Archived Press Releases

Hansard Society at Festival of Politics - 16 August, 2010

2010-08-16T11:08:00Z

The Hansard Society will be hosting two events at the Festival of Politics in Edinburgh

Women at the Top: Where next for Women in Politics?

Saturday 21 August, 4pm-5pm - Committee Room 3, Scottish Parliament

Dr Ruth Fox (Hansard Society)

in conversation with

Joyce McMillan (Hansard Society Scotland and The Scotsman)

The Scottish Parliament and the National Assembly for Wales have been international beacons of progress in establishing higher levels of representation for women in politics. But at the 2007 elections there was a decline in the number of women elected and it's feared it could be worse still in 2011. After the recent general election campaign in which female politicians had such a low profile, we'll be discussing what the future holds for women in politics in Scotland and across the UK

AND

Where Do Young People Get Their Political News?

Friday 20th August 11.15 - 12.15 - Committee Room 1, Scottish Parliament

Michael Raftery, Citizenship and Education Director (Hansard Society)

With newspaper sales declining and readership growing ever older, where do young people obtain information about, and discuss politics? Have blogs and social networks become the political forums of choice for the under 25s? This lively and interactive event will pit ‘old' against ‘new' media in deciding which is most relevant in forming young people's political perspectives. Join Michael Raftery, Director, Citizenship and Education Programme, Hansard Society and other panelists.

Tickets are FREE (£1 booking fee) and can be obtained online, by phone (0131 473 2000), or in person from Hub Tickets at The Edinburgh International Festival Box Office, Castlehill, Edinburgh EH1 2NE, or in person only from the Scottish Parliament (The Main Hall of the Scottish Parliament, Horsewynd, Edinburgh EH99 1SP).

Tickets are also available at:

Branches of Waterstones bookshops, throughout central Scotland
Blackwells bookshop, 53-62 South Bridge, Edinburgh EH1 1YS
Selected EAE leaflet displays throughout Scotland

‘Coalition Must Do Better' says Hansard Society Report Card on Legislative and Parliamentary Reform - July 29, 2010

2010-07-29T15:22:00Z

‘Time is the oxygen of Parliament'. So said the now Leader of the House Sir George Young MP in a speech to the Hansard Society in March, setting out his party's agenda for parliamentary and legislative reform and the need for improvements to enable MPs to ‘undertake scrutiny in a measured and considered manner'.

But four months on, the parliamentary session ends with the Academies Bill securing Royal Assent after just one week of debate and consideration by elected members in the House of Commons. The coalition government's approach to the timing of new bills demonstrates that MPs are not being given the time and space to undertake scrutiny in a considered manner.

Similarly, the timetabling of the new Fixed Term Parliaments and Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Bill is likely to mean that there is little time for effective scrutiny of these bills. Both have only just been published and will receive their second reading during the short September sitting period: as a consequence, there has been no pre-legislative scrutiny and the Political and Constitutional Reform Select Committee will not be able to conduct an effective inquiry in the limited number of days available in the interim.

Once again, it will be left to the unelected Upper House - through a Lords Constitution Committee inquiry held whilst the bill is going though its Commons stages - to secure comment and analysis from expert witnesses to inform what scrutiny of the constitutional reform bills is possible.

Despite having promised greater time for improved scrutiny, only one piece of legislation - the Parliamentary Privileges Bill - was allocated for pre-legislative scrutiny in draft form in the Queen's Speech.

More broadly on the parliamentary reform agenda, the coalition government scores high marks for implementation of the Wright Committee reform proposals. As a result the House of Commons now has a Backbench Business Committee and the elected chairs and members of Select Committee - measures which together should go some way to empowering backbenchers and rebalancing the relationship between Parliament and the executive.

However, there has been no progress with the public engagement reforms proposed in the Wright Committee report - in particular the Procedures Committee has yet to announce what it is to do in relation to the trialling of petitions. Similarly, the coalition has yet to give any indication of how it plans to introduce a Public Reading Day into the legislative process and what form of public engagement this new procedure will take.

Speaking as the parliamentary session came to an end, Director of the Hansard Society's Parliament and Government Programme, Ruth Fox, said of the coalition's mixed end of term report card:

"On the positive side, its implementation of the Wright Committee reforms marks real progress that helps rebalance the relationship between Parliament and the executive. But there has been no progress with the important proposals to better link Parliament with the public, particularly through a new power of petitions, and no progress on the introduction of a new Public Reading Day.

