Could 16-Year-Olds in Scotland Decide the Future of the UK?

This year's Democracy Forum explored the possible impact of expanding the voting franchise to 16-year-olds in Scotland in advance of the 2014 Scottish referendum on independence.

Full audio of the event

Photos of the event

The European Union and the Democratic Deficit - Andrea Leadsom MP

Andrea Leadsom is MP for South Northamptonshire, Co-Chair of the All-Party Group on European Reform and joint founder of the Fresh Start Project. In 2012 she won Newcomer of the Year at the Spectator Parliamentarian of the Year Awards. And at this year's Parliamentary Affairs Annual Lecture, organised in association with the Oxford University Press, the Northamptonshire MP gave her views on the reevaluation and reform of the UK-EU relationship.

'Building a Better Politics' - Angela Eagle MP

With over 20 years' experience at the centre of Parliament and government, Angela Eagle has gained an intricate insight into the Parliamentary procedures and processes that keep our democracy ticking. And at this exclusive event in Portcullis House the Wallasey MP laid out her's and Labour's views for building a better politics.

Launch Event: Audit of Political Engagement 9, Part Two - The Media and Politics

The media claim to play a critical role in our democracy, shining a bright light on those in power on behalf of the public. But in the context of that place in our democracy, what role and responsibilities, if any, do they have in relation to political engagement?

 Please click here to download the Audit of Political Engagement 9, Part Two - The Media and Politics

Austerity and the Environment - Dr Caroline Lucas MP

On Thursday 5th July the Hansard Society and Political Studies Association were delighted to welcome Dr Caroline Lucas MP as the speaker at our annual lecture, this year entitled Austerity and the Environment.

Please Click Here for full audio of the event

Should Lobbying Be Transparent?

On 29 February the Hansard Society, in collaboration with Ellwood & Atfield, held an event in Portcullis House to highlight the Government’s recent consultation paper, Introducing a Statutory Register of Lobbyists. The question was, on the surface, simple – should lobbying be transparent? Please click the image for further details including full audio of this event

PA Annual Lecture: Parliament & Phone Hacking

To mark the arrival of two new editors for our quarterly Parliamentary Affairs journal, the Hansard Society was delighted to invite Tom Watson MP to give a lecture on Parliament and the phone hacking scandal. Please click the above link for further information, including a full audio of the event

Building an Effective Social Media Campaign: A Roundtable Debate

This roundtable, organised as part of the ESRC Festival of Social Science and taking place during Parliament Week (Oct 31 – Nov 6) brings together academics, politicians, activists, news producers and journalists to debate how social media are being used to promote protest and political change.

Hansard Society Young People's Question Time

A panel of MPs debated questions put to them by an audience of young people. The Hansard Society event was part of Parliament Week - a national awareness week which aims to build greater awareness, understanding and engagement with parliamentary democracy in the UK. For more information about what happened during Parliament Week including details of other events and videos and articles which bring to life the UK's democratic history please go to www.parliamentweek.org

Select Committees: What's next on the agenda?

Over recent months select committees have had increased publicity and exposure. This event, with a panel of select committee chairs, will highlight future inquiries, examine how the committees decide what issues to cover, what problems they encounter, what follow-up they do and how they judge an inquiry to be successful.

Networked Neighbourhoods: Effective localism or narrow insularity?

This event, organised by the LGiU (Local Government Information Unit) and the Hansard Society, examined the ‘relocalisation’ of the web, and asked are hyperlocal and community websites a vital democratic tool or do they lead to insularity out of step with an increasingly globalised world?

Politics Versus Young People in Wales

The National Assembly for Wales and the Hansard Society hosted a panel discussion in the Pierhead to explore the relationship between young people and politics in Wales and asked if politicians and young people are talking at each other rather than listening to each other.

Select Committees: Are they as effective as they think they are?

This event examined how well select committees operate, particularly given their recent spell in the limelight. The panel discussed where select committees are successful and where they need reform. You can listen to the full event by clicking the image on the left hand side

Political and Civic Engagement in Wales in the age of the Big Society

Building on the Hansard Society's annual Audit of Political Engagement (this year focusing on coalition politics, civic involvement and the Big Society), Dr Ruth Fox and Matt Korris travelled to Cardiff Bay to examine the impact of devolution on political engagment and civil society in Wales. Here is a summary of their findings:

- The creation of the National Assembly for Wales has encouraged greater interest in Welsh politics

- Welsh people are more likely to get involved in local projects (75% are interested in how things work locally), more when compared to their English, Scottish and Northern Irish counterparts

- Crucially, 60% of respondents in Wales believe that getting involved locally can make a difference

- 1.1 million people in Wales volunteered in the last 12 months

- 29% of people in Wales are categorised as 'willing localists' – more than any other region

- But only 44% of respondents wish to actually influence local decision-making

Joining Dr Ruth Fox and Matt Korris on the panel at the Pierhead were Graham Benfield OBE (Chief Executive, Wales Council for Voluntary Action), Dr Rosanne Palmer (Deputy-Director, Wales Governance Centre), Mark Isherwood AM (Shadow Minister for Communities & Housing, Welsh Conservatives) and Jenny Rathbone AM (Welsh Labour). The debate was chaired by John Osmond (Director, Institute of Welsh Affairs).

