eNewsletters

Hansard Society eNewsletter - February 2010

2010-02-23T10:10:00Z

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.

Hansard Society eNewsletter - January 2010

2010-02-23T10:06:00Z

In defence of politics and politicians - in spite of themselves

Thursday February 25, 6pm, 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 value of politics and politicians in a modern representative democracy.

The speaker will give a lecture, followed by questions from the audience. Attendance to this event is free.

To register for this event click here

How many women does it take to make a difference?

Tuesday February 9, 6pm, House of Lords
Speakers: Linda Tarr-Whelan (former Ambassador to the UN Commission on the Status of Women), Professor Sarah Childs (Professor of Politics and Gender, University of Bristol). Further speakers to be announced.
Chair: Matt Korris (Research Fellow, Parliament and Government Programme, Hansard Society)

This Democracy Forum discusses how many women it takes to make a difference in politics, business and society. Is it the 30% tipping point advocated by women's leadership expert and former US presidential adviser Linda Tarr-Whelan in her new book, 'Women Lead The Way'? Or should we focus on true equality at 50/50 parity?

The panel of speakers give their views followed by a Q&A session with the audience.

To register for this event click here

HeadsUp Forum - The Economy: what went wrong?
Monday November 23 - Friday December 11, 2009,
HeadsUp.org.uk
The young people using the HeadsUp online The Economy: What Went Wrong? forum expressed a sense of shock that adults had allowed the credit crunch to happen and thought it was important for their generation to learn from the situation to avoid the same thing happening in the future. They wanted more education from a young age, about economics and how to manage their personal finances.

Public spending was also discussed, including which services should be saved or cut. The top five choices were:

1.      Spending on education
2.      Scrapping ID cards to save money
3.      Creating jobs
4.      Creating more youth training schemes/apprenticeships
5.      Investing in health

Click here to read the full report.

Trustee Vacancies
The Hansard Society is currently looking for new Trustees. The Hansard Society is managed by a Chief Executive and six Directors and is currently governed by a Board of seven volunteer Trustees. The Society is looking for three new Trustees to join the Board.

If you are interested in participating in the governance of the Hansard Society, please download the application pack. The deadline for applications is Friday, 26 February at 5pm. If you would like more information, please visit our website.

Ten Years On: A multi-perspective evaluation of the Human Rights Act
Friday 5 & Saturday 6 June, 2010, University of Salford
The Salford Human Rights Conference 2010 will evaluate the Human Rights Act 1998 (HRA) from multiple perspectives. It will comprise both a domestic and international legal academic analysis of the effects of the HRA.

The conference will include a wide-range of participants and multiple perspectives and will offer a unique and comprehensive analysis of the Act which can inform future directions. Following the conference a selection of papers will be edited and offered for publication.

Further information can be found on their website or by sending enquiries to law-hrconference@salford.ac.uk

Hansard Society eNewsletter- December 2009

2009-12-07T15:04:00Z

Civil Liberties: are we placing ourselves at the mercy of the state?
Tuesday December 8, 6.30pm, Portcullis House, Westminster
This Democracy Forum will look at whether what can be viewed as our traditional British ‘apathy' is allowing the state to pass legislation that scrutinises and controls us. Or, is such a dystopian view a wildly exaggerated response to what is merely the use of modern tools to tackle 21st century crime and terrorism? The speakers are:

Sir Ian Blair (former Metropolitan Police Commissioner)
Peter Oborne (journalist and commentator)
Henry Porter (political columnist and novelist)

Chaired by Fiona Booth, Chief Executive, Hansard Society.
To register for this event click here.

Ermine, Ethics and Engagement: Evolution in the House of Lords
A Speech by the Lord Speaker, Wednesday December 9, 6.15pm, House of Lords, Westminster.
The Hansard Society is delighted to inform you about this speech by the Lord Speaker, Rt Hon the Baroness Hayman. This event will be chaired by Peter Riddell, Chair of the Hansard Society.

**PLEASE NOTE: IN ORDER TO PASS THROUGH SECURITY YOU WILL NEED AN OFFICIAL PERSONALISED TICKET AND PHOTOGRAPHIC ID**

To apply for an official ticket click here

Climate Change Question Time
Friday December 4, 9am with Ed Miliband MP, chaired by Kirsty Schneeberger (UK Youth Climate Coalition).
The Department of Energy and Climate Change and the Hansard Society are delighted to host an exclusive Question Time debate for 80 young people on climate change and the critical United Nations Copenhagen climate summit. The audience will be engaging directly with a panel of top-level UK Government Ministers including Energy and Climate Change Secretary Ed Miliband. If you know of anyone who may find this of interest, teachers and pupils alike, please do pass it on.

If you are aged 16-25 and would like to submit a question in advance of the event please email citizenship@hansard.lse.ac.uk by Wednesday 2 December. Please remeber to include your name, age and the county in which you live. For more information please go to our website.