"On the legislative side, political expediency has taken priority over Parliament's right to properly scrutinise the executive. Good scrutiny is an essential prerequisite of good law-making and good governance. If ministers wanted legislation on the statute book by September then Parliament could have sat longer, instead it rose two days earlier than initially planned. If the coalition is to deliver on its warm reforming words in opposition then the mantra for the next parliamentary session is ‘must do better'."
For further information, contact Virginia Gibbons, Head of Communications at the Hansard Society on mediaprog@hansard.lse.ac.uk

or 020 7438 1225 or 07812 765 552

Editor's Notes

The Hansard Society is the UK's leading independent, non-partisan political research and education charity. We aim to strengthen parliamentary democracy and encourage greater public involvement in politics.

Don't tweet at me! - HeadsUp forum report, 21 June 2010

2010-07-21T16:40:00Z

Young people want face-to-face contact with politicians and a two-way discussion on social media.

www.headsup.org.uk

Young people on the HeadsUp.org.uk forum Politics and Politicians...what needs to change? place as much importance on face-to-face contact as they do on digital forms of engagement with politicians. Forum users said that digital engagement is good if used properly, but it is not a replacement for "actually getting out and about and talking".

Users of HeadsUp.org.uk, which came runner up in the Empowering Young People and Citizens category at the 2010 Nominet Internet Awards, insisted that genuine engagement was very important to them, but only if their ideas and suggestions were listened to and taken into account. Although some expressed a preference for face-to-face engagement, most also accepted that if digital engagement was welcome if it was a two way dialogue:

I think it's good for MPs to have these [social media] accounts as a means of younger people getting into contact with them. However if they don't make an effort to take into account what people say to them or listen to any suggestions then it isn't really worth it - it shouldn't just be about who has the most followers on Twitter.

MPs should be out and about talking to people. It would make me feel as though the MPs are actually listening to what we have to say and means that their answers are more genuine, instead of being carefully thought out and re-read as they would be in a letter or blog post.

As much as I think it would be useful for politicians and MPs to have Facebook and Twitter as something to complement their contact with the public and young people in general, I also think it should be just that - a way to back up usual communication.

The full forum report for Politics and Politicians...what needs to change? is available to download here. The forum, which ran from 21 June - 9 July, allowed young people to discuss these issues with Peers, new MPs, shadow and serving Ministers.

HeadsUp is an online debating space for 11-18 year-olds, run by the independent and non-partisan Hansard Society, to enable young people to discuss their views on political issues with their peers and influential decision-makers. It aims to build levels of political awareness and participation so that young people can play an effective role in the democratic processes affecting their lives. HeadsUp is also a space that politicians and political parties can use to consult with young people and find out their ideas, experiences and opinions.

Beccy Allen, HeadsUp Project Manager said:

"This forum saw 20 decision-makers get involved - a record for this project! It's important that this enthusiasm is maintained as this forum shows they want an ongoing dialogue with their representatives. Whether through twitter or face-to-face, the important thing is that there is genuine, two-way interaction and that young people feel they are part of the conversation."

For more information please contact Kate Egglestone, k.egglestone@hansard.lse.ac.uk or 020 7438 1210

Editors' Notes

HeadsUp (http://www.headsup.org.uk/content/) is an innovative website where 11-18s debate political issues and learn about the political process. The site is a non-partisan, cross-party educational resource that provides a secure, structured and student-centred discussion platform.

HeadsUp was runner up in the Empowering Young People and Citizens category at the 2010 Nominet Internet Awards - recognising best practice use of the internet.

Two ways to register to participate in HeadsUp:

Young People - If you are 11-18 and want to get in on the action you need to complete the Student Sign Up Form.

Teachers/youth workers - can register a whole class/school year/group by completing our Teachers Registration Form.

All HeadsUp forums are open to be viewed and the debate followed by the public. Participants need to register or login to post comments (11-18s and supporting teachers/youth workers only).

The project is part-funded by the House of Commons.

There are currently 1,037 schools and youth organisations registered on HeadsUp.

A record number of decision makers took part in this forum:

Lord Adebowale - cross-bench Peer

Lord Alton of Liverpool - crossbench Peer

Ed Balls MP - Shadow Secretary of State for Education

Anne Begg MP - MP for Aberdeen South

Luciana Berger MP - MP for Liverpool Wavertree*

Philip Davies MP - MP for Shipley

Lord Faulkner of Worcester - Labour Peer, Deputy Speaker of the House of Lords.

Andy Hamflett - UK Youth Parliament

Baroness Hamwee - Liberal Democrat Peer and the spokesperson for the Home Office in the House of Lords.

Charles Hendry MP - Minister of State at the Department for Energy and Climate Change

Sheila Gilmour MP - MP for Edinburgh East*

Lord Goodhart - Liberal Democrat Peer

Julie Hilling - MP for Bolton West*

Margaret Hodge MP - MP for Barking and the Shadow Minister for Culture, Media and Sport.

