Message from our Co-Presidents

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.