Watch live!
You can watch the debate live online between 9:00am - 10:00am on Friday December 4 at www.actoncopenhagen.gov.uk.

Political Studies Association Awards
November 24, 2009
Fiona Booth, Chief Executive of the Hansard Society, presented Dr. Tony Wright MP with the Hansard Society sponsored Parliamentarian of the Year Award at the PSA Awards 2009. Dr. Wright MP was chosen in recognition of his achievements as chair of the Public Administration Select Committee. Tony Wright MP's most recent work as Chair of the Reform of the House of Commons Select Committee, formalised their findings in a report published this week. Click here to read the report Rebuilding the House.

If you would like to watch the PSA Awards in full it will be aired on BBC Parliament on Saturday November 28 at 9.00pm.

The Role of the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards
Tuesday December 1, 6.00pm, Committee Room 17, House of Commons.
The Associate Parliamentary Group on Constitution, Parliament and Citizenship is holding its next meeting and AGM with John Lyon CB, discussing his role as Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards. For more information on this event and to RSVP please contact Dr. Tony Wright MP on wrightt@parliament.uk or call 020 7219 5583.

Hansard Society eNewsletter- November 200

2009-12-07T14:53:00Z

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:

A Run a Campaign section offering tips and advice for students organising a campaign
A section on the mechanics of voting
New Web 2.0 content including videos, quizzes and polls so students can test their political knowledge
An interactive election map marking the schools that have taken part and the results of their elections.

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.

Hansard Society eNewsletter- October 2009

2009-12-07T14:50:00Z

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Climate Change - How should the world summit tackle the problem? Sept 28 - Oct 16, 2009
The first in the 2009/2010 series of HeadsUp forums kicked off this week with young people debating the hot topic of climate change. This unique opportunity enables young people under the age of 18 to debate with each other and to engage directly with policy makers, parliamentarians and campaigners. Joan Ruddock MP (Minister, DECC) will be taking the views and opinions of those taking part to the UN Summit in Copenhagen, giving their perspectives a global reach.

This three week debate is taking place online now.
Click Here to view all of the comments by the legislators and young people on the forum, registration is not necessary.

Twitter - Communication Tool or Pointless Vanity?
Wednesday October 21, 6pm, Portcullis House, Westminster.
The Hansard Society would like to invite you to an event discussing the merits of the new social networking phenomena, Twitter. Does tweeting enhance engagement, encourage deliberation and bring people together or merely facilitate cyber self-indulgence? Jo Swinson MP will be among those debating this widely contested topic. More information will follow soon.

Click here to register for this event.

Parliamentary Affairs, October 2009 Issue
What do the public want from politics? Influence rather than involvement.
In the recently published October 2009 issue of Parliamentary Affairs, Dr Ruth Fox, Director of the Hansard Society Parliament and Government programme, demonstrates that, in the wake of the MPs' expenses scandal, proposals for more direct and participatory decision-making mechanisms fail to take account of what the public really wants in terms of engagement and participation.

The article, Engagement and Participation: What the Public want and how our Politicians need to respond, shows that the public view of political engagement and participation is far more complex than most are willing to accept.

To read the article in full Click Here.

A Speech by the Speaker
Parliamentary Reform: The Route from Here to There
The Rt. Hon John Bercow, Speaker of the House of Commons, gave a speech to a sizeable and eager Hansard Society audience at Portcullis House in Westminster last week. The focus of the Speaker's speech was the role of the MP, their rights and duties and, more importantly, their future in a newly reformed House of Commons.

Mr Bercow laid out a 10-point plan encompassing his vision of reform in the lower house, ranging from the collective rights and duties of MPs when they act in committee to the institutional rights and duties of the House of Commons as a whole. The Speaker was adamant that the House of Commons must change and will change, predicting the outcome of Sir Christopher Kelly's committee to provide the necessary blueprint.

Click here to listen to the speech in full, to read the transcript and to see the photos on Flickr

Parliamentary Launch of Citizens' Coalition for Public Service Broadcasting
Monday 2 November, Portcullis House, 5.30 - 7.00pm
This event launches a new non-partisan coalition consisting of a broad mix of organisations, including the Hansard Society and concerned individuals who believe that public service broadcasting is a public good. The launch, with John Grogan MP, takes place on Monday 2 November at 5.30pm, Portcullis House. Please RSVP to psbcoalition@googlemail.com and visit www.publicservicebroadcasting.org.uk for more information about the coalition.

