.45 - 7.45pm, House of Commons

Speakers:
Dr David Butler, Oxford University
David Curry MP
Chris Huhne MP, Shadow Secretary of State for Justice
Steve Richards, The Independent
Rt Hon Clare Short MP
Chair - Virginia Gibbons, Hansard Society

This meeting will discuss the highly topical issue of the role of referendums in the British political system. Can they be used in a representative Parliamentary democracy without usurping the power of our elected representatives? What issues are appropriate to be put to a referendum? How can we ensure that referendum outcomes are not skewed by political or financial resources? To register click here.

Until next time......

Beccy Allen
Events and Communications Coordinator

Hansard Society's Audit of Political Engagement discussed on Radio 4

admin — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 09:49:00 GMT

Alex Brazier, Director of the Hansard Society's Parliament and Government programme, was interviewed on his thoughts about political engagement (or the lack of it) as highlighted in the most recent Audit of Political Engagement. Tony Benn, Iain Dale, Anne McElvoy and Liam Fogarty also gave their thoughts on this issue.

To listen to the programme click here.

Overcoming the ostrich approach to broadband

admin — Thu, 22 May 2008 14:05:00 GMT

Broadband is a critical delivery channel for effective eDemocracy. It's more than speed, it's about always on, ubiquitous access to the internet - when you want it, where you want it. Ofcom's latest statistics on broadband adoption show that rural areas are not only catching up with but inching ahead of the cities for the first time.

There are, however, only a few points to be pleased about in this data. Unlike Katie Allen in the Guardian, who claims that ‘fears of [a] digital divide are groundless', I would argue that this data demonstrates only too starkly that there is a significant digital deficit in this country and that, despite a lot of good intention and some excellent projects, it is not really improving. Broadband penetration in the countryside might be increasing but only insofar as it's reached the now-stalled levels in the cities. This isn't a great leap forwards, it's catch-up.

Using the Ofcom numbers (which I personally think are a little conservative), we're excluding over 40% of the population from digital participation. I'm ignoring the numbers on digital television as this only becomes a viable channel when it is fully interactive and most isn't. Go to Liverpool and the numbers swing around the other way, 60% of the population lacks broadband and it is even worse in Glasgow.

So what do Glasgow and Liverpool have in common? They're poor. Sunderland is lauded as bucking the trend, which is great. But is this an indicator of things to come or an exception to the rule? Most likely the latter where the efforts of some determined people in the community have led to a surge in broadband connectivity and usage.

Sunderland is no more than an isolated example but it does demonstrate that a grounded approach to broadband adoption works. To move beyond the current head-in-the-sand impasse, such strategies need to be implemented on a scale that targets many communities but in a way that each community is tackled at the grass roots. A national strategy with localised solutions is important because we become motivated to do something by those around us who we know and trust, not by slogans and campaigns.

Andy Williamson
Director, eDemocracy Programme
a[.]williamson[@]hansard[.]lse[.]ac[.]uk

High Court right to force disclosure of MPs’ expenses - 16 May 2008

admin — Fri, 16 May 2008 13:11:00 GMT

Transparency and accountability vital for Parliamentary democracy

The Hansard Society welcomes the High Court ruling that MPs should disclose their expenses to the public.

Alex Boughton, Deputy Chief Executive of the Hansard Society commented:

“At a time when trust in our elected representatives is at a very low ebb it is important that politicians are accountable to the public they serve and are seen to be bound by the same conventions as the electorate. Transparency is key to a well functioning democracy and greater openness can only help restore trust in politics and faith that our representatives are spending public money in the most effective way.

“MPs’ expenses are clearly necessary to allow our representatives to serve the electorate to a high standard but it is also important that any abuses of trust are able to be highlighted and dealt with. This ruling is important to sustain Parliamentary democracy and accountability.”