John Howell MP - MP for Henley

Julian Huppert MP - MP for Cambridge*

Anas Sawar MP - MP for Glasgow Central*

Karl Turner MP - MP for Hull East*

*New MP

New MPs enthusiastically engaging with young people - 21 June, 2010

2010-06-21T16:31:00Z

Record number of parliamentarians to debate with under 18s on HeadsUp online forum

The current HeadsUp forum Politics and Politicians: what needs to change? has a record 19 decision-makers taking part, including seven new MPs, demonstrating an enthusiasm from the new Parliament for engaging with young people and understanding their views on politics.

The online forum - Politics and Politicians: what needs to change? is running from 21 June - 9 July and will allow young people to have their say on the new government's plans so far, the role of an MP, young people's representation in Parliament and much more. They will be discussing these issues with 19 decision-makers including; Peers, new MPs, shadow and serving Ministers:

Lord Adebowale - crossbench Peer
Lord Alton of Liverpool - crossbench Peer
Ed Balls MP - Shadow Secretary of State for Education
Anne Begg MP - MP for Aberdeen South
Luciana Berger MP - MP for Liverpool Wavertree*
Philip Davies MP - MP for Shipley
Lord Faulkner of Worcester - Labour Peer, Deputy Speaker of the House of Lords.
Andy Hamflett - UK Youth Parliament
Baroness Hamwee - Liberal Democrat Peer and the spokesperson for the Home Office in the House of Lords
Charles Hendry MP - Minister of State at the Department for Energy and Climate Change
Sheila Gilmore MP - MP for Edinburgh East*
Lord Goodhart - Liberal Democrat Peer
Julie Hilling - MP for Bolton West*
Margaret Hodge MP - MP for Barking and the Shadow Minister for Culture, Media and Sport
John Howell MP - MP for Henley
Julian Huppert MP - MP for Cambridge*
David Mowat MP - MP for Warrington South*
Anas Sawar MP - MP for Glasgow Central*
Karl Turner MP - MP for Hull East*

*New MP

The forum will be a chance for politicians to hear what young people think on the following issues:

New MPs - What should their priorities be? How can they interest you in politics?
Should all MPs be on Facebook, YouTube and Twitter?
Do you feel represented? - What qualities are most important in an MP? Does it matter what age, gender or ethnicity your MP is? Does your MP know what's important to you?
All change - what do you think of the new Government's reforms? Should we scrap ID cards? Should we be able elect a House of Lords? Should the way we vote change?
Could you be an MP? - What skills and experience do you think you need? What changes would you want to make? What puts you off becoming an MP?

Ed Balls, Shadow Secretary of State for Education, said this about the forum:

"It's great that HeadsUp is running an online forum about what needs to change in our Politics and Politicians, and I think it's really important that young people get the chance to debate these important issues. I think it's equally important that politicians, including me, listen and respond to young people's opinions and experiences. As MPs we are there to represent you as well as everyone else in the local community. Moreover, there's a saying that if you want to know what tomorrow will be like ask a young person today. Politicians from all parties will make better decisions and will develop more effective policies - for tomorrow as well as today - if we are in touch with and informed by your views. We may not necessarily always agree with each other but everyone gains when there is a dialogue, and when young people are fully involved this also strengthens our democracy."

For more information please contact Kate Egglestone, k.egglestone@hansard.lse.ac.uk or 020 7438 1210

Editors' Notes

HeadsUp (http://www.headsup.org.uk) is an innovative website where 11-18s debate political issues and learn about the political process. The site is a non-partisan, cross-party educational resource that provides a secure, structured and student-centred discussion platform.
Two ways to register to participate in HeadsUp:
Young People - If you are 11-18 and want to get in on the action you need to complete the Student Sign Up Form.
Teachers/youth workers - can register a whole class/school year/group by completing our Teachers Registration Form.
All HeadsUp forums are open to be viewed and the debate followed by the public. Participants need to register or login to post comments (11-18s and supporting teachers/youth workers only).
The project is part-funded by the House of Commons.
There are currently 1,037 schools and youth organisations registered on HeadsUp.

Press alert: 'Why Can't I Vote at my ATM?' - the practicalities of the ballot box - 18 June, 2010

2010-06-18T10:09:00Z

Why can't I vote at my ATM?

The practicalities of the ballot box.

June 23, 6.45pm, Portcullis House, Westminster

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

Speakers: Tom Harris MP; Jason Kitcat (Open Rights Group); Jenny Watson (Chair, Electoral Commission).