Listen again to the event:

Part 1 - Introduction by John Osmond

Part 2 - Presentation by Dr Ruth Fox and Matt Korris

Part 3 - Jenny Rathbone AM

Part 4 - Graham Benfield

Part 5 - Mark Isherwood AM

Part 6 - Dr Rosanne Palmer

Questions & Answers:

Part 7 - Q&A

Part 8 - Q&A

Part 9 - Q&A 

Read the briefing paper 'Political and Civic Engagement in Wales in the age of the Big Society'

Download the presentation here

Lord Speaker Hustings 2011

The announcement of Baroness Hayman on 9 May 2011 not to stand for reelection as Lord Speaker paved the way for the first Hansard Society Lord Speaker hustings. Six candidates decided to stand for the position, which will be elected by the House on 13 July 2011. Taking place in the Robing Room in the House of Lords, five peers* set out their reasons for their candidature and answered questions from fellow members.

In the second election for the Lord Speaker, the contenders are:

- Lord Colwyn CBE (Deputy Speaker, House of Lords since 2008)

- Professor the Lord Desai of St Clement Danes (former academic at the London School of Economics)

- Rt Hon the Baroness D'Souza of Wychwood CMG (Convenor of the Crossbench Peers since 2007)

- Rt Hon the Lord Goodlad of Lincoln KCMG (former British High Commissioner to Australia, 2000-2005)

- Baroness Harris of Richmond DL (Deputy Speaker, House of Lords since 2008)

- Lord Redesdale (Vice-chair of the all-party group on Climate Change, House of Lords)

You can watch full coverage of the Lord Speaker hustings on BBC Parliament on Saturday 2 July 2011 at 9pm.

Listen again to the event:

Part 1 - Introduction by Rt Hon Peter Riddell

Part 2 - Lord Desai

Part 3 - Baroness Harris

Part 4 - Lord Goodlad

Part 5 - Lord Colwyn

Part 6 - Baroness D'Souza

Part 11 - Closing Remarks

Questions & Answers:

Part 7 - Q&A

Part 8 - Q&A

Part 9 - Q&A 

Part 10 - Q&A

Photos:

View photos on Flickr

Read Mark D'Arcy's blog post on the BBC News website

* Lord Redesdale was unable to attend due to a pre-arranged engagement

Are Westminster and Whitehall Coping with the Coalition?

One year after the formation of the first coalition government since the 1930s, new research by the Constitution Unit investigated how the corridors of Whitehall were coping with the new occupants of No10 and Westminster.

The audience were treated to a panel of constitutional experts to discuss the interim findings of the study by Professor Robert Hazell CBE and Dr Ben Yong who are leading the research team. Baroness Hamwee of Richmond upon Thames (Co-Chair of the Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Policy Committee on Home Affairs, Justice and Equalities) and Tim Montgomerie (co-founder and Editor of ConservativeHome) also contributed their thoughts. Key findings include of the report include:

• The coalition's programme for government contains 75% of the Liberal Democrat 2010 manifesto and 60% of the Conservative 2010 manifesto
• The Liberal Democrats secured 22% of cabinet seats and 19% of frontbench poistions with 16% of coalition MPs
• Creation of a formal 'coalition dispute mechanism', though most issues are resolved informally
• Lib Dem junior ministers charged with monitoring Conservative-led departments but often struggle to fulfil this role, particularly in the Home Office and Department for Communities and Local Government. Yet there are success stories with positive collaboration between Conservative Andrew Lansley and Liberal Democrat Paul Burstow as well as Conservative Michael Gove and Liberal Democrat Sarah Teather
• Substantial pressure on Liberal Democrat resources after losing state party funding, a strengthened by still inexperienced Deputy Prime Minister's Office, and an over-stretched group of cabinet ministers who serve on many more Cabinet committees than Conservative counterparts
• Expect more rebellions, as MPs fight for 50 less constituencies and problems in any cabinet reshuffle with limited options for Nick Clegg

The final report will be published in 2012.

Listen again to the event:

Part 1 - Professor Robert Hazell

Part 2 - Professor Robert Hazell & Dr Ben Yong

Part 3 - Tim Montgomerie

Part 4 - Baroness Hamwee

Questions & Answers:

Part 5 - Q&A

Part 6 - Q&A

Photos:

View photos on Flickr

The Digital Agenda for Change: Where are we one year on?

More open government and greater transparency is becoming a reality as both Whitehall and Parliament begin making data sets publicly available. We’ve also seen social media, particularly Twitter and Facebook, creating a shift in the way some MPs are connecting with their constituents. There has been a lot of talk about open data but what is actually happening? This latest Democracy Forum explored the changes in the digital landscape since last year's general election to look at what progress has been made.

Chair Dr Andy Williamson (Director of Digital Democracy, Hansard Society) was joined by two of the 2010 intake of MPs, Kris Hopkins (Conservative, Keighley and Ilkley) and Dr Julian Huppert (Liberal Democrat, Cambridge).

Listen again to the event:

Part 1 - Kris Hopkins MP

Part 2 - Dr Julian Huppert MP (a)

Part 3 - Dr Andy Williamson briefing

Part 4 - Dr Julian Huppert MP (b)

Part 5 - Kris Hopkins MP's response

Questions & Answers:

Part 6 - Q&A

Part 7 - Q&A

Photos:

View photos on Flickr

Read Andy Williamson's commentary 'Making Parliament's data repositoy open access'

Read comment by James Frith on Slightly Right of Centre and by Tom Barfield on his personal blog

Explaining Cameron's Coalition

The 2010 General Election produced the UK’s first peacetime coalition in nearly 80 years, an outcome that had ‘radically altered the British political landscape’. In a new book by Sir Robert Worcester (Chairman and founder of MORI), Dr Roger Mortimore (Director of Political Analyst at Ipsos MORI), Paul Baines (Reader in Marketing at Cranfield University) and Mark Gill (former head of Political Research at Ipsos MORI), the study provides a comprehensive investigation into how public opinion changed since the 2005 general election.