For further information, contact Beccy Allen, Hansard Society Events and Communications Coordinator on 020 7438 1210 or mediaprog@hansard.lse.ac.uk

Editors' Note
• The Hansard Society is the UK's leading non-partisan political research and education charity which exists to strengthen parliamentary democracy and encourage greater public involvement in politics

Hansard Society eNewsletter - May 2008

admin — Wed, 14 May 2008 14:06:00 GMT

Hansard Society News
Hansard Society Chair pays tribute to Lord Holme

Researching with Communities - New book published

Events
Parliamentary e-Petitions: Politics lite?

Teachers and Young People
HeadsUp Forum: 9 June - 27 June

Hansard Society News
Hansard Society Chair pays tribute to Lord Holme
Peter Riddell pays tribute to his Hansard Society Council colleague and the former Chair of the Society, after the sad news of the death of Lord Holme over the weekend. Peter said:

"Richard Holme, Lord Holme of Cheltenham, who died at his home in Sussex on Sunday after a long battle with cancer, was central to the expansion of the Hansard Society to its current size and prominence. He served for three decades on our Council and for six years as our Chairman, until June last year. Throughout, he displayed an uncanny skill and astuteness, both in spotting where the next opportunities lay for the Society and in his dealings with members of the Council, with staff, and supporters in Parliament and outside. He always saw the big picture and ensured that the Society was actively involved in new challenges affecting Parliament. Apart from the expansion of the Society under his Chairmanship - which largely overlapped with Clare Ettinghausen's period as Chief Executive - he set up a successful and influential commission under the Hansard Society's auspices into how Parliament should communicate with the public. This was chaired by Lord Puttnam, now a Vice Chair on the Hansard Society's Advisory Council.

"But, above all, Richard Holme had a zest and enthusiasm for politics, combined with a commitment to improving the way we are governed. His long involvement with the Hansard Society went alongside his leading part in the debate over constitutional reform and his role as a close adviser on strategy to David Steel and Paddy Ashdown as leaders of the Liberals and, then, the Liberal Democrats. Richard Holme was a generous, warm and witty man who will be much missed by all who knew him and everyone at the Hansard Society."

Researching with Communities - New book published
Hansard Society eDemocracy Director, Andy Williamson, launched a new book at the end of April called Researching with Communities: Grounded perspectives on engaging communities in research. It provides guidance, examples and discussions for researchers that are aiming to promote a community voice in their work. This book looks at the issues from an international perspective with chapters drawn from a range of disciplines including; community development, mental health, migration and refugees, and community technology. It draws on the experiences of researchers and community practitioners to explore what community based research means in a variety of settings and how it can be carried out meaningfully, respectfully and inclusively.

Events
Parliamentary e-Petitions: Politics lite?
Tuesday 20 May, 6 - 7.15pm, House of Commons

Speakers include:
Bethan Jenkins AM, Member, Petitions Committee (Assembly for Wales)
Rt Hon Greg Knight MP, Chair, Procedure Committee
Andy Williamson, Director, eDemocracy Programme, Hansard Society

Chair: Pete Picton, Online Editor, The Sun
This event will debate the implications of the Procedure Committee’s recent report on e-Petitions, discuss what the next steps might be, how the process might work to ensure that the public are engaged and limit disillusionment with Parliament.

To register please click here.

Teachers and Young People
HeadsUp Forum: 9 June - 27 June
NHS at 60......
What's your assessment of this institution in the 21st century?
HeadsUp is an online forum that encourages young people to debate topics that have been chosen by young people. This months forum is on the NHS and the future of health care in Britain. The following key questions will be put to young people in the debate:

Pay as you go……should we be taxed for health care or make our own arrangements?
Hitting the mark……do targets on standards of health care, waiting times etc help deliver results?
Behind the stats……what are your experiences of the NHS?
Treatment for all?…….should people be allowed to get plastic surgery and treatment for obesity on the NHS?

Key health legislators from the major political parties will be invited to debate the important issues with young people.

Until next time......