Hansard Society eNewsletter - September 2009

2009-09-10T15:50:00Z

A Speech by The Speaker
Parliamentary Reform: the route from here to there
Thursday September 24, 5pm, Attlee Suite, Portcullis House
The Speaker of the House of Commons Rt Hon John Bercow MP will give a speech on parliamentary reform, chaired by Peter Riddell, Chair of the Hansard Society, followed by Q&A.
Click here to register for this event

New Co-Presidents
Rt Hon John Bercow MP & Rt Hon Baroness Hayman
The Hansard Society for the first time has Co-Presidents. Recognising the importance of our work with both Houses of Parliament we are delighted to welcome Rt Hon John Bercow MP, Speaker of the House of Commons and Rt Hon Baroness Hayman, the Lord Speaker as our Co-Presidents. The Hansard Society aims to strengthen parliamentary democracy and encourage greater public involvement in politics and we look forward to working with both the Speaker of the House of Commons and the Lord Speaker to achieve these aims.
Read the messages from our Co-Presidents

Timetabling of Business
Evidence to the Procedure Committee
The Parliament & Government Programme has submitted evidence to the Procedure Committee inquiry on the timetabling of business in the House of Commons. We argue that there is a pressing need to reform timetabling and the use of programme motions to rebalance scrutiny in favour of Parliament. Read our recommendations here

HeadsUp
Climate Change September 28 - October 16
The new HeadsUp forums for 2009/2010 start on September 28with the very topical subject of Climate Change, in collaboration with the Department for Energy and Climate Change. This forum will be fed into the Copenhagen Summit on Climate Change by Joan Ruddick MP (Minister of State, DECC) making sure young people's views are highlighted in the democratic process on this very important subject.

Please pass this on to any teachers or young people who will be interested. On the website there is a detailed guide to using HeadsUp and curriculum links for teachers; anyone can read the posts on the forum without registering.

Listen again
Has Devolution delivered for Women?
You can listen to the audio from this event in the Scottish Parliament, which took place in August as part of the Festival of Politics. The discussion was interesting and the views varied.

Hansard Society eNewsletter - August 2009

2009-08-06T16:17:00Z

Has devolution delivered for women?
Thursday August 20, 14:30 - 16:00, Committee Room 1 in the Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh.
The Hansard Society and the British Council would like to invite you to this exciting joint event at the Festival of Politics.

Chair: Joyce McMillan (The Scotsman & Chair, Hansard Society Scotland Working Group)
Panel: Professor Alice Brown (Former Scottish Public Services Ombudsman); Rosemary Butler AM (Deputy Presiding Officer of the National Assembly for Wales); Johann Lamont MSP (Deputy Leader of the Scottish Labour Party); Professor Laura McAllister (Professor of Governance, University of Liverpool & Independent Adviser to the Parliamentary Services Board of the National Assembly for Wales)

The event is free to attend, but there is a small booking fee of £1. Tickets can be reserved from The Hub. More information on the Festival of Politics can be found here.

Restoring Trust in the House of Lords
New Hansard Society Briefing Paper
Recent events in the House of Lords have raised serious questions about standards of conduct within the second chamber, including questions around allowances, peers' external interests and enforcement of sanctions for misconduct. The Hansard Society co-hosted a seminar, with the Lord Speaker, in May 2009 drawing together a group of peers, academics, journalists, and people with a background in complex ethical and regulatory matters, to explore these issues.

This new briefing paper draws on discussions from the seminar, supplemented by our own research. It examines these issues and sets out a range of measures for reinstating public trust in the House of Lords. Key recommendations include:

Empowering the office of the Lord Speaker to be able to better represent and act on behalf of the House and take forward a mandate for reform.
Significant revision of the Code of Conduct, including setting out a clear ethos and mission for the House of Lords and extending the Code to cover the use of allowances and expenses.
Establishing a hierarchy of possible sanctions that may be applied for breaches of a new Code of Conduct up to and including permanent expulsion from the House.

Click here to download the briefing paper

Televised Leaders' Debates
The Hansard Society welcomes further talks on televised leaders' debates
The Hansard Society believes that televised leaders' debates encourage public engagement with politics.

Fiona Booth, Chief Executive of the Hansard Society, commented: ‘As a result of Lord Mandelson's comments yesterday we are encouraged to hear that serious consideration is being given by the Parties, to participate in a televised leaders' debate. The Hansard Society has long supported such debates and was responsible for organising the first ever televised Speaker Hustings held in June.'

We have re-published our research on this area in electronic format for free download.

HeadsUp Schedule 2009-10
The HeadsUp Forum Schedule for 2009-10 is now available
HeadsUp the Hansard Society's innovative online forum, where under-18s can discuss political issues with MPs, has had its most successful year since it started in 2003. Registrations have doubled since September and we've had two of the busiest forums ever - Youth Citizenship Commission...are young people allergic to politics? and Crime in Britain: How big is the problem?. We would like to say a huge thank you to all those that took part; your input makes the project what it is. The forum's topics and dates for next year will be:

Climate Change special debate with the Department for Energy and Climate Change to inform the UN conference in Copenhagen: 28 September – 16 October
The Economy: 23 November – 11 December
Sex Education: 1 March – 19 March
The General Election (subject to change): – 26 April – 14 May
Politics and Politicians: 21 June – 9 July

If you'd like to find out more about how you, or a young person you know, can get involved in the HeadsUp project please contact Beccy Allen - r.allen@hansard.lse.ac.uk

Parliamentary Recess
Whilst Parliament is in recess the Hansard Society is still open for business, so please keep an eye on the website for updates and feel free to contact us about any of our events or programmes.