The panel comprising the book’s authors and Liberal Democrat peer Lord Rennard discussed the key conclusions from the publication:

Both Gordon Brown and Tony Blair lost it for Labour

The Conservatives could have won a general election if it had been held in 2009

Leaders were as important as policies in influencing voters’ decisions

Economy was the key issue of concern

TV election debates had a huge impact, but less on the final results

If a general election were held tomorrow:

- 59% of 2010 Conservative voters would still vote Conservative

- 63% of 2010 Labour voters would still vote Labour

- 27% of 2010 Liberal Democrat voters would still vote Liberal Democrat

You can buy the book at all major high street bookshops including Amazon and Waterstones, as well as signed copies from the Ipsos MORI website.

Listen again to the event:

Part 1 - Sir Robert Worcester

Part 2 - Mark Gill

Part 3 - Lord Rennard

Questions & Answers:

Part 4 - Q&A

Part 5 - Q&A

Part 6 - Q&A

Photos:

View photos on Flickr

Download the presentation

Download 'Opinion Polls: Do They Do More Harm Than Good?'

Read 'What does the future hold for the Private Members' Bill?' on BBC Democracy Live

Democracy Forum - Private Members’ Bills: Rejuvenation or Abolition?

The number of Private Members’ Bills that receive Royal Assent has declined reapidly since the 1960s when David Steel (now Lord Steel) introduced the Abortion Act. Whilst there has been many reforms in other areas of the legislative process, Private Members’ Bills have yet to see any radical changes in the way thery are passed in over 50 years.

The Hansard Society investigated the flaws leading to the demise of Private Members’ Bills and produced a report suggesting a number of modifications to restore ‘the golden age’ of PMBs.

With the report’s findings in mind, a panel comprising co-author Alex Brazier, Natascha Engel MP (chair of the Backbench Business Committee in the House of Commons), Chris Bryant MP (Shadow Minister for Political and Constitutional Reform), Christopher Chope OBE MP and Lord Steel of Aikwood, debated a backbencher’s most important legislative tool.

Listen again to the event:

Part 1 - Alex Brazier

Part 2 - Lord Steel of Aikwood

Part 3 - Natascha Engel MP

Part 4 - Christopher Chope OBE MP

Part 5 - Chris Bryant MP

Questions & Answers:

Part 6 - Q&A

Part 7 - Q&A

Photos:

View photos on Flickr

Read a copy of the report

Rt Hon Hilary Benn MP: Making Parliament Work for People

The Shadow Leader of the House of Commons, Rt Hon Hilary Benn MP, set out Labour's goal of a 100% elected House of Lords in a packed event at Portcullis House. Hilary Benn said:

"The changes I have set out tonight – which some might not see as relevant to restoring trust – are in fact all about doing so. Because by giving MPs more of a chance to speak up on behalf of others, people will feel they are being better represented"

The shadow cabinet minister also outlined his vision of the allowing Select Committees to table amendments to legislation and creating a House Business Committee. He also proposed the introduction of a Backbench Business Committee, enabling MPs to vote on these and other constitutional reforms.

Questions from the floor included the referendum on Scottish independence, the subject of local primaries and recalling your local MP.

Listen again to the event:

Part 1 - Rt Hon Peter Riddell & Rt Hon Hilary Benn MP

Part 2 - Rt Hon Hilary Benn MP

Questions & Answers

Part 3 - Q&A

Part 4 - Q&A

Photos:

View photos on Flickr

Read a copy of Hilary Benn's speech

The RSA/Hansard Society AV Debate

Ahead of the UK's second nationwide referendum, the Hansard Society and the RSA held a joint debate in central London on the arguments fore and against changing the voting system used to elect MPs. On May 3 2011, the British electorate will be asked the following question:

'At present, the UK uses the 'first past the post system' to elect MPs to the House of Commons. Should the 'alternative vote' system be used instead?

Less than a mile from the seat of the UK Parliament, electoral reform expert and Reading University academic Dr Alan Renwick, The Sunday Telegraph’s comment editor Robert Colvile (supporting first-past-the-post) and chief political commentator of The Independent on Sunday John Rentoul (supporting AV) gathered to reflect on a month of relentless campaigning and to discuss the implications for our national political culture.

Listen again to the event:

Part 1 - Dr Alan Renwick

Part 2 - John Rentoul

Part 3 - Robert Colvile

Part 4 - Q&A

Part 5 - Q&A

Part 6 - Q&A

Photos:

View photos on Flickr

Referendums: The voice of the people or the tyranny of the vocal?

What is the purpose of referendums? Does the result really represent the people? And are they effective? These were a few of the issues discussed at a packed debate in the Portcullis House in Westminster on 3rd May 2011, just 36 hours before the UK's first nationwide referendum since 1975. With a panel comprising Professor Vernon Bogdanor, Research Professor at King’s College London, Steve Richards, chief political commentator at The Independent and Lord Norton of Louth, Professor of Government at the University of Hull, the pros and cons of this rarely used political instrument were discussed.

Professor Vernon Bogdanor argued that referendums were a good tool and people should decide these issues rather than the politicians. Yet journalist Steve Richards firmly believed referendums often lead to low quality debate and poor turnouts, something evident he says during the recent AV campaign. Foremost constitutional expert Lord Norton described referendums as "misleading, unbalanced and dangerous".