We would like to invite you to a Democracy Forum, which follows on from a number of high-profile procedural difficulties with the voting mechanisms at the recent general election. We thought it an opportune time to debate the efficacy of UK voting practices and the possibilities for its modernisation:

What methods of voter registration, voting and vote counting are most suitable to the UK, what do they entail and are they realistic?
What lessons can be learned from other countries, from previous trials in this country and from the experiences in May this year?
How can voter and ballot security be ensured in a modernized voting system?
How do we ensure transparency and proper scrutiny at the count?

Members of the media are invited to attend - to book your place please email mediaprog@hansard.lse.ac.uk or phone 020 7438 1225

Sir George Young MP gives speech on parliamentary reform - 11 June, 2010

2010-06-18T10:06:00Z

Parliamentary reform: the Coalition

Government's agenda after Wright

A speech by Leader of the House of Commons,

Rt. Hon. Sir George Young MP

June 16, 6.30pm, Thatcher Room, Portcullis House, Westminster

Chaired by Peter Riddell, Chair, Hansard Society

Members of the media are invited to attend - to book your place please email mediaprog@hansard.lse.ac.uk or phone 020 7438 1225

John Bercow speech - 6 June 2010

2010-06-18T10:03:00Z

The Speaker of the House of Commons Rt Hon John Bercow MP

gives speech to the Hansard Society tomorrow:

Reform in a New Parliament: Reviving the Chamber

Wednesday June 9, 6pm - 8pm, Attlee Suite, Portcullis House, Westminster

Chaired by Peter Riddell, Hansard Society

The speech will be followed by Q&A session

To attend, contact mediaprog@hansard.lse.ac.uk or phone 0208 438 1225

2010 Y Vote Mock Election results - 28 May, 2010

2010-05-28T14:58:00Z

The Liberal Democrats win twice the amount of seats as the Conservatives and over three times as many as Labour with a massive 50.7% of the seats across the country.

The results of the 2010 Y Vote Mock Election and Google School Elections involving over 250,000 young people are now in and they show that young people support the Liberal Democrats as the party that they believe should be in Government. Students gave the Liberal Democrats a narrow majority over the other parties - 50.7% of the seats in constituencies where Mock Elections were held. The Conservative Party achieved 24.9% of the vote and Labour came in third, being elected in only 15.9% of seats. This of course differs wildly from the real general election result, in which Labour achieved 39% of the vote.

Smaller parties achieved 8% of seats collectively, doing much better than smaller parties in the General Election, where they achieved 4% of seats.

The full results are as follows (number of seats and percentage of seats):

Liberal Democrats: 191 (50.7%)

Conservative Party: 94 (24.9%)

Labour: 60 (15.9%)

Independents: 8 (2.1%)

Green Party: 7 (1.9%)

Plaid Cymru: 5 (1.3%)

SNP: 5 (1.3%)

Sinn Fein: 2 (0.5%)

Monster Raving Loony: 2 (0.5%)

Ulster Unionist Party (UUP): 1 (0.3%)

Respect: 1 (0.3%)

Socialist Labour: 1 (0.3%)

Mock elections actively engage students with the political issues that concern them by giving them the opportunity to stand as party candidates, speech writers and canvassers. Students voice their opinions by engaging in a fun and active citizenship exercise which provides an excellent introduction to the mechanics and issues involved in an election.

Michael Raftery, Director of the Hansard Society Citizenship Programme says:

"These results are a fascinating glimpse into young people's attitudes to the different parties and pose plenty of interesting "what if..." questions. The number of schools and young people involved and the dynamism of their elections has been really impressive and we hope schools are able to build on this interest into the new Parliament".

The Y Vote Mock Elections website www.mockelections.co.uk is run by the Hansard Society and supported by the Electoral Commission and the Department for Education (formerly the Department for Children, Schools and Families).

Has Devolution Delivered for Women? - 24 May, 2010

2010-05-24T12:25:00Z

Significant new measures needed if improvements in women's representation in the Scottish Parliament and Welsh Assembly are to be sustained

A report commissioned by the British Council and produced by the Hansard Society, concludes that the battle for fair and equal representation of women is far from won and urgent new action is needed if the progress made in Edinburgh and Cardiff over the last decade is to be sustained in the next one. Has Devolution Delivered for Women? , written by Joyce McMillan and Ruth Fox, explores the progress that has been made in improving the levels of female representation in the devolved legislatures over the last 10 years, analyses how this happened and what obstacles now threaten that progress. It explores the impact that women have had on the culture of politics in Scotland and Wales and the policy commitments that have been secured as a result of their leadership.

The reports key findings include:

Voluntary action by the political parties is not enough. Despite the wishful thinking and warm words of many parties there is no evidence that serious progress towards gender equality can be achieved without positive action. The debate about whether equal representation of women should be guaranteed by constitutional and electoral law needs to be re-opened. An inquiry similar to the Speaker's Conference on Parliamentary Representation conducted at Westminster in 2009-10 is needed in Scotland and Wales to look in detail at the issues and make recommendations.