Hansard Society eNewsletter - July 2009

2009-07-13T10:42:00Z

Digital Papers
MPs on Facebook
The Hansard Society has launched MPs on Facebook; the first in a new occasional series of short 'Digital Papers' examining how parliamentarians are using social media. MPs on Facebook describes how MPs are largely using Facebook as a one-way publishing medium. Andy Williamson, Director of the Hansard Society eDemocracy Programme, commented that 'this ignores the real benefits of social media. The key to harnessing this new generation of tools is conversation and engagement; where citizens can communicate with their MPs and get a response. Most MPs have a long way to go before they can claim to truly understand the power of social media.'

Download the report here

Lords Committee on fast-track legislation
Hansard Society recommendations reported
The House of Lords Constitution Committee has published the report on its inquiry into Fast-track Legislation (previously termed 'emergency legislation'), to which the Parliament & Government programme gave evidence earlier this year. The Committee's report quotes the Hansard Society's written submission and Dr Ruth Fox's oral evidence extensively, and agrees with a number of our recommendations, read the recommendations here.

Hansard Society Briefing Paper
Blueprint for reform of House of Commons
The Hansard Society has produced a new briefing paper on reform of the House of Commons to coincide with the Speaker Hustings.

Dr Ruth Fox, Director of the Parliament and Government Programme at the Hansard Society, said, 'The election of a new speaker provides a rare opportunity to fundamentally reform the way that the House of Commons works in the public interest'

‘What is needed is a coherent package of reforms that rebalance the relationship between parliamentarians and the executive, improve the scrutiny process, enhance the quality and effectiveness of law making, strengthen the relationship between Parliament and the public and make the House of Commons more efficient.'

Download the briefing paper here

Mock Elections Results
Young people turn away from main parties
Young people taking part in the Hansard Society Y Vote Mock Elections for the European Parliament returned fewer MEPs for the main political parties than their adult counterparts in the real Euro elections.

All major parties saw a drop in support; the Conservative Party was the largest party with 17 seats and the Green Party was the only one that performed better in the mock elections. However, independents and parties created by pupils themselves were the big winners.

Click here for full results

Click here for Y Vote Stories and Photos

Audio Recordings
The Hansard Society puts up an audio recording of all of our events on our website, including the recent Speaker Hustings.

Click here to view a full list

Hansard Society eNewsletter - June 2009

2009-06-11T15:40:00Z

Hansard Society Statement
Hansard Society Commons Reform Agenda
Ruth Fox, Director of the Hansard Society Parliament and Government programme, has said:

‘MPs are elected to represent their constituents but they also have a constitutional duty to ensure effective scrutiny of the Government.

‘We have long argued that the balance of power between MPs and the Government in the House of Commons needs to change.

‘If public faith in our representative democracy is to be restored, radical reform is needed to: provide for better scrutiny of the Government; improve the quality and effectiveness of the law making process; enhance the relationship between Parliament and the public; and make the institution more efficient.'

The Hansard Society recommends several reforms for the House of Commons. Read them here.

Events
Young People: Who cares what they think?
A Hansard Society Democracy Forum to discuss what the contribution of under-18s to politics should be will take place on Wednesay 10 June at 6.45pm, Portcullis House, Westminster. It will look at:

Are young people properly represented in our democratic system?
Are young people's views best expressed by those with more life experience?
Which is more important - representation or experience?

Chair: Michael Raftery (Director, Hansard Society Citizenship Education Programme).
Speakers: Jo Swinson MP, Emily Benn PPC, Emily Beardsmore(Chair, BYC), Gerarld Owusu MYP.

Click here to register

Hansard Society Speaker Hustings
Submit your questions
The Hansard Society is hosting a Speaker Hustings in Parliament in June where potential candidates for the post of Speaker will be taking questions from MPs. In addition, the potential candidates will answer a selection of questions from members of the public submitted via the Hansard Society about what they see as the priorities for the new Speaker. Closing date for questions is Thursday June 11.

Submit your question now (Mark 'events' in the contact field)

Y Vote
Young voters grill MEPs
Local candidates for the forthcoming European elections were given the chance to make their case to young voters during an event at City College Plymouth. The Y Vote Mock Election event allowed young people the opportunity to question MEPs on a wide range of subjects affecting them.

Click here for the full story and press coverage

HeadsUp
Youth Citizenship Commission Debate II
The Youth Citizenship Commission was set up by Gordon Brown in 2008 to look at ways of developing young people’s understanding of citizenship and increasing their participation in politics. They used HeadsUp as part of their evidence gathering and are now back on the forum to explain what they’ve found and to discuss their conclusions with the HeadsUp users and other decision-makers.
The topics to be discussed will be: Your community Generational trust Citizenship education As usual there will be lots of decision-makers ready to hear your thoughts and get involved in the debate. Please forward this to anyone aged 11-18 years old who maybe interested!

