Recent Events

Twitter: Communication tool or pointless vanity?

2009-10-22T11:14:00Z

Wednesday October 21, 6.30pm

Portcullis House, Westminster.

Last night Iain Dale, Kerry McCarthy MP, Jo Swinson MP and Andrew Walker, 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!

Kerry McCarthy MP was up first, and made it clear that although Twitter will not win the next election it is a valuable tool. Twitter allows people to engage in a conversation with their MP, one that would not normally be possible and that can be about both serious and ‘frivolous' issues. Although this tool will not win an election on its own Ms. McCarthy did note that Twitter can be good for mobilising campaigns and allowing ‘organic growth'.

There was indeed a consensus on this point, Twitter alone is not enough, but used as part of the wider campaign process can be incredibly useful. Jo Swinson MP noted the relevance of Twitter particularly in the current political climate, breaking down barriers between politicians and the public, giving MPs a ‘human face' and restoring trust. Andrew Walker of Tweetminster made a similar point that technology can reduce cynicism....MPs do eat lunch and occasionally watch the X Factor! He went on to note that when seen as part of the wider media landscape Twitter can extend the reach of the traditional press.

However it is important to understand the limitations of Twitter, such as authenticity and time. Iain Dale noted that it is crucial to ‘keep it real' as it is plain to see when someone else is doing your ‘tweeting' for you. Dale was keen to issue a reality check, particularly in relation to Twitter's use in the upcoming election campaign; there is the very real risk of it causing problems and embarrassment for individual candidates. Andrew Walker agreed on this point but did note that although Twitter would not replace traditional canvassing it could mobilise people to get out and canvass on candidates' behalf and keep the agenda ‘agile'.

Perhaps the most notable limitation of Twitter is that not everyone knows what it is. Jo Swinson made an important point highlighting the large number of people not yet on the internet, let alone on Twitter. Perhaps the best question of the night came from a gentleman not yet enlightened to the world of Twitter asking ‘Could someone please tell me what Twitter actually is?!'. This certainly made our panel stop and think.

There was much talk of Parliament 2010 and the new intake of ‘techno-savvy' MPs. Iain Dale predicted that this new technology will enable MPs to question parliamentary authorities and ‘force change'. Andrew Walker also foresaw a great shift in the way politicians will be perceived, by forcing such change they will be seen as ‘radical' and ‘cool'. Watch this space!

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.

2009-09-25T08:54:00Z

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 focus of the Speaker's speech was the role of the MP, their rights and duties and, more importantly, their future in a newly reformed House of Commons. The present role of the backbencher is, according to Mr Bercow, far from satisfactory. 'Akin to the soldiers at the Somme, turfed out of the trenches on the orders of distant masters‘, subject to decades of marginalisation, their vote only valued when the outcome uncertain.

Mr Bercow laid out a 10-point plan encompassing his vision of reform in the lower house, ranging from the collective rights and duties of MPs when they act in committee to the institutional rights and duties of the House of Commons as a whole. The Speaker floated the possibility of backbench MPs directly questioning Ministers of the Crown who reside in the House of Lords. Equating Lord Mandelson's empire to that of Alexander the Great, his message was clear - these prominent ministers must concede that they are responsible to backbenchers if meaningful accountability is to be achieved.

The Speaker was adamant that the House of Commons must change and will change, predicting the outcome of Sir Christopher Kelley's committee to provide the necessary blueprint. When questioned on whether a let up in public and media pressure would allow such change to be placed on the backburner, the Speaker was adamant that it would not. He went on to state that all the main party leaders are publicly committed to reform as never before, 'This is hugely welcome and it presents a superb opportunity for serious and significant change‘.

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?

2009-08-21T14:01:00Z

The Hansard Society and the British Council hosted this event at the Festival of Politics.

Chair: Joyce McMillan (The Scotsman & Chair, Hansard Society Scotland Working Group)
Panel: Professor Alice Brown (Former Scottish Public Services Ombudsman)
Rosemary Butler AM (Deputy Presiding Officer of the 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?"

Audio:

Part 1 Paul Docherty intro; Joyce McMillan & Johann Lamont MSP

Part 2 Rosemary Butler AM & Professor Alice Brown

Part 3 Professor Laura McAllister; Q&A

Photos:

30 Years of Scrutiny - Select Committee Conference

2009-06-24T15:22:00Z

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
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.
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)

Read the papers from this event.

Young people raise interesting views on politics

2009-06-11T11:34:00Z

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.

Listen to the event:

Part 1 Jo Swinson MP & Emily Beardsmore (Chair, British Youth Council)

Part 2: Meryl Roberts & Geral Owusu (Member of the UK Youth Parliament for Haringey)

Q&A

More photos:

What lessons should Westminster learn from Holyrood?

2009-05-21T15:12:00Z

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).

The speakers talked of the achievements of the young Parliament such as the renovation and modernisation of many areas of Scots law and the ability of the Parliament to pass through large amounts of effective legislation.

It was suggested that Westminster could learn from a number of innovative ideas such as: the novel combined committee structure of the Scottish Parliament, their robust freedom of information system, the transparency of the Scottish expenses system with quarterly publication of MSPs' expenses, the e-petition system, and the high proportion of female MSPs in the Scottish Parliament.

Although many challenges lie ahead the Scottish Parliament has seen through a very successful first decade.

Why Vote? - Hansard Society Scotland Hustings Series

2009-05-15T09:23:00Z

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

The events in Edinburgh, Aberdeen and two in Glasgow were well attended and there was excellent debate. See below for a list of who spoke at each event.

