Hansard Society eNewsletter - February 2009
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eDemocracy
January
Blogging
The eDemocracy
Programme has been busy in January, blogging on a variety of topical
subjects such as media
censorship, viral
campaigns and the use of the internet for campaigns, such as the MPs'
expenses campaign.
The eDemocracy Programme continues its innovative
research projects with citizen engagement, online campaigning and an
international project on visioning the future Parliament. They will be
publishing a number of important reports this year and hosting several high
profile events.
Hansard
Society Submits Evidence
Speaker's
Conference & Lord's Constitution Committee
The work of the
Speaker's
Conference on Parliamentary Representation began in January. The cross-party
Conference of MPs is exploring how best to improve the representation of women,
black, minority and ethnic, and disabled candidates in Parliament. The Hansard
Society commissioned the original Women at the Top report nearly 20 years
ago. Two decades on there’s been only limited progress. The Hansard Society has
submitted written evidence to the Speaker's Conference setting out our research
and recommendations in this area. The most recent Women at the
Top report Women
at the Top 2005: Changing Numbers, Changing Politics? can be downloaded
for free.
The Hansard Society has also been invited to submit evidence to
the House
of Lords Constitution Committee’s Inquiry on the constitutional implications
of emergency legislation. We’ll be drawing on our recent research,
particularly Law
in the Making: Influence and Change in the Legislative Process, to
submit evidence to this inquiry.
Citizens
vs Consumers
Listen
to Dr Vince Cable MP give his views.
We had an excellent Democracy
Forum last week, with Dr Vince Cable MP, Ken Livingstone, Angela Knight
(British Bankers' Association) and Tony Travers (LSE) debating the value of
citizens versus consumers in a democracy. The panel were excellent and answered
audience questions' brilliantly. If you weren't able to attend we have recorded
the event so that you can listen; or listen again!
Please
click here to listen to the event
HeadsUp
Forum
Crime
in Britain: How Big is the Problem?
The next HeadsUp
Forum debate will look at whether crime in Britain is a real
problem or whether the problem is exaggerated by politicians and
the media. It will run from 23 February until 13 March. Key
topics for discussion will be:
- The police: Do they treat young people fairly? How can they stop
young people becoming involved in crime?
- The media: Do films, music and computer games glamorise crime?
- Law, punishment and justice: Is prison enought to rehabilitate
criminals?
- Young people's community: Is anti-social behaviour a big problem?
Young people will be joined by a variety of MPs, MSPs and other policy
and law makers in the debate, including Lord Toby Harris (Chair of
the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Policing; former Chair of the Metropolitan
Police Authority) and Robert Brown MSP (Scottish Liberal Democrat
Spokesperson on Justice). Please go to the HeadsUp website to register
your pupils. Feel free to forward this onto any young people, teachers, youth
workers etc!
Hansard
Scholars
New
Year, New Scholars!
The end of 2008 saw us say farewell to our Autumn
Scholars. In January we welcomed 27 new Scholars
onto our Spring programme. The Scholars are from a diverse range of countries
such as Serbia, Argentina, America and Tanzania. They are currently undertaking
internships at the heart of the political establishment for example with DFiD,
BERR, parliamentary committees and MPs' offices. As well as squeezing in the
sights of London the Scholars will have the opportunity to go on a study trip to
Edinburgh in February.