Listen again to the event:

Part 1 Professor Vernon Bogdanor

Part 2 Professor Vernon Bogdanor

Steve Richards

Lord Norton

Questions and Answers:

Part 1

Part 2

Poll

Photos:

View photos on Flickr

Democracy Forum - Political Memoirs: Egotistical or Educational?

Wednesday evening saw the first Hansard Society Democracy Forum of 2011. Chaired by Virginia Gibbons, the speakers were two of the country’s most experienced politicians, Tony Benn and Baroness Shirley Williams.

Debating issues such as political transparency, self-promotion and accuracy, the panel provided a fascinating insight into political memoirs and their unique ability to catch the spirit of the time.

Responding to a suggestion that diary admissions can be seen as a betrayal of trust, Shirley Williams admitted that reporting anecdotes and conversations with friends can be very problematic. Tony Benn commented that luckily, his reputation as a prolific diarist meant that most were already prepared to see their conversations in print.

When discussing political transparency, Tony Benn suggested that publishing cabinet minutes could increase public understanding of the political process. Shirley Williams commented that publishing information of a sensitive nature was not always wise and argued that publishing the Blair-Bush correspondence for example, would severely undermine British-American relations.

Questions from the audience raised some interesting issues, particularly on the panel’s opinions on the recent Wikileaks scandal with Tony Benn arguing that ‘truth’ is the lifeblood of democracy. Shirley Williams suggested more caution, arguing that under authoritarian leadership, freedom of information can also be a dangerous tool for the regime to locate and suppress opposition.

Listen again here-

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3

Making Better Law

The Hansard Society launched its latest publication Making Better Law in Parliament on December 14 2010. Joint authors Dr Ruth Fox and Matt Korris gave a presentation on the report's findings and recommendations. Sir George Young MP (Leader of the House of Commons), Baroness D'Souza (Convenor of the Crossbench Peers), Graham Allen MP (Chair of Political and Constitutional Reform Committee) and Chris Bryant MP (Shadow Minister for Political and Constitutional Reform) sat on a panel chaired by Rt Hon Peter Riddell (Chair, Hansard Society) which discussed the report and the issues highlighted by the Hansard Society.

Listen again to the discussion.

Introduction

Presentation by Dr Ruth Fox and Matt Korris

Sir George Young MP

Baroness D'Souza

Graham Allen MP

Questions

Chris Bryant MP

Has Devolution Delivered for Women? - Discussion event in Wales

The Hansard Society and Welsh Assembly  jointly hosted an event exploring the issue of gender and devolution. Taking place in the Pierhead building in Cardiff Bay, it explored what progress had been made in improving female representation since devolution, what obstacles threatened that progress and what new measures might now be needed.

The event in Wales followed on from a similar event held in Scotland earlier this year. Both events discussed the Hansard Society and the British Council's pamphlet Has Devolution Delivered for Women?

Mai Davies, news journalist chaired the meeting and was joined by Dr Ruth Fox (Hansard Society), Eleanor Burnham AM (Liberal Democrat) Christine Chapman AM (Labour) and Helen Mary Jones AM (Plaid Cymru).

Annual Lecture: Nick Clegg announces plans for a "fundamental rewiring of power in Britain"

Deputy Prime Minister, the Rt Hon Nick Clegg MP used the PSA / Hansard Society Annual Lecture to announce government plans for political reform, in which he said the political system is out of step with modern life, and requires a "fundamental rewiring of power".

Click here for audio recordings of the speech

Click here for a full transcript of the speech

Click here for photos of the event

Mr Clegg's speech focused on three areas:

 1. Political institutions - including electoral reform, an end to household electoral registration, data-matching of the electoral register for local authorities, House of Lords reform, and party funding.   

 2. Decentralisation -  giving local government more control over their purse strings.

 3. Civil liberties -  Rethinking the relationship between citizen and state; ensuring local councils do not make excessive use of surveillance powers for civil matters, and reviewing counter-terrorism legislation to restore freedoms whilst keeping people safe.

Should Scotland care about electoral reform? Hansard Society at the SNP Conference

The Hansard Society held its fourth party conference event on Friday 15th October, asking Should Scotland care about reformed voting at Westminster? at the SNP Conference 2010, in association with the Electoral Reform Society Scotland.

Listen again to our distinguished panel of guests, chaired by Dr Ruth Fox, Director of Parliament and Government at the Hansard Society.

Prof John Curtice (University of Strathclyde), Pete Wishart MP, Willie Sullivan (Electoral Reform Society Scotland)  Linda Fabiani MSP  Q&A Part 1 , Q&A Part 2

Conservative fringe event - 'Jack of all trades: How can MPs fulfil all their roles?'

The Hansard Society and Institute for Government were joined by a distinguished panel of guests at our Conservative Party Conference fringe event - ‘Jack of all trades: How can MPs fulfil all their roles?'

Listen again:

Lord Adonis (Chair) and Sir George Young MP

Stephen Dorrell MP , Mary Macleod MP, Nick Boles MP, Iain Dale (Total Politics), Andrew Tyrie MP

Q&A: Part 1 Part 2

Listen again to the Labour fringe event here

Listen again to the Liberal Democrat fringe event here

Labour Conference 2010 - Fringe event, 'Jack of all trades - How can MPs fulfil all their roles?'

The Hansard Society and Institute for Government were joined by Jack Straw MP, John Cryer MP, Dr Stella Creasy MP and Polly Toynbee of The Guardian at our Labour Party Conference fringe event, 'Jack of all trades: How can MPs fulfil all their roles?'