Beccy Allen
Events and Communications Coordinator

Researching with Communities - new book published

admin — Fri, 09 May 2008 09:51:00 GMT

Hansard Society eDemocracy Director, Andy Williamson, launched a new book at the end of April called Researching with Communities: Grounded perspectives on engaging communities in research. It provides guidance, examples and discussions for researchers that are aiming to promote a community voice in their work. This book looks at the issues from an international perspective with chapters drawn from a range of disciplines including; community development, mental health, migration and refugees, and community technology. It draws on the experiences of researchers and community practitioners to explore what community based research means in a variety of settings and how it can be carried out meaningfully, respectfully and inclusively.

Could eDemocracy make the democratic deficit worse?

admin — Thu, 08 May 2008 15:18:00 GMT

It was entirely possible to engage in last week’s local government elections without being online. I’m not sure if the web was the icing on the cake or just another channel in the London Mayoral campaigns but it certainly played a part. Beyond London, the use was more muted, perhaps because local government is more about micro-campaigning and highly localised issues; on the ground counts more than online, for now at least.

The internet permeates all levels of national politics and it is becoming more prevalent within local government too. Councillors in Bath and North East Somerset are using Facebook to overcome the out-dated attitude of their council officers towards the online engagement. Many councillors now use email, the web and are blogging. Last week ICELE launched its new ‘blog-in-a-box’ toolkit to encourage the latter.

As someone working in eDemocracy, I view this gradual shift positively. However, I also retain a concern that, whilst politics moves further online, we seem to be doing little to close the gap between those with access to the internet and those without.

Internet access figures for the UK seem to be stalled at around 60%. Community ICT projects continue and are valuable but I know from my own research that what matters isn’t just being able to get to the internet – effective use requires a level of immediacy. There is a digital deficit in this country and it is caused by lack of money, lack of education, lack of skills to use the technology and a lack of motivation to engage.

How can we as eDemocracy advocates continue to push online engagement and choose to ignore this elephant in the corner of the room?

If we fail to incorporate strategies that enhance effective adoption then we are complicit in perpetuating the digital deficit. Worse still, we risk extending, not closing, the democratic deficit when we push for more online engagement without at the same time working to get more people online.

Andy Williamson
Director, eDemocracy Programme
a[.]williamson[@]hansard[.]lse[.]ac[.]uk

Parliamentary e-Petitions - Politics lite? - 7 May, 2008

admin — Thu, 08 May 2008 13:56:00 GMT

Tuesday 20 May, 6-7.15pm, House of Commons

Speakers:

Richard Allan, Government Affairs Director, Europe, Cisco Systems
Bethan Jenkins AM, Member, Petitions Committee
Rt Hon Greg Knight MP, Chair, Procedure Committee
Andy Williamson, Director, eDemocracy Programme, Hansard Society

Chair:

Pete Picton, Online Editor, The Sun

This event will debate the implications of the Procedure Committee's recent report on e-Petitions, discuss what the next steps might be, how the process might work to ensure that the public are engaged and to limit disillusionment with Parliament.

To register for this event, please click here

Hansard Society Chair pays tribute to Lord Holme

admin — Tue, 06 May 2008 09:48:00 GMT

Peter Riddell pays tribute to his Hansard Society Council colleague and the former Chair of the Society, after the sad news of the death of Lord Holme over the weekend. Peter said:

"Richard Holme, Lord Holme of Cheltenham, who died at his home in Sussex on Sunday after a long battle with cancer, was central to the expansion of the Hansard Society to its current size and prominence. He served for three decades on our Council and for six years as our Chairman, until June last year. Throughout, he displayed an uncanny skill and astuteness, both in spotting where the next opportunities lay for the Society and in his dealings with members of the Council, with staff, and supporters in Parliament and outside. He always saw the big picture and ensured that the Society was actively involved in new challenges affecting Parliament. Apart from the expansion of the Society under his Chairmanship - which largely overlapped with Clare Ettinghausen's period as Chief Executive - he set up a successful and influential commission under the Hansard Society's auspices into how Parliament should communicate with the public. This was chaired by Lord Puttnam, now a Vice Chair on the Hansard Society's Advisory Council.