A new ‘King Report' (along the lines of Sir Anthony King's Report on the BBC's coverage of the devolved institutions) on gender and the media in politics is needed - to explore how current assumptions about newsworthiness affect perceptions of women politicians and their work.

There has been a change in culture towards a ‘new politics' in Edinburgh and Cardiff in terms of less confrontational and less party-bound ways of working. But there is a growing perception that Holyrood is reverting back to an increasingly Westminster style of confrontational politics and the debate about how to redress this needs to be reopened.

The dramatic increase in women's representation at the dawn of devolution was achieved through strong, well-organised campaigning across a range of parties and organisations. The time has come to start rebuilding these alliances within Scotland and Wales, across the UK and internationally. To support a new campaign there is a need for structures and institutions which enable dialogue among women across the generations - for example, the idea of a Women's Centre close to the Scottish Parliament was proposed in 1999 but did not come to fruition and should be revisited.

Dr Ruth Fox, Director of the Hansard Society's Parliament and Government Programme and joint author of Has Devolution Delivered for Women?, commented: ‘Scotland and Wales have rightly been hailed as beacons of international progress on women's representation in the last decade. But the 2007 results showed that progress has stalled and there are real fears that the 2011 election results will be markedly worse. It's therefore vital that we start raising urgent questions about how and why this is happening and begin to map out what measures are needed to address it. It is a challenge that is too important to be left to the political parties alone.'

Paul Docherty, Director British Council Scotland said: ‘As an organisation that builds cultural links for Scotland internationally via 110 offices overseas we believe deeply in the importance of intercultural dialogue and diverse representation. That Scotland's position as a leading nation in the parliamentary representation of women has slipped means that we must start considering what action can be taken to redress the balance.'

ENDS

Has Devolution Delivered for Women? will be discussed on

Tuesday May 25, 6pm-8:00pm, Committee Room 3, Scottish Parliament.

Speakers include Wendy Alexander MSP,

Dr Fiona Mackay (University of Edinburgh) and Lesley Riddoch.

To attend the event or for further information, contact Emma Megaughin at

hansard.scotland@hansard.lse.ac.uk or 0131 243 2750 / 07925 104072

or Ruth Fox on 0777 9666 771

Further information about the Has Devolution Delivered for Women? project can also be found on the Hansard Society's ‘Women at the Top' blog: www.womenatthetop.wordpress.com

Editors' Notes

The Has Devolution Delivered for Women? report has been written by Joyce McMillan (Chair, Hansard Society Scotland and The Scotsman) and Dr Ruth Fox (Director, Hansard Society's Parliament & Government Programme).

The Hansard Society is the UK's leading independent, non-partisan political research and education charity. We aim to strengthen parliamentary democracy and encourage greater public involvement in politics.

The British Council works in 110 countries and territories worldwide to build intercultural understanding between the UK and other countries through the arts, education and training, science and technology, sport, good governance and human rights. Our income in 2006/07 was £551m, of which grant-in-aid from the British government was £195m.For more information see http://www.britishcouncil.org/scotland

Want to know what we’re thinking? - 19 May, 2010

2010-05-19T15:45:00Z

Young people do not rate the same issues as important at election time

HeadsUp.org.uk, the innovative online forum for 11-18 year olds, has found that young people care about significantly different issues from adults when it comes to politics. The latest online forum, which ran throughout the general election (report available to download here), found that although young people and adults agree that the economy is important, they disagree on their priorities for other political issues:

Young people's top political issues:
1. Economy/Environment
2. Economy/Environment
3. Education
4. Political Reform
5. Immigration

Adult's top political issues:*
1. Economy
2. Immigration
3. Unemployment
4. Crime
5. Education/Health/Inflation

This led many young people on the forum to believe that they were not listened to by politicians and decision-makers, which left some feeling disillusioned:

We would probably find politics more interesting if we had a small part in it such as our ideas being listened to and actually considered by the politicians.

In the election a lot of the time people don't vote! A majority of the people that don't vote are between the age of 18-25! This isn't good maybey the polititions should try to actually say stuff related to 18-25year olds cause they don't most of the time!

Young people also felt that the lack of political education was a problem and there was a lot of discussion about lowering the voting age. Not all students on HeadsUp had a problem with the voting age staying at 18 but most did feel that there should be other ways, such as HeadsUp.org.uk, for politicians to take young people's views into account:

children arent usually interested in something they cant take part in or do. I mean talking about it on this site is real cool and having mock elections in school is cool too but... That is all we can do untill we get to the age of 18 and by then... we might loose interest all together and not bother to vote!