Listen again:

For information on our Conservative Party Conference fringe event on October 5th click here

For information and audio on our Liberal Democrat Conference finge event click here

Liberal Democrat Conference fringe event - How can MPs fulfil all their roles?

 "Campaigner, advocate, legislator, scrutineer, champion, middle-manager, legal advisor, financial advisor, welfare officer, copywriter, pundit, super-councillor, agony aunt, punch bag and D-list celebrity"

- Some of the roles expected of MPs, described by David Heath MP

The Hansard Society and Insitute for Government were joined by Jo Swinson MP, Dr Julian Huppert MP, David Heath MP and Jackie Ashley of The Guardian, at our Liberal Democrat Conference fringe event in a discussion on the many roles of MPs, 'Jack of all trades - How can MPs fulfil their many roles?'.

Listen again: Part 1 Jo Swinson MP ; Part 2 David Heath MP ; Part 3 Julian Huppert MP ; Part 4 Jackie Ashley ; Part 5 Q&A 1 ; Part 6 Q&A

For details of our Labour and Conservative fringe events click here

Britain Votes 2010 - 25% discount on latest publication, and listen again to lively launch event here

On September 15th we hosted an event to coincide with the launch of Britain Votes 2010, the new comprehensive analysis of the 2010 general election.

We received a fascinating keynote address from Prof John Curtice who asked "So what went wrong with the electoral system?", a panel discussion with the contributors, and Q&A session with the audience.

You can see the event on BBC Parliament on Saturday 16th October at 9pm, and available online on BBC iPlayer for a further seven days.

To obtain a copy of the book, you can send this order form directly to the Oxford University Press and you will receive a 25% discount (£11.99) until 31st December 2010.

The internet and the 2010 election putting the small ‘p’ back in politics?

Chair: Dr. Andy Williamson, Hansard Society

Speakers: Rachel Gibson, University of Manchester; Matthew McGregor, Blue State Digital; Helen Duffett, LibDemVoice and former LibDem candidate.

2010 was supposed to be Britain's first ‘internet election', but, in the end, it was the televised leaders' debates that really captured the public imagination. There  was no pivotal moment at which we entered the age of internet politics but the 2010 election shows how the internet has become a ‘business as usual' space for people and, with this, for politics and campaigning.

Listen to the panellists and audience discuss what they feel really happened online and behind the scenes in the digital election.

Connecting with constituents - MPs and Digital Engagement

July 7, 2010 at 6.30pm in Portcullis House, Westminster.

Chair: Dr. Andy Williamson (Director, Digital Democracy programme, Hansard Society).

Panelists: Dr. Paul Hodgkin (Patient Opinion); Tim Hood (Yoosk); Jon Kingsbury (NESTA). 

This event was an exploration into the potential of online engagement in connecting MPs to their constituents and enabling politicians to embed current constituency relationships and forge new ones.  There were introductions to online engagement tools Yoosk, Patient Opinion and MyMP, followed by an open and opinionated discussion between the audience and the panelists.

Listen to the introduction and Jon Kingsbury from NESTA

Listen to Paul Hodgkin and Jason Gough from Patient Opinion

Listen to Tim Hood from Yoosk and the Chair's remarks

Dr. Paul Hodgkin and Tim Hood used PowerPoint presentations - select the appropriate link below to access them:

Dr. Paul Hodgkin, Patient Opinion - Presentation slides

Tim Hood, Yoosk - Presentation slides

Democracy Forum: Coalition government - lessons from Holyrood

Chair: Dr. Ruth Fox (Director, Parliament and Government Programme, Hansard Society)

Speakers: Rt. Hon. Henry McLeish (Former Scottish First Minister, Labour MSP and MP), Joyce McMillan (Scotsman)

This stimulating and wide-ranging Democracy Forum addressed various aspects of the new coalition politics in Westminster and their implications for the political landscape in the short to long term.  While coalition politics is quite new to contemporary Westminster politics, this is not the case in other parts of the UK's democracy: the Scottish Parliament in Holyrood has been working with a coalition and minority government since 1999.  Mindful of this, the two speakers - both stalwarts of Scottish politics - engaged with the issues facing Westminster politics as regards the new coalition and the possibilities for its future trajectory from positions of familiarity with the effects that coalition government has had on Holyrood.

Listen to the introduction and Rt. Hon. Henry McLeish

Listen to Joyce McMillan

Listen to the Q&A session (part one)

Listen to the Q&A session (part two) and concluding remarks

Rt Hon Sir George Young Bt MP, Leader of the House of Commons

Parliamentary reform: the Coalition Government's agenda after Wright

June 16, 6.30pm, Westminster. 

Read the transcript of the keynote address

Listen to the keynote address

Listen to Sir George's response to audience questions

Rt Hon Sir George Young Bt MP made his first keynote address since becoming Leader of the House and Lord of the Privy Seal to the Hansard Society in Westminster on June 16. He said that on Parliamentary reform he agreed in many ways with the Speaker of the House of Commons. He shared some personal observations about how the new Government is operating compared to a single party administration that he has been involved in. He said one of the most important factors will be the strength of the relationship between the two leaders of the party’s involved, saying that the access between the party’s was probably stronger that that between Blair and Brown, of the same party. He went on to comment on the hierarchy of Ministers and the relationships between them, in order to preserve the coalition, saying that decision making dynamic has changed, possibly to make decisions more durable as they require stronger consensus across parties. Sir George said it was producing a grown-up approach to politics that was also a reflection of the governments approach to Parliament.