"But, above all, Richard Holme had a zest and enthusiasm for politics, combined with a commitment to improving the way we are governed. His long involvement with the Hansard Society went alongside his leading part in the debate over constitutional reform and his role as a close adviser on strategy to David Steel and Paddy Ashdown as leaders of the Liberals and, then, the Liberal Democrats. Richard Holme was a generous, warm and witty man who will be much missed by all who knew him and everyone at the Hansard Society."

There are also obituaries of Lord Holme in The Times, The Guardian, The Daily Telegraph, The Financial Times and the BBC.

From government online to opposition online

admin — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 14:29:00 GMT

There are a few studies now that look at how MPs are using the web. We're starting to build up a picture of how this is changing over time - from some of the garish early attempts to the slick template-driven virtual companion now seemingly de rigueur with Members. In the UK, however, there's one online phenomenon we've yet to see.

The rise in digital parliamentarians has occurred with no change in power and the same parties remaining in opposition. We are yet to see what effect (if any) switching from one side of the debating chamber to the other has on how MPs use their websites.

In Canada, where the ruling Liberals were turned out into opposition, anecdotally it would look like their web-efforts have stalled. Do political websites suffer the same post-defeat malaise as the physical party? Or is this just a localised event? Interesting too that, according to a Canadian colleague, members of the now ruling Conservatives seems to have ramped up their online activities. Again, is this a co-incidence or an effect of the new found confidence that electoral success brings?

We've got another chance to see whether this pattern is repeatable, this time in Australia. A rout of the Liberal-led Coalition at the last election saw them decimated and the Australian Labor Party in the unfamiliar position of governing. It's perhaps a little early to tell what impact this might have on how and how well individual MPs and Senators use the internet but there are clearly some change already taking place. The now-opposition spokesman on the environment suggests that the internet can be used to demonstrate that the Coalition is serious about issues such as climate change. The Sydney Morning Herald reports Liberal-party sources as recognising that the, 'Coalition "failed abysmally" to fully recognise the importance of the internet during the 2007 federal election campaign, and that John Howard's stilted YouTube appearances did more harm than good.' Strategies are now being developed to change this, including a new Liberals online forum to be launched soon. The model for this online revival, David Cameron's website, of course!

There's one other category of politician who haven't really been covered in the research so far but for whom the internet seems to be playing an increasingly important role. This is the prospective parliamentary candidate hoping to dislodge the incumbent MP. There's evidence that many prospective candidates are turning to the web not just to promote but also to marshal willing bands of door-knockers and leaflet deliverers in their patch via social networking sites. This is an interesting point because, as Lord Norton noted in a recent journal article*, the incumbent MPs appears to have a distinct advantage in this area, even more so after voting themselves a £10,000 allowance for ICT (some spend considerably more than this on their web presence).

As the UK moves closer to a general election it will be interesting to watch the role that the internet plays not only in the formal campaign but in the lead up to it. Can prospective new members of parliament make any impact online, indeed can they use the internet to steal a march on the campaign proper? Or do the resources, time and skills available to elected members mean that this really isn't a level playing field? Watch this space!

Andy Williamson
Director, eDemocracy Programme
a[.]williamson[@]hansard[.]lse[.]ac[.]uk

* Norton, P. (2007). Four Models of Political Representation: British MPs and the Use of ICT. Journal of Legislative Studies, 13(3), 354-369.

Lords of the Blog goes global!

admin — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 09:42:00 GMT

Lords of the Blog, the Hansard Society's innovative, blogging experiment, has attracted interest from countries as distant as Australia, America and Japan. Contributors to Lords of the Blog, such as Lord Soley, Lord Tyler and Baroness D'Souza have been discussing their new pet project far outside the confines of the 'Westminster Village' and interest in this unique blog has been growing.