I think political parties don't really care about under 18s because they cant vote and if they cant vote the [politicians] dont really care about what they say.

HeadsUp is an online debating space for 11-18 year-olds, from the Hansard Society, which allows them to discuss their views on political issues with their peers and influential decision-makers. It aims to build young people's levels of political awareness and participation so that they can play an effective role in the democratic processes affecting their lives. HeadsUp is also a space politicians can use to consult with young people and find out their ideas, experiences and opinions.

Beccy Allen, HeadsUp Project Manager said:

"A new Parliament with a large number of new MPs is the perfect time for politicians to re-think their engagement with their younger constituents. It's clear from this forum that under 18s don't feel included in the political process but are very passionate about politics and it's important that politicians address this. It's crucial that MPs serve their under-age constituents in the same way as those that can vote."

For more information contact Kate Egglestone k.egglestone@hansard.lse.ac.uk

020 7438 1210 OR Beccy Allen r.allen@hansard.lse.ac.uk 020 7438 1214

Editor's notes

HeadsUp (http://www.headsup.org.uk/) is an innovative website where young people aged 11-18, debate political issues and learn about the political process. The site is a non-partisan, cross-party educational resource that provides a secure, structured and student-centred discussion platform. It includes information for students and lesson plans and activities for teachers to ensure quality debate on the forums.
There were 769 comments posted in the forum with 120 student HeadsUp users taking part in the debate.
Two ways to register to participate in HeadsUp:

Young People - If you are 11-18 and want to get in on the action you need to complete the Student Sign Up Form.
Teachers/youth workers - can register a whole class/school year/group by completing our Teachers Registration Form.

All HeadsUp forums are open to be viewed and the debate followed by the public. Participants need to register or login to post comments (11-18s and supporting teachers/youth workers only).
The project is part-funded by the House of Commons.
There are currently 868 schools registered with HeadsUp.

*Findings based on online forum and Ipsos Mori survey as follows:

Rating∞	HeadsUp users∆	Adultsà
1	Economy/Environment	Economy
2	Economy/Environment	Immigration
3	Education	Unemployment
4	Political Reform	Crime
5	Immigration	Education/Health/Inflation

∞ Where multiple issues appear under one rating the issues received the same level of support

∆ Analysis based on responses to ‘My big issues' thread over the course of the forum

à Taken from Ipsos MORI Issues Index (April 2010)

Landslide Victory in Harrogate Grammar School's Y-Vote Mock Election! - May 5, 2010

2010-05-05T14:59:00Z

Landslide Victory in Harrogate Grammar School's Y-Vote Mock Election!

http://www.mockelections.co.uk/

After weeks of election campaigning, hustings, opinion polls and debate, Harrogate Grammar School's Mock Election is won by Tom Spain in a landslide victory for the ‘Tomunist Alliance' party.

Photographs of the event

Over 400 schools and nearly 20,000 young people the length and breadth of Britain are taking part in the Hansard Society's Y-Vote Mock Elections.

This is an opportunity for young people who are not able to vote in the General Election to get a taste of how democracy works, to engage in politics and the issues that affect their lives, and give them the tools and the enthusiasm to participate in the democratic process. Hansard Society Y-Vote Mock Elections actively engage students in politics by giving them the opportunity to stand as party candidates, speech writers and canvassers in a mock election.

The Hansard Society's Director of Citizenship Education, Michael Raftery said:

It's great to see so many young people taking such a creative interest in the General Election - the imagination and enthusiasm of the candidates' election strategies would put many of their adult counterparts to shame! It just shows how activities like the Y-Vote Mock Elections can help the election come alive in schools.

For more information, contact Ben Blackburn on 020 7438 1216 / hans_admin@hansard.lse.ac.uk or Kate Egglestone on 020 7438 1210 / k.egglestone@hansard.lse.ac.uk

Editors' Notes

The Hansard Society's Citizenship Education Programme works with young people through schools and colleges to educate and inform them about parliamentary democracy and develop innovative ways to involve them in participatory democratic activities.

MPs should be worrying about more than trust - May 5, 2010

2010-05-05T12:01:00Z

Briefing Paper from the Hansard Society and the Political Studies Association

What's Trust Got To Do With It?

On the day leading politicians go head to head on the BBC to debate trust in politics, a new Briefing Paper, What's Trust Got To Do With It?, argues that public dissatisfaction with politics is based on deeper problems than lack of trust in MPs and Parliament. The Paper identifies the more urgent challenge as being the decline in the relevance of politicians and political institutions to people's everyday lives.