Click here for more information

eDemocracy
Visioning the Future Parliament
The eDemocracy Programme's Parliament 2020 project is now in full swing and we have completed our three UK focus groups. At Westminster we held one for parliamentary officials and a second for MPs and Peers. Our third focus group was held at the University of Westminster and was for the first time voters. Recognising that the traditional focus group approach might not be appropiate for this group, we turned to an innovative method of using Lego to brainstorm ideas for what a parliament of the future might look like. The results are fascinating, as you can see for yourself in this short video clip.

Twitter
Hansard Society is all a Twitter!
We are delighted to annouce that the Hansard Society now has its very own Twitter account. Through Twitter we will keep you informed with live posts from selected events and regular updates on the various activities of the Hansard Society.

Follow us at www.twitter.com/hansardsociety

Hansard Society eNewsletter - May 2009

2009-05-05T13:01:00Z

Events
Why Vote? - Hansard Society Scotland Hustings Series
The Hansard Society are delighted to bring you the opportunity of attending the Why Vote? series of hustings in Scotland in the lead up to the European elections in June, in partnership with the European Movement and the CSPP:

Glasgow: 11 May, 18.30 - 20.00, City Centre Venue tbc. Why Vote? pre-hustings meeting to discuss why the European Parliament matters and why it is important that people should vote on 4 June.
Glasgow: 12 May, 18.30 - 20.00, Deeprose Theatre, Govan Mbeki Building, Glasgow Caledonian University. European Election Hustings in association with the Department of Public Policy, Glasgow Caledonian University.
Aberdeen: 14 May, 18.30 - 20.00, Room KCG7, Kings College, University of Aberdeen. European Election Hustings in association with the Department of Politics and International Relations, University of Aberdeen.

For more information, or to register, please contact Emma Megaughin at hansard.scotland@hansard.lse.ac.uk or on 0131 243 2750.

What lessons should Westminster learn from Holyrood?
Tuesday 19 May, 6.30pm, House of Commons, Westminster
A Democracy Forum to mark the launch of the Hansard Society Scotland publication The Scottish Parliament 1999-2009: The First Decade.

Panel: Joyce McMillan (The Scotsman and Chair, Hansard Society Scotland Working Group); Lord Wallace of Tankerness (former Leader, Scottish Liberal Democrats); Peter Riddell (The Times); Peter Wishart (SNP Constitutional Affairs Spokesperson)
Click here to register

Parliamentary Affairs April 2009
Essential reading for anyone interested in contemporary politics
The April 2009 issue of Parliamentary Affairs analyses party activism and asks: Where have all the Members Gone? This special issue looks at political parties and characteristics of party membership to generate dialogue between political scientists, historians and others on the future of party activism. Parliamentary Affairs is a long-established journal published by Oxford University Press in association with the Hansard Society.

Individual subscriptions cost £57 a year; special reduced subscriptions for Hansard Society subscription members cost £26 a year (UK), €39 (Europe), US$52 (rest of the world). Become a member of the Hansard Society and receive a reduced subscription rate.

European Mock Elections
Over 80 schools registered to hold Y Vote Mock Elections
The Hansard Society's Citizenship Education Programme is facilitating mock elections in schools throughout the UK to coincide with the European elections on 4 June. There are currently over 80 schools registered, with a wide variety of ages, all over the UK.

You can view a map of the locations of the schools.

The election provides a perfect opportunity for schools to explore issues surrounding democracy and justice at a European level. Teachers can get hold of everything they need to run a mock election by visiting the Y Vote website and by registering they receive additional resources and support, all for free. Each school will submit their results and the overall result for each constituency will be announced on 15 June.

The Y Vote mock elections project is supported by the Electoral Commission whose aim is to promote integrity and public confidence in the democratic process.

For more information, contact Adam Wilkinson at a.wilkinson@hansard.lse.ac.uk or on 020 7438 1221.

Women & the Vote
Representation of Women in Politics
Nine decades after winning the vote the political representation of women in the UK remains appallingly low. In the House of Commons only 19% of MPs are women. Local government is doing better but still only 30% of local councillors are female. The Scottish Parliament and Welsh Assembly are closer to equal representation but there is room for improvement. Overall the UK is 60th in the international league table of women's representation.

That's why the Hansard Society and five other organisations joined forces last year to establish the Women and the Vote campaign. We want to get the issue of women's continued under-representation on the political agenda and ensure it continues to be a key feature of public debate.

The Women and the Vote campaign aims to create a network of organisations and individuals who share our belief that much more still needs to be done to improve women's access to political power.

To find out more and to register your support for the campaign, sign up on the website at www.womenandthevote.com

Electoral Commission
Register to Vote Week
Register to Vote Week takes place during 4-10 May in the UK. The Electoral Commission is encouraging everyone to take a few minutes to make sure they are registered to vote by the 19 May deadline.

