Founded in 1944, the Hansard Society is the UK’s leading source of independent research and advice on Parliament and parliamentary affairs.
Mark and Ruth look at the growing fashion for re-writing Bills mid-air as they pass through Parliament, adding on all sorts of policy bells and whistles at the last minute.
Delegated legislation is the most common form of legislation in the United Kingdom. It is the legislation of everyday life, impacting millions of citizens daily. But the terminology and procedures that surround it are complex and often confusing. This explainer unpacks delegated legislation - the terminology and Parliament's role in scrutinising it - to reveal more about how delegated legislation really works.
What a week! Suella Braverman's sacking from Government was immediately eclipsed by the appointment of former Prime Minister David Cameron as the new Foreign Secretary. Mark and Ruth explore the many questions this raises, not least for scrutiny of foreign affairs by MPs.
The Prime Minister’s decision to cancel the next stage of HS2 has given rise to criticism that once again the Government has ridden roughshod over Parliament. Just over 1,300 hours of legislative time have been spent on four HS2-related Bills over nine Sessions in the last decade. Why has it taken so long and what now happens to that legislation?
When parliamentarians reassemble at Westminster on 7 November for the start of the new Session, all eyes will be on the legislative programme to be announced in the King’s Speech. Speculation about the likely date of the next general election is rife at Westminster, but until the date is settled there are a lot of parliamentary issues still to be tackled. We’ve picked out a few things to look out for on the political horizon.
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Parliamentary buildings are a highly specialised but profoundly significant building type. They function as both centres of political power and work-places for thousands of people, and have wide implications in culture and society. Compared to the traditional cataloguing of architectural styles and Chamber layouts, a new book makes the case for a more diverse and wide-ranging approach to their study.
On 18 October Austria’s former Federal Chancellor, Sebastian Kurz, is due to go on trial accused of giving false testimony before a parliamentary investigative committee. In the UK there has been a live debate for some years about what Parliament should do if Select Committee witnesses are thought to have given false evidence. Compared to the UK, how and why are the proceedings of Austrian investigative committees more closely linked to the courts, and what challenges has this posed?
Two of the UK’s most contested current public projects, the HS2 rail line and the proposed Holocaust Memorial in Westminster’s Victoria Tower Gardens, are both underpinned by a rare and sometimes controversial form of legislation: the Hybrid Bill. What are Hybrid Bills, what are they used for, how do they differ from Public and Private Bills, and what are the procedural and political consequences if a Bill is judged to be hybrid?
The Prime Minister’s decision to cancel the next stage of HS2 has given rise to criticism that once again the Government has ridden roughshod over Parliament. Just over 1,300 hours of legislative time have been spent on four HS2-related Bills over nine Sessions in the last decade. Why has it taken so long and what now happens to that legislation?
Ten years on from the vote against UK military action in Syria, four factors will determine whether the House of Commons gets a say on military deployments in future: whether the Prime Minister thinks a vote is politically or morally required; what the balance of power and opinion is between and within political parties; what prior experiences MPs have of military operations; and the type of operation proposed.
Delegated legislation is the most common form of legislation in the United Kingdom. It is the legislation of everyday life, impacting millions of citizens daily. But the terminology and procedures that surround it are complex and often confusing. This explainer unpacks delegated legislation - the terminology and Parliament's role in scrutinising it - to reveal more about how delegated legislation really works.
When parliamentarians reassemble at Westminster on 7 November for the start of the new Session, all eyes will be on the legislative programme to be announced in the King’s Speech. Speculation about the likely date of the next general election is rife at Westminster, but until the date is settled there are a lot of parliamentary issues still to be tackled. We’ve picked out a few things to look out for on the political horizon.
The King’s Speech is the vehicle through which the Government sets out its legislative programme for a new Session of Parliament. The Speech is the central element of the State Opening of Parliament. The King’s Speech may also be referred to as the 'Gracious Speech'. It is written by the Government; the Monarch simply reads it out. However, the references which the Monarch makes in the Speech to 'my Government' reaffirm the constitutional fact that, formally, the Government is the King's Government and is appointed by him.
State Opening is the ceremony that takes place to formally mark the start of a new Session of Parliament. It is a historic ceremony rich in constitutional symbolism. Most importantly, it is the only regular occasion on which all three of Parliament's constituent elements – the Sovereign, the House of Lords, and the House of Commons – normally meet together.