What's Trust Got To Do With It? highlights the fact that distrust of politicians is long-standing - pre-expenses research in 2004 showed 27% of the public trusted politicians ‘a great deal' or ‘a fair amount'; the same question asked post-expenses in 2009 showed a marginal decline in trust to 26%. The expenses scandal did not therefore lead to a collapse in trust in politics and politicians because levels of trust were already so low. In addition, for a majority of the public (53%) allegiance to a political party overrides perceptions of wrong-doing by candidates - they would still vote for them.

The Briefing Paper identifies declining rates of satisfaction with the country's system of governance as a major challenge for politicians - while 60% of the public think Parliament ‘is worthwhile', only 19% see it as an influential institution in their everyday lives. Furthermore, 85% of the public believe they have ‘not very much influence' or ‘no influence at all' over national decision-making. This perceived lack of influence is rooted primarily in the belief that politicians do not listen to what the public has to say and that the political system does not allow them to have influence.

What's Trust Got To Do With It? recommends that MPs should concentrate on reforms to tackle lost satisfaction, relevance and influence rather than trying to address trust. Policies introduced to address issues of trust through the provision of greater transparency and accountability (such as Freedom of Information legislation) often have the opposite, unintended effect of engendering a culture of suspicion rather than trust.

Dr Ruth Fox, Director of the Hansard Society's Parliament & Government programme and author of What's Trust Got To Do With It?, commented: ‘The events of the past year have opened up an opportunity for a serious dialogue about what kind of representative democracy we want for the future. Politicians, by focusing on policies designed to engender trust, have missed the bigger, broader underlying concern - the declining levels of public satisfaction, perceived influence on decision-making and confidence in the relevance of Parliament to their lives. MPs in the new Parliament must tackle essential questions about the role and function of politicians and Parliament - if it's just business as usual, public attitudes to politics and Parliament may plummet still further.'

Dr Alix Kelso of the Political Studies Association, said: 'In any future debate about the role of politicians and Parliament the academic research community has a key part to play in ensuring that its findings are better disseminated to the wider world in order to improve the context of that public debate. Researchers across the country are doing important and valuable work exploring, for example, the role of trust in public life, how the public view ethical standards in politics, the efficacy of parliament, and the nature of modern citizenship. The findings of this research can help better inform debate about the public's understanding of the MP's role, and help ensure that politicians focus on what may make the most difference in improving public attitudes to politics and Parliament in the future.'

For further information, contact Virginia Gibbons, Head of Communications at the Hansard Society on mediaprog@hansard.lse.ac.uk

or 020 7438 1225 or 07812 765 552

Editor's Notes

What's Trust Got To Do With It? - a Briefing Paper examining public trust in and expectations of politicians and Parliament draws on the latest academic research about public trust, politics and Parliament and is based on working group discussions conducted by the Hansard Society, the Political Studies Association (PSA) and the Centre for Citizenship, Globalization and Governance (C2G2) at the University of Southampton.

Y-Vote Mock Elections taking place in schools this week! - May 4th, 2010

2010-05-04T16:38:00Z

Y-Vote Mock Elections taking place in schools this week!

http://www.mockelections.co.uk/

After weeks of election campaigning, hustings, opinion polls and political discussion, over 400 schools and nearly 20,000 young people will finally get their long-awaited chance to vote in the Hansard Society's Y-Vote Mock Elections on Thursday May 6. Many schools in your area are eager to show off their activities to journalists on Thursday.

In the lead-up to Thursday's General Election, schools the length and breadth of the United Kingdom have been undertaking their very own mock election campaigns. There have been in-school opinion polls, assembly time ‘leaders' debates' and hustings, but the big event - the Mock Election itself - will be taking place in schools across the country on Thursday May 6.

The Hansard Society's Director of Citizenship Education, Michael Raftery said:

For more information and details of schools in your area, contact Ben Blackburn on 020 7438 1216 / hans_admin@hansard.lse.ac.uk or Kate Egglestone on 020 7438 1210 / k.egglestone@hansard.lse.ac.uk

Editors' Notes

The Hansard Society's Citizenship Education Programme works with young people through schools and colleges to educate and inform them about parliamentary democracy and develop innovative ways to involve them in participatory democratic activities.

Who would under-18s vote for? - April 29, 2010

2010-04-29T10:17:00Z

Find out what young people think about the policies, politicians and parties in the 2010 general election

Monday 26 April - Friday 14 May

www.headsup.org.uk

A lively debate is happening on the current HeadsUp forum for 11-18 year-olds, arguing about who they would vote for if they could and why? The young people are debating policy proposals, TV Leaders' debates and the impact of gaffes, with many certain about voting intentions if they had the chance.

Although under-18s can't vote, they still have very informed and diverse opinions on politics, politicians and the political parties, visit HeadsUp.org.uk to see more.