The Guardian Public magazine named Lords of the Blog as their 'Website of the Month' this April and Lord Soley has been discussing the project with the Community Radio Network in Australia. To listen to the interview with Lord Soley click here. To post comments on Lords of the Blog you don't need to register - just visit - http://lordsoftheblog.net and let them know what you think.

Hansard Society eNewsletter - April 2008

admin — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 11:05:00 GMT

Hansard Society News
Hansard Society contributes to report on e-Petitions

Lords of the Blog – watch the interview

Teachers and Young People
Y Vote Mock Mayoral Elections

And Finally.....
Hansard Society Scotland Research Scholars Update

Hansard Society News
Hansard Society contributes to report on e-Petitions
The Hansard Society welcomes the first report of the House of Commons Procedure Committee on the introduction of parliamentary e-Petitioning. The report paints a positive picture for the future of e-Petitions but raises cautions about their introduction alongside the traditional written petition.

Peter Riddell, Chair of the Hansard Society and Dr Laura Miller, Senior Researcher on our eDemocracy Programme, gave evidence to the committee in January expressing support for the e-Petitions project in general. However, they stressed that the process of any e-Petitioning system should take precedence over the technology, and that it should be a two-way exchange to ensure petitioners are kept updated about the progress and outcome of their petition. Basing e-Petitions within Parliament, where the current (non-electronic) petitioning system resides, was also highlighted as an important move away from the high profile e-Petitioning system created by 10 Downing Street.

Lords of the Blog – watch the interview
The most recent Hansard Society project - Lords of the Blog - has so far taken the world of blogging by storm. The House of Lords appears to be an institution much misunderstood by the public, many of whom have no idea what Peers do and who inhabits the second chamber, but this is starting to change.

The project, commissioned by the House of Lords authorities, is in a six-month experimental phase after which its success will be evaluated by the Hansard Society and its contributors will take sole control. Lords Norton and Tyler, two of the most prolific and enthusiastic peers supporting the project, were recently interviewed by Catch 21, an internet television channel run by young people for young people. They give a brief introduction to the project and what it involves for them. Watch the interview here.

Teachers and Young People
Y Vote Mock Mayoral Elections
We are now only weeks away from the Greater London Assembly elections and the end of what has been one of the most colourful Mayoral campaigns London has witnessed. 1 May 2008 is the big day for registered voters, but also for the thousands of young people who have registered to vote in the Y Vote Mock Mayoral Elections. For many young people, this will be their first taste of democracy and a valuable opportunity to get to grips with the inner workings of the GLA and its voting systems.

Teachers and students are able to run a Y Vote Mock Election anywhere and at any time. However, Thursday 1 May provides the perfect opportunity to recreate the buzz and excitement of the local council or Greater London Assembly elections. Comprehensive teacher resources and student support are available free of charge to schools.

Results of the Y Vote Mock Mayoral Elections are due to be published two weeks after the real results and will be published online. To find out more or get your school involved in this flexible, active citizenship project, register online today at www.mockelections.co.uk.

And Finally….
Hansard Society Scotland Research Scholars Update
The Hansard Society Scotland Programme has just completed a very successful first intake of Hansard Society Research Scholars, in association with the University of Edinburgh. During the three-month programme, scholars carried out a 12-week internship placement in the Scottish Parliament, attended a specialised course in Multi-Level Democracy & Public Policy in the UK at the University of Edinburgh, took part in political study visit's to London and Glasgow, and attended a series of high profile guest lectures. Sunday 1 June is the deadline for the Autumn 2008 intake.

Parliament must do more to scrutinise government spending

admin — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 10:18:00 GMT

Liaison Committee’s recommendations on financial scrutiny a real step forward

The Hansard Society welcomes the House of Commons’ Liaison Committee report on financial scrutiny and urges Parliament to do more to scrutinise and seek accountability for government spending.