On 4 June, over 370 million people across Europe are able to vote for their European Parliament representatives, and there are local elections in some parts of England as well. But if you are not registered, you won't be able to have your say.

Registering to vote is simple and takes just a few minutes. You can print off a form from www.aboutmyvote.co.uk and send it to your local authority. The website is packed with information about forthcoming elections in English and a range of other languages. If you want to vote, make sure nothing stops you.

Hansard Society eNewsletter - April 2009

2009-04-27T13:33:00Z

The Audit of Political Engagement

The 'Obama effect' comes to British Politics
The Annual Audit of Political Engagement carried out by the Hansard Society measures the nature and extent of political engagement and reveals where views have changed - and where they remain constant. It offers a yearly snapshot of political knowledge and engagement in Britain.

Audit 6 has a special focus on the public's attitudes to political participation and citizenship and explores issues such as the degree to which people want to be actively involved in decision-making locally and nationally, how influential in decision-making they feel they are, and how satisfied they are with the system of governance in Britain. This Audit indicates that an ‘Obama effect' may be developing among British black and ethnic minorities (BMEs):

41% of BMEs agree that ‘when people like me get involved in politics, they really can change the way that the country is run' compared to 31% of whites - a 10% increase since last year
42% of BMEs are ‘very' or ‘fairly' interested in politics -a 15% increase since last year
43% think the present system of governing works well compared to 32% of whites - the first time in six annual Audits that BME respondents are more optimistic than whites

On 1 April we had a successful launch of Audit 6. Listen to the event and see photos here.

HeadRoom
New discussion space launched for under 18s
The HeadsUp forums have been running since 2003 and are a great space for young people, teachers and parliamentarians to come together. Since September young people have debated issues with each other, politicians and decision-makers on crime, citizenship and immigration.

Now the HeadsUp website will host debates about current issues in the media outside the main forums in the HeadRoom. This means that HeadsUp users will get involved in the political issues year round and not just for the usual three (intense!) weeks. We would also like young people to send us their suggestions for topics - the only restriction is that it should be about something currently in the news.

So if you know a young person who would like to get involved in discussing subjects as varied as 'stop and search' to the civil war in Sri Lanka send them to the HeadRoom.

European Mock Elections
Connecting young people with democracy
The Hansard Society's Citizenship Education Programme is facilitating mock elections in schools throughout the UK to coincide with the European elections on 4 June. The election provides a perfect opportunity for schools to explore issues surrounding democracy and justice at a European level. Teachers can get hold of everything they need to run a mock election by visiting the Y Vote website and by registering they receive additional resources and support, all for free.

In a mock election pupils can stand as a candidate from one of the existing political parties or they can create their own. Manifestos are drawn up, speeches made and ballots counted – everything you’d expect from a real election. Each school will submit their results and the overall result for each constituency will be announced on 15 June.

The Y Vote mock elections project is supported by the Electoral Commission whose aim is to promote integrity and public confidence in the democratic process.

For more information, contact Adam Wilkinson at a.wilkinson@hansard.lse.ac.uk or on 020 7438 1221.

The Scottish Parliament 1999-2009
BBC Radio Scotland's Riddoch Questions - Tuesday 12 May, 12.30pm, Edinburgh
This event launches the Hansard Society Scotland publication The Scottish Parliament 1999-2009: The First Decade. It will take place at the Ten Years of The Scottish Parliament: Achievements and Futures conference, Dynamic Earth, Edinburgh.

Chair: Lesley Riddoch
Speakers: Joyce McMillan (Chair, Hansard Society Scotland Working Group); Nicola Sturgeon MSP (Deputy Leader SNP); Iain Gray MSP (Leader of the Labour Party in the Scottish Parliament) and Tam Dalyell (former MP).

Please RSVP to e.l.meghaughin@hansard.lse.ac.uk or telephone Emma Meghaughin, Progammes Coordinator, Hansard Society Scotland, on 0131 243 2750 for further information.

Elections & The Electoral Commission
Tuesday 21 April, 6pm, Committee Room 20, Westminster
The next meeting of the Associate Parliamentary Group on Constitution, Parliament and Citizenship, will be on the theme of ‘Elections & The Electoral Commission’. With Jenny Watson, Chair of The Electoral Commission and Dr Stuart Wilks-Heeg, University of Liverpool. This meeting is open to the public, no RSVP is required. For further information, please contact: Dr Tony Wright MP, on 020 7219 5583

Hansard Society eNewsletter - March 2009

2009-03-09T09:30:00Z

Europe or America
Where is our Special Relationship Now?
Wednesday 18 March, 6.30pm, Westminster
This Democracy forum will consider, in light of the recent American election and the upcoming European elections, whether the special relationship that the UK has with America will continue with the new administration or whether we should turn our sights to Europe.