Lecture by the Speaker of the House of Commons - transcript and audio now available

Reform in a new Parliament - Reviving the Chamber, a lecture by the Speaker of the House of Commons, Rt. Hon. John Bercow MP, June 9, Westminster.

Following on from the PSA/ Hansard Society Annual Lecture in November 2009 where Mr Speaker laid out his vision on how to best engage the public with Parliament, Rt. Hon. John Bercow MP gave a lecture in which he set out how and why the Chamber needs to be and can be revived. The speech, chaired by Hansard Society Chairman Peter Riddell, was followed by questions from a number of the audience members and Speaker Bercow's responses to them.

Has Devolution Delivered for Women? - Discussion event

An event to discuss the Hansard Society & British Council's new pamphlet Has Devolution Delivered for Women? made some excellent contributions to the debate around women's involvement in politics, from both the panel speakers and members of the audience.

Listen to the introduction to the pamphlet and speakers

Listen to Wendy Alexander MSP

Listen to  Dr. Fiona Mackay (University of Edinburgh)

Listen to Leslie Riddoch

See some photos

Photos & audience contribution audio will follow shortly. Read the full write up.

The Reform Challenge: Perspectives on Parliament: Past, present and future

Since its inception the Hansard Society has made many influential recommendations for parliamentary reform. In the run up to the general election the Hansard Society asked the three main parties to lay out their party's plans for parliamentary reform, should that party form the new government. These lectures have been collected in a pamphlet, The Reform Challenge, along side speeches from the Speaker of the House of Commons, Rt Hon John Bercow MP and the Lord Speaker, Baroness Hayman, to give an overview of their ideas for reform. In addition, Dr Ruth Fox, Director of the Parliament and Government programme, examines public confidence in Parliament and MPs, and proposes priority areas for reform. The lectures were chaired by Peter Riddell (Chair of the Hansard Society).

Click here to download The Reform Challenge.

Read and listen to the MPs' speeches.

Independent MPs Democracy Forum

Tuesday March 16 at 6.30pm, Houses of Parliament, Westminster.

Speakers:

Listen again

Dr Richard Taylor MP & Chris Mullin MP

Cllr Diane Park & Professor Phillip Cowley

Q&A 1

Q&A 2 

How many women does it take to make a difference? - February 9, 2010

In Westminster 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 (Professor of Politics and Gender, University of Bristol), Nadine Dorries MP, Harriet Harman MP (Minister for Women & Equality) and Linda Tarr-Whelan (former Ambassador to the UN Commission on the Status of Women). The speakers addressed the issue from a number of perspectives and viewpoints creating a debate which was serious, rational, informative and inspiring. International data and research was combined with candid insights into life in parliament and politics.

See the photos on Flickr

Listen to the audio

Linda Tarr-Whelan & Harriet Harman MP

Nadine Dorries MP & Professor Sarah Childs

Q&A

Speech by Sir Ian Kennedy

On Tuesday January 5 Sir Ian Kennedy, Chair of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA) gave a speech setting the context for the proposed MPs' expenses scheme and how it will be administered. 

Chaired by Fiona Booth, Chief Executive at the Hansard Society.

Download the speech here

Read the press coverage here

Ermine, Ethics and Engagement: Evolution in the House of Lords

A Speech by the Lord Speaker, Rt Hon the Baroness Hayman

Last night the Lord Speaker addressed the Hansard Society in the exquisite Robing Room in the House of Lords. This historic room provided a fitting setting for her lecture on the past, present and future of the House of Lords. The Lord Speaker's principle assertion was that the key to reform lay in the upper house taking control of its own destiny; 'proving that self regulation..so fundamental to parliamentary democracy, can be made to work in line with 21st century expectations of openness, transparancy amd accountability'. Touching on the composition of the House of Lords and engagement with the wider public, the Lord Speaker emphasised that reform must take into account the valued history of the Lords whilst at the same time ensuring its future.

Civil Liberties: Are we placing ourselves at the mercy of the state?

Tuesday December 8th, House of Commons, Westminster

Listen to the audio: Henry Porter, Sir Ian Blair and Peter Oborne            Civil Liberties Q&A

Parliament in an anti-politics age: the outreach challenge

The Speaker of the House of Commons, John Bercow MP

November 30, Portcullis House, Westminster

The speech will be shown on the BBC Parliament channel at 9pm on Saturday December 5 and will be on BBC iPlayer thereafter. 

Listen to the event:  The Speaker's speech   Q&A

View the photographs of the event on flickr here

Read the speech in full here

Constitutional Change: Who Gains? Who Loses?

Last night over 200 Hansard Society supporters gathered in Westminster to debate Constitutional Change: Who Gains? Who Loses? On the panel was Graham Allen MP, Professor Vernon Bogdanor, David Howarth MP and Sir George Young MP. The panel discussed how far we have come and where we need to go to encourage greater public participation and open up our political system.

Twitter: Communication tool or pointless vanity?

Wednesday October 21
Portcullis House, Westminster

Last night Iain Dale, Kerry McCarthy MP, Jo Swinson MP and Andrew Walker, Co-Founder of Tweetminster joined the Hansard Society in a brilliantly entertaining debate on Twitter: Communication Tool or Pointless Vanity? The panel addressed a packed room in Portcullis House including both Twitterers and Non-Twitterers!