The Hansard Society’s report The Fiscal Maze; Parliament, Government and Public Money (2006), made several proposals to improve Parliament’s financial scrutiny functions (detailed below). The Hansard Society welcomes the Liaison Committee’s recommendations which, if implemented, represent a real move in the right direction.

In particular, we endorse the Committee’s recommendations that there should be better and more comprehensible financial information from government and more time for debate and inquiry on government spending plans. Proposals to give Parliament opportunities to debate or vote on individual programmes or items of expenditure would strengthen Parliament’s scrutiny role. In total, the Committee’s proposals signal a change in how Parliament prioritises this crucial work.

Alex Brazier, Director of the Hansard Society Parliament and Government Programme, and joint author of The Fiscal Maze, commented:

'Effective scrutiny of government spending is essential for the operation of good government. Everyone - Parliament, Government and the public - has a strong interest in making sure that there is full transparency, debate and accountability of public money. The Liaison Committee's proposals should make a difference in achieving that.’

The Fiscal Maze report’s recommendations included:

Parliamentary committees should make greater use of the time between the pre-Budget report and the main Budget to take evidence on the government’s plans and feed its recommendations back to government;
Parliament should become fully involved in the process leading up to the Comprehensive Spending Review;
A parliamentary committee should consider the entire Finance Bill in draft;
Parliament should improve its scrutiny of tax legislation and administration; options include establishing a separate Tax Administration or Taxation Committee in the Commons;
To give a higher priority to financial scrutiny, Parliament should consider piloting a Finance and Audit Sub-Committee for selected select committees.
There should be more systematic follow-up of the reports of the National Audit Office and Public Accounts Committee.

Click here to download a PDF of The Fiscal Maze; Parliament, Government and Public Money (A. Brazier & V. Ram, July 2006)

Parliament must do more to scrutinise government spending, says Hansard Society - 21 April, 2008

admin — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 09:41:00 GMT

Liaison Committee's recommendations on financial scrutiny a real step forward

The Hansard Society welcomes the House of Commons' Liaison Committee Report on financial scrutiny and urges Parliament to do more to scrutinise and seek accountability for government spending.

The Hansard Society's report The Fiscal Maze; Parliament, Government and Public Money (2006), made several proposals to improve Parliament's financial scrutiny functions (detailed below). The Hansard Society welcomes the Liaison Committee's recommendations which, if implemented, represent a real move in the right direction.

In particular, we endorse the Committee's recommendations that there should be better and more comprehensible financial information from government and more time for debate and inquiry on government spending plans. Proposals to give Parliament opportunities to debate or vote on individual programmes or items of expenditure would strengthen Parliament's scrutiny role. In total, the Committee's proposals signal a change in how Parliament prioritises this crucial work.

Alex Brazier, Director of the Hansard Society Parliament and Government Programme, and joint author of The Fiscal Maze, commented:

'Effective scrutiny of government spending is essential for the operation of good government. Everyone - Parliament, Government and the public - has a strong interest in making sure that there is full transparency, debate and accountability of public money. The Liaison Committee's proposals should make a difference in achieving that.'

For further information, contact Virginia Gibbons on 020 7438 1225, 07812 765 552 or mediaprog@hansard.lse.ac.uk

Editors' Notes

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.
The Fiscal Maze report's recommendations included:

Parliamentary committees should make greater use of the time between the pre-Budget report and the main Budget to take evidence on the government's plans and feed its recommendations back to government;
Parliament should become fully involved in the process leading up to the Comprehensive Spending Review;
A parliamentary committee should consider the entire Finance Bill in draft;
Parliament should improve its scrutiny of tax legislation and administration; options include establishing a separate Tax Administration or Taxation Committee in the Commons;
To give a higher priority to financial scrutiny, Parliament should consider piloting a Finance and Audit Sub-Committee for selected select committees.
There should be more systematic follow-up of the reports of the National Audit Office and Public Accounts Committee.