Chair: Fiona Booth (Chief Executive, Hansard Society)
Speakers: Charles Kennedy MP, Bronwen Maddox (Chief Foreign Commentator, The Times) and Mark Tokola (Minister-Counselor for Economic Affairs, American Embassy in London)

Click here to attend

The Online Campaign
Solution or Smokescreen?
Tuesday 24 March, 10am, House of Commons
This Democracy Forum will discuss the use of online campaign strategies which are becoming increasingly important; encouraging grass-roots activism and enabling mass mobilisation.

Chair: Dr Laura Miller (Hansard Society eDemocracy Programme)
Speakers: Derek Draper (LabourList.org), Jonathan Isaby (ConservativeHome.blogs.com) and MarkPack (libdemvoice.org)

Click here to attend

Raw Deal or Told Truth?
Young People in the Media
The Hansard Society and the House of Lords have launched a new competition for young people aged 11 to 16 to express how they feel about media portrayals of their generation. Entrants are being asked to submit their views in a variety of forms, including film and newspaper articles focusing on portrayals of youth by all aspects of the media. The winners will be invited to the Houses of Parliament for a tour, and the chance to discuss their submission with the House of Lords Communications Committee. Also:

Students form the winning group will receive £25 each
All entrants receive a signed certificate from the Lord Speaker
The submissions will be compiled into a report.

For more details please visit www.parliament.uk/holcompetition

Hansard Society submits evidence
The House of Lords Constitution Committee
Dr Ruth Fox gave evidence to the House of Lords Constitution Committee on emergency legislation. Emergency legislation, such as the Banking Act last year which facilitated the nationalisation of Northern Rock, has often been controversial. The inquiry is exploring the constitutional implications of this kind of legislation and the procedural changes that might now be necessary.

Dr Fox, Director of the Parliament and Government Programme, argued for a number of changes in the procedural process including: greater flexibility in the timetabling process to permit more time for scrutiny; the insertion of sunset clauses and renewal procedures into legislation to provide safeguards; and automatic post-legislative scrutiny of all fast-tracked bills.

You can hear an audio recording of the evidence session on the Parliament website. The Hansard Society also provided written evidence which will be published by the Committee in due course.

Hansard Scholars

Spring 2009 political study trip to Edinburgh
In February the scholars were treated to a tour of the old Scottish Parliament building and sat in briefly on the Lockerbie hearing. The scholars attended lectures by Michael Clancy OBE, Law Society of Scotland, Frank McAveety MSP and John Edwards, Scotland Office for the European Parliament. Lastly, Richard Murray, Office of the Chief Economic Advisor of the Scottish Government, gave a detailed insight into the state of the Scottish economy and wider economic climate. The scholars also visited the sights of Edinburgh, including scaling the heights of the now extinct volcano, Arthur's Seat, which overshadows the Scottish Parliament.

The Study and Scholars Programme are still accepting applications for the Summer 09 term, and is now accepting applications for the Autumn 09 term.

HeadsUp Forum
Crime in Britain: How Big is the Problem?
The current HeadsUp Forum debate is looking at whether crime in Britain is a real problem or whether the problem is exaggerated by politicians and the media. It will run until 13 March.

These are just some of the comments and themes emerging on the forum:

Capital Punishment - some comments so far suggested that young people support bringing back the death penalty. "Punishment should be a deterrant, anf I think that the ultimate detterant is execution."
Prison - many comments have suggested that young people think prison is too easy. "We should give longer and harsher sentence."
Age of Criminality - comments in the forum suggest that children know the difference between right and wrong early in life: "I don't think a minimum age for crime responsibility is right... we can tell the difference between right and wron by at least the age of 5"

All of the comments by the legislators and young people on the forum can be viewed here. Feel free to forward this onto any young people, teachers, youth workers etc!

Hansard Society eNewsletter - February 2009

2009-02-06T11:05:00Z

Click here to register for the eNewsletter

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.

Hansard Society eNewsletter - January 2009

2009-02-06T11:04:00Z

Events
Citizens and Consumers: which does a democracy need more?
Wednesday 28 January, 6pm, Portcullis House, Westminster

Speakers: Ken Livingstone, Angela Knight (Chief Executive, British Bankers Association) and Tony Travers (Director, Greater London Group, LSE)
Chair: Virginia Gibbons (Head of Communications, Hansard Society)

This latest Democracy Forum will address, with reference to the current financial crisis, whether we are passive consumers of globalised forces, or whether we have an active role to play as citizens in a democracy.

To attend this event, please sign up here

Liverpool EU and All That! Teacher Conference
Wednesday 4 February
The Hansard Society runs Teacher Conferences with the UK Office of the European Parliament to help teachers deliver the citizenship curriculum innovatively and effectively. The next one is in Liverpool on Wednesday 4 February. Click here to read more.