Edinburgh,

George Square Theatre

Chair: Iain Macwhirter
Speakers: Belinda Don (Scottish Conservative Party); Peter McColl (Scottish Green Party); Kirsty Connell (Scottish Labour Party); George Lyon (Scottish Liberal Democrats); Alyn Smith (Scottish National Party); Peter Adams (UK Independence Party).

Glasgow

Chair: Joyce McMillan (The Scotsman and Chair of the Hansard Society Scotland Working Group)
Speakers: John Edward (Head, European Parliament Office in Scotland); Neil Mitchison (Head, European Commission Office in Scotland).

Glasgow

Glasgow Caledonian University
Chair: Professor John Curtice (University of Strathclyde)
Speakers: Struan Stevenson (Scottish Conservative Party); Elaine Morrison (Scottish Green Party); David Martin (Scottish Labour Party); George Lyon (Scottish Liberal Democrats); Alyn Smith (Scottish National Party); Peter Adams (UK Independence Party).

Aberdeen

Kings College, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen
European Election Hustings in association with Department of Politics and International Affairs, University of Aberdeen.
Chair: Professor Trevor Salmon, University of Aberdeen.
Speakers: Struan Stevenson (Scottish Conservative Party); Elaine Morrison (Scottish Green Party); David Martin (Scottish Labour Party); George Lyon (Scottish Liberal Democrats); Ian Hudghton (Scottish National Party); Peter Adams (UK Independence Party).

Hansard Society Scotland Publication Launched

2009-05-13T11:46:00Z

The Ten Years of The Scottish Parliament: Achievements and Futures conference took place to a full audience at Dynamic Earth in Edinburgh. The conference brought together key academic figures, politicians, political journalists and policy makers to asses the achievements of the Parliament; to stimulate dialogue on the opportunists and challenges of the next decade; and discuss the future shape of Scottish self-government.

The session that launched the Hansard Society Scotland publication The Scottish Parliament 1999-2009: The First Decade had an attendance of over 150 people. The speakers were: Joyce McMillan (Chair, Hansard Society Scotland Working Group); Bruce Crawford (Minister for Parliamentary Business); Iain Gray MSP (Leader of the Labour Party in the Scottish Parliament) and Tam Dalyell (former MP). The discussion was very interesting and analysed the positives and negatives of the first ten years of the Scottish Parliament. It was broadcast on BBC Radio Scotland on Friday 15 May.

Other sessions looked at topics such as Has Devolution Delivered? and Where now for Scottish self-government? which included speakers Stephen Tierney (University of Edinburgh) discussing constitutional issues; John Curtice (University of Strathclyde) on what the public thinks of devolution; Richard Wyn Jones (Cardiff University) on a perspective from Wales and Alain Gagnon (University of Quebec in Montreal) on a view from Quebec.

The publication is available to order from Luath Press priced at £9.99.

Launch of the Audit of Political Engagement 6

2009-04-01T16:23:00Z

The sixth Audit of Political Engagement was launched today in Parliament to a full house. The MPs who spoke at the evnt 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.

PowerPoint presentation of Audit 6 findings

Dr Ruth Fox presentation of Audit 6 findings

Shahid Malik MP; Shailesh Vara MP

Jo Swinson MP; Q&A

Photos:

The Online Campaign – solution or smokescreen?

2009-03-24T13:50:00Z

This event discussed the use of online strategies and their increasing importance, encouragement of grass-roots activism and ability to enable mass mobilisation. But there is no guarantee that the cooption of online strategies will guarantee electoral success or promote healthy dialogue between politicians and citizens. Derek Draper (LabourList.org), Mark Pack (libdemvoice.org) and Jonathan Isaby (ConservativeHome.blogs.com) discussed the future and worth of online campaign strategy, Chaired by Dr Laura Miller (Hansard Society eDemocracy programme).

Click here for a video of the event on hustings.com

Europe or America: where is our special relationship now?

2009-03-19T17:33:00Z

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?

2009-01-29T10:34:00Z

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

2008-12-10T10:02:00Z

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

Speakers: Professor Michael Rush (joint editor of Palgrave Review of British Politics); Dr Philip Giddings (joint editor of Palgrave Review of British Politics); Peter Riddell (Chair, Hansard Society); Professor Philip Cowley (University of Nottingham). Chair: Kate Jenkins (Vice Chair, Hansard Society)

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

2008-11-17T14:53:00Z

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. Held jointly with the Universities of Sheffield and Southampton, the conference discussed what Parliament, Government, citizens and civil society can do to engage the public with politics.

He said 'Of course, there are politicians from all sides who are discomfited by this. A couple of weeks ago, for instance, the secretary of state for communities, Hazel Blears made a speech to the Hansard Society full of tough talk. "It is deeply unhealthy for our political class to be drawn from a narrowing social base and range of experience," she said. Parliament was in need of "people who know what it is to worry about the rent collector's knock or the fear of layoff ... in short, we need more Dennis Skinners, more David Davises, more David Blunketts".'

Read the full article here

Read the full list of press coverage about the conference.

If you would like to read the papers from the conference and join the debate visit the Revitalising Politics website.

Engaging online: Getting citizens back to the centre of democracy

2008-11-07T10:10:00Z

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.

The panel comprised: Navraj Singh Ghaleigh (Lecturer in Public Law, University of Edinburgh), Aileen Campbell MSP (Scottish National Party MSP for South of Scotland) and Fergus Cochrane (Clerk to the Public Petitions Committee, Scottish Parliament) . Joyce McMillan columnist of The Scotsman and Chair of the Hansard Society Scotland Working Group chaired the session.

For more information about this event, please email Emma Megaughin at hansard.scotland@hansard.lse.ac.uk or phone 0131 243 2750.