Download The Fiscal Maze; Parliament, Government and Public Money (A. Brazier & V. Ram, July 2006)

Getting personal makes blogging a success

admin — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 11:17:00 GMT

It's safe to say that one would seldom associate the House of Lords with the cult of personality or, as a number of commentators have pointed out, with the internet. The Hansard Society knew differently on the latter as we've been working with their Lordships behind the scenes, prior to the launch of Lords of the Blog in March. We're also starting to change our mind on the former too, as we'll explain later.

The aim of the project was to provide access to what the House of Lords does, written as a commentary by peers themselves. We hoped it would be educational, we hoped too that it would allow a glimpse into the upper chamber in a way that helped the general public start to get what it does.

What we didn't expect was for the peers themselves to turn into the stars of the show. It's obvious really, but blogging isn't like writing for print. It's not like making political speeches, it's certainly a world away from the formalities and tradition of the House and it's definitely different to writing an academic paper. Yet Lord Norton, a self-confessed ‘political anorak', has demonstrated a willingness to disclose, a good dose of humility and a genuine desire to engage people. These are all ingredients in an interesting and successful blog.

Other peers have also provided some significant insights not just into the workings of the House of Lords but into their parliamentary lives. It's clear even at this early stage that they are enjoying the medium and the visitor statistics and survey feedback shows that the public are too. The site had 4,000 hits on the first day and receives hundreds of visitors every day, with obvious peaks when an interesting or topical post is added. It appears timely, certainly the media coverage has been positive not just in the UK but also from Australia and the US and the Google search results run to 20 pages already!

One of our fears in launching this project was that the blogsphere can be notoriously feral. Hardly appropriate for a website that is after all funded by the House of Lords! You only have to look at the Guardian's ‘Comment is free' to see what can happen! Yet, Lords of the Blog has received very positive feedback (OK, some of you thought the design was dull, but it's really not about the design... this isn't a Virgin franchise, it's the House of Lords). And the quality of comments is overwhelmingly high, impressively so from our point of view. These comments in fact demonstrate the real need for a forum such as this where people can not just passively learn about the House but also ask questions and engage with peers.

One month in we've done very little in the way of moderation and rejected only two postings. Rejecting a post is always a difficult decision and in many ways subjective but we do have a clear set of guidelines and we don't censor or stifle debate (in fact quite the opposite - that's the whole point of the blog!). The posting we rejected today was part of a valuable conversation that had drifted too far off-topic for a blog that is about the workings of the House of Lords. That happens, it's easy to do but we just needed to pull the conversation back on topic.

Overall I'm pleased with that moderation statistic. Considering that we've had 96 posts and approved 486 comments, with another half-dozen awaiting moderation by respective peers (authors approve comments themselves, that's why sometimes there's a bit of a delay in getting things on the site).

Andy Williamson
Director, eDemocracy Programme
a[.]williamson[@]hansard[.]lse[.]ac[.]uk

Barry Griffiths
Project Manager, eDemocracy Programme

This is not a photo opportunity

admin — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 16:35:00 GMT

There is little doubt that MPs engaging with young people is a worthwhile pursuit for all concerned. Ed Balls was recently pictured on a rope swing in a playground, whilst David Cameron was last week photographed at a school in the West Midlands. These visits are of course prime for press coverage, but that's not to say that they cannot also hold great value for both MPs and young people.

Arthur Mellows College in Peterborough demonstrated just how beneficial these exchanges can be, when Stewart Jackson MP visited their sixth form recently to discuss his role as an MP. Hansard Society Scholar, Faith Jones, who attended the visit, was impressed by the level of preparation that had gone into the visit, adding that every student was well engaged and had prepared an insightful, relevant question to ask. Teachers at the college had used the Hansard Society's MPs in Schools pack to equip students with vital background information for the visit. It's worth noting that the MPs in Schools pack is not only for use by schools - it has an equally important section aimed at MPs, so that they too can prepare themselves for the experience, because remember, this is not a photo opportunity.