To read our Digital Paper on Twitter: Communication tool or Pointless vanity? click here

Listen to the Audio:  Kerry McCarthy MP & Jo Swinson MP   Andrew Walker & Iain Dale   Q&A

Parliamentary Reform: The Route from Here to There.

Parliamentary Reform: The Route from Here to There
A Speech by the Speaker of the House of Commons
Thursday 24th September, 2009

The Rt. Hon John Bercow, Speaker of the House of Commons, gave a speech yesterday to a sizeable and eager Hansard Society audience at Portcullis House in Westminster.

The Speaker's speech will be aired on BBC Parliament on Saturday 26th September at 10pm.

Click here to view the full transcript of the speech.

Listen to the event: The Speech   Q&A Part 1   Q&A Part 2

See the photos on Flickr

Has Devolution Delivered for Women?

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 Welsh Assembly)
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)

"Since devolution, Scotland and Wales have been viewed as international beacons of progress in establishing fair and effective representation for women in politics.

But at the 2007 election the number of female MSPs dropped for the first time since devolution - women now occupy just 33% of the seats in the Scottish Parliament.  In contrast, women secured 46% of the seats in the National Assembly for Wales. So was the 2007 result in Scotland just a temporary setback?"

Click here to see the photos from the event and listen to the audio

You can read the twitter feed from the event here  

30 Years of Scrutiny - Select Committee Conference

The Hansard Society, House of Commons and Study of Parliament Group held a very succesful conference celebrating 30 years of select committees, in the Attlee Suite, Portcullis House, with over 130 attendees. It was very interesting with a wide variety of views: people who were instrumental in setting up the current committee system; parliamentary specialists; academics; Clerks of the House of Commons and the House of Lords and members of the Hansard Society. The event consisted of three panels:

The origins and evolution of select committees
Chair: David Natzler (Clerk of Committees) Speakers: Gavin Drewry (Royal Holloway, University of London), Chris Price (former Chair of the Education Select Committee), Bill Proctor (former clerk to the Procedure Committee)
This looked at how the departmental select committees were established and provided some inetersting thoughts for those tasked with taking forward further reforms such as regional committees.

The challenges for scrutiny
Listen to the audio
Chair: Dr Meg Russell (Constitution Unit, UCL) Speakers: Peter Luff MP (Chair of the Business and Enterprise Committee), Sir Nicholas Monck (former Permanent Secretary and member of the Better Government initiative) , Helen Irwin (former Clerk of Committees)
This session looked at some of the key challenges faced by select committees over the last thirty years, for example what impact have select committees had on government. 

The future of select committees Listen to the audio
Chair: Dr Ruth Fox (Hansard Society) Speakers:Professor the Lord Norton of Louth (University of Hull) Peter Riddell (The Times and the chair of the Hansard Society) Tony Wright MP (Chair of the Public Administration Select Committee)
This final session from the Hansard Society looked at how the departmental select committee system has perhaps been part of a growth in the culture of scrutiny by committees. It considered what possibilities select committees offer for further reform and development of the House of Commons.

Read the papers from this event.  

Young people raise interesting views on politics

At our democracy forum Young People: Who cares what they think? the speakers and audience discussed what, exactly, should be the contribution of under-18s to politics?

- 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?

The discussion was really interesting and the young people in the audience raised some excellent points about issues such as 'votes at 16' and some interesting views on the citizenship education that they receive in school. Click here to listen to the event and see photos

What lessons should Westminster learn from Holyrood?

The Hansard Society Democracy Forum, What lessons should Westminster learn from Holyrood? marked the London launch of the Hansard Society Scotland publication The Scottish Parliament 1999-2009: The first Decade .The event took place in Westminster on the May 19 with a packed room and lively debate.

The Democracy Forum brought together key political and legal experts on the Scottish Parliament to discuss what the UK Parliament could learn from the last 10 years of  the Scottish Parliament. The speakers were Joyce McMillan (Chair, Hansard Society Scotland Working Group), Lord Wallace of Tankerness (former Leader, Scottish Liberal Democrats); Peter Wishart (SNP Constitutional Affairs Spokesperson) and Michael Clancy OBE (Director,  Law Reform The Law Society of Scotland). The event will be covered on Today in Parliament on Radio Four this Friday (May 21).

Why Vote? - Hansard Society Scotland Hustings Series

The Hansard Society organised a series of Why Vote? debates and hustings in Scotland in the lead up to the European elections in June, in partnership with the European Movement and the CSPP

Launch of the Audit of Political Engagement 6

The sixth Audit of Political Engagement was launched today in Parliament to a full house. The MPs who spoke at the event had varying views on how best to engage the public with politics and the 'Obama effect' in the UK: Shahid Malik MP said that democratic governments must govern in the interests of all society, not just those with the loudest voices; Shailesh Vara MP said that he disagreed with positive discrimination and that people should be elected, like Barack Obama, on their own merit; Jo Swinson MP pointed out that when politics and politicians have a bad reputation it creates a spiral of disengagement.
Listen to the full event
See the photos

Europe or America: where is our special relationship now?

Wednesday 18 March, 6.30pm, House of Commons, Westminster.

This Hansard Society Democracy Forum examined the ‘special relationship' between the UK and the US in the context of the recent presidential elections and the forthcoming Euro elections.

Chair: Fiona Booth

Speakers: Charles Kennedy MP; Bronwen Maddox, Chief Foreign Commentator, The Times; Mark Tokola, Minister-Counselor for Economic Affairs, American Embassy; Caroline Flint MP, Minister of State, Foreign & Commonwealth Office.