Post-election engagement
Can the administration match the campaign?
2008 will surely be remembered as a landmark year for politics, when ‘change’ and the simple phrase ‘yes we can’ were repeated by Barrack Obama and his supporters to great effect. The potential of new technology to drive political campaigning, not just complement traditional avenues for mobilising the electorate, became clear. The campaign used viral networks, small, dispersed donations, and regular communications with supporters, via virtually every kind of technology – old and new – to spread the word.

It is great for politics that people want to hear from politicians but can this momentum continue indefinitely?

Read the full article here.

Enhancing Parliament's Communication with the Public
Hansard Society briefing to the House of Lords
During its final pre-Christmas debate, the House of Lords discussed how Parliament might enhance its communication with the public. This issue was at the core of the Hansard Society's 2005 Commission on the Communication of Parliamentary Democracy (the Puttnam Commission), which produced the report Members Only? Parliament in the Public Eye. The Hansard Society produced an updated briefing paper for interested peers, detailing what progress there has been since 2005 and what remains to be done.

The recommendations included:

the establishment of a communications service for Parliament;
a comprehensive review of the language and terminology used in Parliament to make it more accessible to the public;
further improvements to the parliamentary website and to media coverage of Parliament, particularly through improved access for BBC Parliament.

The Hansard Society, and specifically Lords of the Blog, received numerous mentions throughout the debate; Lord Soley said "thanks to the Hansard Society...not only for their work on the Lords of the Blog, but for their work in general." Click here to download the full briefing.

...Happy New Year!

Hansard Society eNewsletter - December 2008

2009-02-06T11:02:00Z

Publications
Parliament and the Public: Knowledge, Interest and Perceptions
The Westminster Parliament is the heart of democracy in the United Kingdom. But in this age of political disenchantment, how do the British people view the nation's supreme representative body? The Hansard Society's annual Audit of Political Engagement recently found that 75% of people agree that a strong Parliament is good for democracy, yet only a third are satisfied with how the institution works at the moment.

In an effort to shed light on the public's complex relationship with Parliament, we commissioned ComRes to conduct a poll examining people's attitudes towards the institution. The results, reported in the briefing Parliament and the Public: knowledge, interests and perceptions, reveal strikingly low levels of knowledge about Parliament, as well as some suprising perceptions about its role:

Just 32% of people agree that they 'have a good understanding of the way Parliament works'
Only one in two members of the public are confident that Parliament is not the same thing as Government
Younger people (18-34) and women are more likely to want to know more about Parliament
An overwhelming majority of people feel that Parliament is unrepresentative of society

Citizenship
Young people aren't allergic to politics! HeadsUp Forum 17 November-5 December
For the last three weeks HeadsUp has got together with the Youth Citizenship Commission to find out what young people think about politics, citizenship and their community. The Commission will report its findings to Gordon Brown in the spring. The forum was our most popular to date with over 300 posts from users.
The final report will be available from www.headsup.org.uk in mid-December but here are a few advanced snippets from the young people in the forum...

Politicians: they don't listen, only talk to adults and make politics complicated. They should make the effort to visit young people in their own environments, including social networking sites like MySpace.

Media: There aren't enough political programmes for young people, the media focuses only on negative coverage of politics and politicians, as well as young people, which puts them off.

Volunteering: Volunteering makes you a better citizen, there should be more opportunities for volunteering and promotion outside of school might improve young people's impression of volunteering.

Citizenship Education: Young people aren't very aware of Citizenship education and have little understanding of how politics fits into the citizenship curriculum. Young people want more information but in a simple understandable format. TV, YouTube, information on cereal boxes, blogs, current affairs programmes on specific issues and debates were suggested as good ways to inform young people.

Study & Scholars
Vietnamese Delegation visit London, Edinburgh and Cardiff
During November, the Study and Scholars programme hosted a delegation of senior Vietnamese parliamentarians from the Office of the National Assembly. The delegation undertook an extensive four week programme of British Parliamentary education and training. The first two weeks, which were based in London, consisted of interactive sessions and lectures to give an introduction to British politics, covering topics as wide as parliamentary select committees, media and politics, the executive and the European Union. They also got to experience the daily workings of Members of Parliament through a shadowing programme, as well as learning about the work of the House of Commons Department of Information Services.

The third weeks programme was organsied by the Hansard Society Scotland office, where the delegation learned about devolution and the workings of the Scottish Parliament. They also had the opportunity to interact with MSPs and observed First Ministers Question Time. The final week continued the theme of devolution with a visit to the National Assembly of Wales.

Events
Citizens and Consumers: which does democracy need more?
Wednesday 28 January, 6pm, Portcullis House, Westminster
Speakers: Ken Livingstone and Angela Knight (Chief Executive, British Bankers Association), more to be announced.

This latest Democracy Forum will address, with reference to the current financial crisis, whether we are passive consumers of globalised forces, or whether we have an active role to play as citizens in a democracy.

To attend this event, please sign up here

and lastly.......
HAPPY HOLIDAYS