Hansard Society eNewsletter- November 200
Constitutional Change: Who gains? Who loses?
Tuesday November 10, 6.30pm,
Portcullis House, Westminster
The Hansard Society is pleased to invite you
to a Democracy Forum deliberating the future of constitutional change.
Professor Vernon Bogdanor's new work The New British Constitution
critiques how little has been done to secure more popular involvement in
politics. Bogdanor argues that the next phase of constitutional reform must
involve the creation of new forms of democratic engagement. Joining us in the
debate on how to make our constitutional forms more congruent with the social
and political forces of our age:
- Graham Allen
MP - Reform of the House of Commons Select Committee
- Professor
Vernon Bogdanor - Author of The New British Constitution
- David Howarth
MP - Reform of the House of Commons Select Committee
- Sir George
Young MP - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
The panel will be chaired by Dr. Ruth Fox,
Director of the Hansard Society's Parliament and Government programme.
Parliament in an
anti-politics age: the outreach challenge
The PSA/Hansard Society Annual Lecture 2009. Monday
November 30, 6.30pm Portcullis House, Westminster
The 2009 Political Studies
Association/Hansard Society will be given by the
Speaker of the House of
Commons, Rt Hon John Bercow MP, taking us yet further into the debate of
the future of Parliament in an age of 'anti-politics'. Mr Bercow will be outlining
three factors which contribute to this ‘anti-politics' age and make the
outreach challenge more testing: the decline of deference towards all
institutions, the distance between much of the public and the political process
and the fundamental inequality of information which exists in Britain today.
New Y Vote Mock Elections Website Launched
The brand new 'Y Vote' Mock Elections website was launched this
month. With Web 2.0 features it is now more interactive, much easier to
navigate and an essential tool for teachers wishing to run a mock election in
their school. Mock elections teach students the mechanics of an election; by
standing as a candidate, developing a campaign strategy, canvassing support and
most importantly casting their vote on the day, the young people learn the
value of this democratic process. The new features of the Y Vote website
include:
This
new website provides a fantastic opportunity for young people to get to grips
with the processes of voting, become involved in a national debate on topical
issues and crucially develop an understanding of representative democracy in
the UK.
To see for yourself go to www.mockelections.co.uk
Digital
Paper on Twitter: Communciation tool or pointless vanity?
In conjunction with our successful Democracy Forum on the new media phenomena,
Twitter, we have released a Digital Paper, looking closer at this increasingly
relevant and much talked about tool for the digital politican. Author of the
paper Andy Williamson, Director of the Hansard Society's eDemocracy Program
states that although Twitter may not be the 'killer app' of digital politics,
it has instigated a return to 'old street-corner style politics'. This paper
looks at Twitter as a medium for encouraging engagement and conversation going
some way to restoring trust between politicians and the public. Being an
effective 'Twitterer' means following and listening as much as talking and
leading.
To
read more on MPs and Twitter download our paper here...
Read
about and download the audio from our October 2009 Democracy Forum: Twitter:
Communication tool or pointless vanity? here...
Sciencewise-ERC
Reception
On October 19 the Hansard Society hosted a very successful
reception with The
Sciencewise Expert Resource Centre (ERC) funded by the Department for Business
Innovation & Skills (BIS). It aims to help policy makers commission and use
public dialogue to inform policy decisions in emerging areas of science and
technology. The Hansard Society has built significant knowledge about how
government can engage effectively with citizens and it was that shared interest
in the importance of public engagement that encouraged us to hold this joint
event. The reception included an address from Lord Robert Winston and Professor
Kathy Sykes, discussing ways in which scientists, technology developers and
policy makers can actively stimulate and engage the views of the public on new
areas of science and technology.