You can listen to the event: 

Part 1 Charles Kennedy MP; Mark Tokola, American Embassy 

Part 2 Bronwen Maddox, The Times; Caroline Flint MP

Part 3 Q&A

Citizens or Consumers - which does a democracy need more?

A Democracy Forum that discussed the implications of globalised forces upon democratic engagement.

Wednesday 28 January 2009, 6pm, Portcullis House, Westminster. 

Chaired by: Virginia Gibbons (Hansard Society)

Speakers: Dr Vincent Cable MP (Liberal Democrat Deputy Leader & Shadow Chancellor); Ken Livingstone; Angela Knight (Chief Executive, British Bankers Association); Tony Travers (Director, Greater London Group, LSE)

This Democracy Forum, with reference to the current financial crisis, discussed whether we are passive consumers of globalised forces, or whether we have an active role to play as citizens in a democracy. The speakers were all excellent. Tony Travers made the distinction between citizens and consumers, saying that citizens acted as a collective as opposed to the individualism of a consumer. Ken Livingstone, as well as recounting amusing anecdotes about his time as Mayor, discussed the need for the return of power to local government who can then be held accountable for their actions by local citizens, citing the 'choice' in schools and hospitals as an example of failed centralisation of power and treating citizens as consumers.

Dr Vince Cable gave some interesting examples of the tensions between an individual's role as a citizen and a consumer in the current financial crisis, for example as a self-interested consumer in hard times the instinct is to save money, however we are told that as citizens our duty is to spend and keep the economy going. Angela Knight agreed with some of Ken Livingstone's points, however she suggested that the removal of power from people to institutions such as the European Union, whilst not necessarily wrong, had left people feeling less like citizens and politicians must be honest in these tough times to combat that.

Listen to the panel:

Tony Travers (LSE) & Ken Livingstone

Dr Vince Cable MP & Angela Knight (British Banker's Association)

When Gordon Took The Helm

A Democracy Forum that examined Gordon Brown's first year as Prime Minister

It was an excellent meeting with very interesting comment and debate on the different aspects of Gordon Brown's first year as Prime Minster. The speakers at this event were all contributors to the latest edition of The Palgrave Review of British Politics. Michael Rush introduced the Palgrave Review, Philip Giddings spoke on 'mapping the voyage', Peter Riddell examined Gordon Brown's first year at the helm and Philip Cowley spoke on Parliament under Gordon Brown.

To order your copy of When Gordon Took the Helm: The Palgrave Review of British Politics 2007-08 at the special price of £29.99 (usually £59.99), go to www.palgrave.com and enter this unique discount code: WHELM2008a.

Hansard Society conference in the Guardian - 17 November 2008

John Harris, when discussing class politics in the Guardian, referred to the speech made by Hazel Blears at Hansrad Society's Revitalising Politics conference on 5/6 November.

Engaging online: Getting citizens back to the centre of democracy

On October 29, 2008 the Hansard Society held a seminar in the Scottish Parliament to explore the different characteristics of online engagement. Organised in collaboration with Microsoft, the session focused not simply on the technology but also on the impact of organisational culture and the broader context of citizen disenfranchisement.

Revitalising Politics Conference

The Revitalising Politics: have we lost the plot? conference took place on November 5/6 2008 in Parliament. It was organised by the Hansard Society and Professors Gerry Stoker (University of Southampton) and Colin Hay (University of Sheffield).

Visit the Revitalising Politics website to read and comment on all the conference papers and the keynote speeches by Rt Hon Hazel Blears MP and Chris Huhne MP.

Read press coverage

Making Politics Fit For Purpose

The Political Studies Association/Hansard Society 2008 Annual Lecture was given by Rt Hon Clare Short MP to a packed meeting at Westminster.

The Political Studies Association/Hansard Society Annual Lecture was introduced by Fiona Booth (Chief Executive, Hansard Society) and Prof Vicky Randall (Chair, PSA).

Click to listen to the Clare Short MP's speech and the Q&A session. View the photos.

Clare Short's speech:

‘It is widely agreed that the confidence of the people of the UK in their political system has been deeply undermined in recent years. Many agree that this cynicism is bad for democracy and believe that we must do more to educate the public in the workings of the political system. My own conclusion, after 25 years in electoral politics, is that our system is deeply flawed and visibly deteriorating in both the quality and democratic accountability of its decision-making. I suggest therefore that public education is likely to increase rather than decrease public cynicism and what is needed is a more determined demand for reform of the system.'

The PSA/Hansard Society Annual Lecture given by Rt Hon Clare Short MP was shown on BBC Parliament on Saturday November 1, 2008 at 10pm.

Hansard Society at 2008 SNP Conference

People Like Us: Is Scottish Society fairly reflected in Holyrood?

Saturday 18 October, 12.30-1.30pm, at the Royal George Hotel in Perth.

No Politics, Please ….We’re Women!

Over 90 people attended a Hansard Society meeting in Westminster to discuss a new briefing based on original Hansard Society research about women's attitudes to politics. The panel was:  Helen Goodman MP (Government Whip), Ros Taylor (The Guardian), Dr Jonathan Dean (Gender Institute, London School of Economics), and Lee Chalmers (the Downing Street Project). The event was chaired by Dr Sarah Childs (Bristol University).

Click here for a full write up, audio and the research paper.

People Like Us: Is British Society fairly reflected in Parliament? Party Conferences Autumn 2008

Channel 4/the Hansard Society have had an extremely succesful series of events at the Autumn 2008 party political conferences. We had lots of high profile speakers, the debates were of a very high quality and there was some controversial moments!