What We Do
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.”