MPs in Schools is part of the Elected Representatives in Schools Series which includes MPs, AMs, MSPs, MEPs and Scottish MPs in Schools. Click here for further information on this free resource.

Playing to its strengths: Parliament and Select Committees

admin — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 11:07:00 GMT

Playing to its strengths: Parliament and Select Committees

Alex Brazier, Director, Parliament and Government Programme

In the past few years, the Hansard Society has produced a number of reports and studies which have looked at the role and operation of select committees. A consistent theme of this work has been that they represent one of the most successful aspects of the parliamentary process. The report of the Hansard Society Commission on Parliamentary Scrutiny (2001), chaired by Lord Newton on Braintree, argued that select committees had a number of different strengths; their activity is not primarily determined by party political considerations; their structure provides a way to monitor the work of government departments and agencies; and they provide an important arena for scrutiny and accountability work which is not prescribed by the government’s business agenda. Also, further development of committees could provide MPs with an alternative career path which does not rely solely on the patronage of the political parties or involve making a career in government.

For these reasons, the Scrutiny Commission proposed reforms which sought to build upon the best aspects of select committees and many of these have been subsequently implemented. These included the guidelines for core tasks for select committee work and the provision of improved support, which has been achieved through the formation of the Scrutiny Unit. We also proposed that select committee chairs should be paid to encourage as an alternative career path, although the extra payment awarded falls short of the Commission’s proposals that select committee chairman should be paid a salary equivalent to a junior minister. Other developments, as varied as the appearance of the Prime Minister before the Liaison Committee and the appointment of media officers, which have significantly improved the coverage that select committee reports received, have in total improved the way that select committees hold government to account. A 2005 Hansard Society report, New Politics, New Parliament? concluded, ‘Several important reforms to the system have been agreed and implemented during 2001-2005 which have increased Parliament’s capacity to scrutinise the executive.’

More recently, proposals in the Government’s Green Paper, The Governance of Britain, may enhance the role of select committees, including greater scrutiny of public appointments and the formation of regional committees (although this latter proposal raises numerous issues about their structure and operation which the Modernisation Committee is currently considering). There are still many others reform outstanding. For example, government replies should be standardised and conform to set minimum standards. These should include an undertaking that a reply should address each of the committee’s recommendations in detail and engage more fully with the report’s evidence and conclusions. There should be greater support for chairmen, including additional staff and a substantially enhanced budget to undertake external research. Committees themselves should more systematically follow-up their work by publishing a review (three to five years after the original report) assessing how far their recommendations have been implemented. There is also scope for further consideration of draft legislation and of financial matters.

That is quite a list of potential tasks and clearly there is a limit to what committees can do with their current structure, especially bearing in mind the demands on their members. For that reason, the Hansard Society has put forward a range of options that would provide greater capacity, utilising the resource of the large number of backbench MPs who do not currently sit on a select committee. These include having more select committees (possibly based around some cross-cutting themes e.g. the family, the elderly, or through splitting the responsibilities of some of the committees looking at the work of the bigger departments). Another possibility would include committees having more members, perhaps working through sub-committees. More fundamentally, Westminster should consider whether it wants to become a more committee-based institution and consider whether the chamber should not meet for one day a week to allow much more time for committee work (including also Public Bill Committees).

But in addition to improved output and effectiveness, there is another important reason why select committees should strive for a greater role and impact. In the course of the Hansard Society’s work, it has become very clear that the public like the style of work that select committee undertake – at least once explanation was given about how they operate and their functions explained. The majority of people responded positively to their non-partisan nature, which was perceived as a more constructive way of working and allowed for real questioning of ministers and officials. Many supported the idea of select committees taking evidence across the country, and this has taken place successfully on a number of occasions already.

It makes good sense for any organisation to play to its strengths, particularly one which has to deal with issues of disconnection from those it serves. For that reason, giving a more central role to select committees, particularly within the Commons, should be a priority for future parliamentary reform.

-- This article was originally published in the House Magazine