Hansard Society eNewsletter - February 2010
Independent MPs - what
can they bring to Parliament?
Tuesday March 16, 6.30pm, Houses of Parliament, Westminster.
Speakers:
Professor Philip Cowley (academic and author of Revolts and
Rebellions: Parliamentary Voting Under Blair),
Chris Mullin MP (Labour
MP for Sunderland South)
, Cllr Diane Park (independent PPC for Halifax)
,
Dr Richard Taylor MP (independent MP for Wyre Forest)
Chair:
Fiona Booth (Chief Executive, Hansard Society)
This Democracy Forum will debate the effectiveness of independent MPs and what
they mean for the operation of Parliament and politics in general. Will
independent MPs spend more time in their constituencies at the expense of
Parliament? Can a large number of independent MPs without the influence of
whips effect real change?
To
register for this event click here
In defence of politicians - in spite of themselves
Thursday February 25, 6.30pm, Portcullis House,
Westminster.
Speaker:
Peter Riddell (The Times & Hansard Society Chair)
Introduction by
Professor Steven Fielding (Joint editor of Parliamentary
Affairs)
Chaired by
Dr Ruth Fox (Director of Parliament & Government
Programme, Hansard Society)
In 2009 the reputation of politicians and politics itself reached rock bottom.
Peter Riddell, Chair of the Hansard Society, in his speech at the inaugural
Parliamentary Affairs Annual lecture, will examine the role of politicians in a
modern representative democracy.
To
register for this event click here
Birds of a feather?
eDemocracy
blog
Twitter is a hot topic and the media love the Twitter angle. But how much value
is Twitter adding to the political debate and, realistically, what expectations
should we have for Twitter during the forthcoming campaign? A look at recent
Twitter activity suggests that in reality Twitter's real value lies in keeping
in touch with the already highly engaged and as a conduit to the mainstream
media.
To
read the full article click here
How many women does it take to make a difference?
At this meeting on Tuesday February 9 the Hansard Society addressed issues of
equality and women's rights by asking the question ‘How many women does it take
to make a difference?'. The panel included Professor Sarah Childs , Nadine
Dorries MP, Harriet Harman MP
and Linda Tarr-Whelan. The speakers
addressed the issue from a number of perspectives and viewpoints creating a
debate which was serious, informative and inspiring. International data and
research was combined with candid insights into life in parliament and
politics.
To
read a summary of the event or listen to the audio click here
Sex Education: do you get enough?
Monday March 1 - Friday March 19, 2010
The next online
HeadsUp
forum for 11-18 year-olds will be
Sex
Education: do you get enough?. Topics to be discussed are:
- Is
society too sexualised?
- Teenage
pregnancy
- Who do
you want to teach you about sex?
- The
age of consent
The topic has never been more relevant with a government
consultation on the issue and political parties and commentators entering into
the debate. But what do young people think about when and what they are
being taught about sex?
Hansard
Society recommended in Procedure Committee report
February 3, 2010
A report released by the Procedure Committee,
Election of the Speaker and of the Deputy Speakers, recommended
that hustings for the position of Speaker of the House of Commons should be
organised by organisations such as the Hansard Society.
Read
more on our website
Conservatives
and Conservatism Specialist Group Prize
January 29, 2010
Professor Andrew Thorpe has been jointly awarded the 2008-9 prize from the
Political Studies Association Specialist Group on Conservatives and
Conservatism for his article Reconstructing Conservative Party Membership in
World War II Britian published in Volume 62, Issue 2 of Parliamentary
Affairs.