So far a variety of views have been expressed in the forum thread Who would you vote for?, such as:

I would vote for Lib Dems because they would most likely introduce a new voting system that I think would improve the general election for future years. I also think that this country needs change, and although that is the campaign of the conservatives, we have not had Lib Dems for a long time:; it would be a great change for Britain.

The reason I would vote for conservatives is because I dont really think much of Lib Dem's, I'm sorry, but i dont. I also wouldn't vote for labour is because gordon brown hates the idea of grammer schools, and if he had his way then all the grammer schools would shut down, and my school would too!

I think the Greens should get to run the coutry! They are focused on the enviroment which is what we need right now! If they inforce some laws anout being more Green global warming will be gone in no time!!!

Other themes up for debate are (click on the link to access the forums):

Do political parties speak to young people? - How do you want politicians to communicate? What would political parties have to do to get your attention?
Why do so few young people vote? - Do you think it's a problem that so few young people vote? Do young people care about politics?
My big issue - what's the big issue of the election for you? What issue would you like the parties to focus more on?

David Blunkett (MP for Sheffield Brightside since 1987 & current Labour candidate)
Philip Davies (MP for Shipley since 2005 & current Conservative candidate)
Clare Short (Former Labour and Independent MP for Birmingham Ladywood)
David Kidney (MP for Stafford since 1997 & current Labour candidate)
Linda Gilroy (MP for Plymouth Sutton since 1997 & current Labour candidate)

For more information please contact Kate Egglestone/Virginia Gibbons, mediaprog@hansard.lse.ac.uk or 020 7438 1210

Editors' Notes

HeadsUp (http://www.headsup.org.uk/content/) is an innovative website where 11-18s debate political issues and learn about the political process. The site is a non-partisan, cross-party educational resource that provides a secure, structured and student-centred discussion platform.
Two ways to register to participate in HeadsUp:

Young People - If you are under 18 and want to get in on the action you need to complete the Student Sign Up Form.
Teachers/youth workers - can register a whole class/school year/group by completing our Teachers Registration Form.

All HeadsUp forums are open to be viewed and the debate followed by the public. Participants need to register or login to post comments (11-18s and supporting teachers/youth workers only).
The project is part-funded by the House of Commons.
There are 868 schools registered on HeadsUp.

Parliamentary Affairs April 2010: The Politics of Britishness - April 21 2010

2010-04-21T13:21:00Z

Essential reading for anyone interested in contemporary politics

Discounted rate for Hansard Society members

The April 2010 issue of Parliamentary Affairs looks at The Politics of Britishness.

As well as abstracts from the articles (see Editor's Notes), Parliamentary Affairs podcasts are also available. These are interviews with the authors designed to explore themes from their work. The podcasts are between 10 and 15 minutes long, and designed to inform researchers and to serve as teaching tools to stimulate discussion amongst students.

Parliamentary Affairs is a long-established journal published by Oxford University Press in association with the Hansard Society. Individual subscriptions cost £60 a year; special reduced subscriptions for Hansard Society subscription members cost £27 a year (UK), €41 (Europe), US$54 (rest of the world).

Become a member of the Hansard Society and receive a reduced subscription rate

Individual subscriptions cost £60 a year from jnls.cust.serv@oxfordjournals.org or Journals Customer Service Department, Oxford University Press, Great Clarendon Street, Oxford OX2 6DP

For further information, contact Virginia Gibbons, Head of Communications at the Hansard Society on mediaprog@hansard.lse.ac.uk or 020 7438 1225

Editors' Notes

The April 2010 issue contains the following articles. Click on the title to read an abstract from each article:

Catherine McGlynn and Andrew Mycock Parliamentary Affairs: a Special Edition on Britishness
Jonathan Bradbury and Rhys Andrews State Devolution and National Identity: Continuity and Change in the Politics of Welshness and Britishness in Wales
Christopher G. A. Bryant English Identities and Interests and the Governance of Britain
James W. McAuley and Jonathan Tonge Britishness (and Irishness) in Northern Ireland since the Good Friday Agreement
Murray Stewart Leith Governance and Identity in a Devolved Scotland
Varun Uberoi and Tariq Modood Who Doesn't Feel British? Divisions over Muslims
Chris Gifford The UK and the European Union: Dimensions of Sovereignty and the Problem of Eurosceptic Britishness
Andrew Mycock British Citizenship and the Legacy of Empire

Practitioners

Jack Straw New Labour, Constitutional Change and Representative Democracy

Hansard Society

Virginia Gibbons Public Perceptions of the Media's Reporting of Politics Today

Reviews

Colin Copus Leading the Localities: Executive Mayors in English Local Governance (John Fenwick)
Duncan Brack (Ed.) President Gore... and Other Things that Never Happened (Ron Johnston)

The next issue of Parliamentary Affairs will be published in July 2010.