State Opening, with the King’s Speech at its centre, is the key ceremonial and constitutional event at the start of a new Session of Parliament. Our 3 short guides below set out what the occasion is, what happens on the day, and how the King’s Speech is then debated.
This call for papers is for a special section of Parliamentary Affairs on the state of British politics in 2024/5. It will identify the key institutions, issues and challenges that need to be addressed by any new Government taking over in 2025, following the general election expected at the end of 2024.
To mark 25 years since the signing of the Good Friday Agreement, we have curated a special collection of articles from our journal Parliamentary Affairs. The articles cover a range of themes, from devolution and the establishment of the Northern Ireland Assembly to peacebuilding, consociation and women's rights.
To mark 20 years since the House of Commons voted to approve military action in Iraq on 18 March 2003, we have curated a special collection of articles from our journal Parliamentary Affairs. The articles cover a range of themes from the Hutton Inquiry and the Iraq Dossier to war powers and the Government's use of secret intelligence.
To mark the Parliamentary Affairs 75th Anniversary Lecture, delivered by the Speaker of the House of Lords on the topic of reform of the Upper House, we have curated a special collection of articles from the journal archives, exploring Lords reform from unique perspectives and different historical contexts since the journal's inaugural issue in December 1947.
Sir David Butler was Chairman of the Hansard Society between 1994 and 2001. To mark his long association with the Society, we have brought together a collection of some of his work for us, including some of his articles for our journal, Parliamentary Affairs.
Mark and Ruth look at the growing fashion for re-writing Bills mid-air as they pass through Parliament, adding on all sorts of policy bells and whistles at the last minute.
Following the Autumn Statement Mark and Ruth are joined this week by Dame Meg Hillier MP, Chair of the Public Accounts Committee in the House of Commons. The Committee is the financial watchdog that has been going since the days of William Gladstone.
What a week! Suella Braverman's sacking from Government was immediately eclipsed by the appointment of former Prime Minister David Cameron as the new Foreign Secretary. Mark and Ruth explore the many questions this raises, not least for scrutiny of foreign affairs by MPs.
Periodically we’ll have special ‘Urgent Question’ episodes to answer your questions about how Parliament works.
As the Government sets out its legislative plans for the next Session, Ruth and Mark look at the political and parliamentary prospects for the proposals and discuss the latest on what’s happening with HS2 legislation.
Gain a competitive edge in today’s evolving legislative landscape. Join our exclusive training webinar on the parliamentary process for implementation of changes to Retained EU Law (REUL). Equip you and your team with invaluable insights to navigate this complex legislation seamlessly. Understand its implications, anticipate the challenges and harness the opportunities. Don’t miss this chance to say ahead of the game and maximise your influence. [CLOSED] 30 June, 12:30pm-2:00pm Online (Zoom)
On 13 June, Members of the House of Lords are due to consider a ‘fatal’ motion, aimed at killing the Government’s controversial draft regulations that would lower the threshold of what constitutes ‘serious disruption’ by protestors. However, the legislation, procedures and events in Parliament are complex and confusing. This event outlined exactly what’s going on. [Closed] 12:30pm, 9 June 2023 Online (Zoom) and hosted by Blackstone Chambers
At our AGM we will be updating Members on the work of the Society and looking ahead to the next year. Our guest speaker is political journalist Michael Crick, who will be talking about his Tomorrow's MPs project, tracking candidate selection processes for the next general election. 6:00-7:30pm, 14 March 2023 This is a Members only hybrid event: in person at our base in Westminster and on Zoom.
The creation of the UK-EU Parliamentary Partnership Assembly in 2022 threw a fresh spotlight on the UK Parliament’s participation in such international inter-parliamentary bodies. What do they do? Do they add value? And what is the role at Westminster of the UK assembly Delegations? Watch leading Delegation Members discuss these questions and more. [CLOSED] 7 February 2023 Webinar
Ahead of publication of the Preliminary Recommendations of the Hansard Society’s Delegated Legislation Review, Members of the Society are invited to a special pre-launch briefing to learn about the key changes that we think are needed to reform how the delegated legislation system works. 1:00pm, 26 January 2023 Private briefing for members (webinar)
