Hansard SocietyWorking to strengthen parliamentary democracy in the UK and around the world.LatestblogThe State Opening of Parliament: history, tradition and what to expectThe State Opening of Parliament is one of the most anticipated events of the parliamentary year. Beamed to television and radio networks around the world, it has become a symbol of the the UK’s de…resourcesA Numbers Game: Parliament and Minority GovernmentWith the country facing a hung Parliament how will a government be formed and then sustained in office? Plotting a roadmap through the constitutional issues, this paper highlights and explains key…resourcesBack to Business: Procedure at the start of a new ParliamentExhasted by weeks of campaigning, the 650 successful MPs elected on 8 June will have just five days to rest and recharge their batteries before the new Parliament begins and gets back to business…blogThe Mock Elections 2017 national results are in!Results in at the national Mock Election headquarters show that the Labour Party has won the school election campaign across the country by a comfortable majority…blogWhy schools play such an important role in creating strong and stable democraciesIn the run-up to the 2017 election, the issue of youth voting has once again returned to the fore in public debate, much as it did in 2015. Although there was an increase in the number of 18-24 ye…blogLessons for new select committees from the BHS inquiryWhen select committees in the new House of Commons look for a successful past inquiry from which to learn, they may well think of the inquiry into Sir Philip Green and the collapse of BHS. In this…PrevNextOur workresearchAudit of Political EngagementNow in its 14th year, each Audit measures the ‘political pulse’ of the nation, providing a unique benchmark to gauge public opinion across Great Britain about politics and the political process. W…researchBrexit and ParliamentBrexit could strengthen Parliament or weaken it. This applies to its standing in relation to both the government and the public. Given the promise that leaving the EU means ‘taking back control…researchWestminster LensThis data project enhances the provision of information and analysis about the scrutiny of primary and secondary legislation by the Westminster Parliament. It draws on our unique Statutory Instrum…researchParliaments, Public Engagement and Poverty ReductionIn Bangladesh and Ethiopia progress has been made towards development goals even though parliamentary scrutiny is weak and political opposition constrained. This research explores what role parlia…researchFuture Parliament: Restoration and Reform of the Palace of Westminster The proposed multi-billion pound refurbishment of the Palace of Westminster presents a rare one-in-150 year opportunity to reform the leading institution of our democracy…researchDelegated LegislationMost of the UK’s general public law is made not through Acts of Parliament but through delegated legislation. It is crucial to the effective operation of government and affects millions of people…researchA Year in the Life: From Member of Public to Member of ParliamentWhat is it like to be a newly elected Member of Parliament? This comparative research study of the first year experience of newly elected legislators in four different institutions tells the story…PrevNextEventseventsLaunch of the Audit of Political Engagement 14: the 2017 reportJoin the authors of the 2017 Audit of Political Engagement as they present their findings alongside a panel of leading commentators, and explore how one of the most consequential acts of democrati…eventsFuture Parliament: Hacking the Legislative Process // Capacity, Scrutiny, EngagementFrom finance to healthcare, technology has transformed the way we live, work and play, with innovative solutions to some of the world’s biggest challenges. Can it also have a role in how we make o…eventsIt's Brexit... So What Now for Parliament?What does the decision to leave the EU mean for Parliament? What role will MPs and Peers want in relation to the exit negotiations and what will it mean for the legislative and scrutiny process…eventsLord Speaker Hustings 2016On 25 May the Hansard Society hosted the hustings for the Lord Speaker in the Robing Room in the House of Lords…eventsLaunch of the 2016 Audit of Political EngagementThe authors of the 2016 Audit of Political Engagement present their findings and discuss how public attitudes towards politics, Parliament and MPs have changed over the past year with a panel of e…eventsMaking sense of May 7: the 2015 election and the future of British politicsOn 8 September we invited Professor John Curtice and other leading analysts to dissect the implications of the 2015 general election at the launch of the first major book on the campaign and its o…eventsTTIP: beneficial to our economy or a threat to our democracy?This TTIP Summit explored the biggest free trade negotiations in history and their implications for the future of people in Yorkshire and across the country…PrevNextBlogblogThe State Opening of Parliament: history, tradition and what to expectThe State Opening of Parliament is one of the most anticipated events of the parliamentary year. Beamed to television and radio networks around the world, it has become a symbol of the the UK’s de…blogThe Mock Elections 2017 national results are in!Results in at the national Mock Election headquarters show that the Labour Party has won the school election campaign across the country by a comfortable majority…blogWhy schools play such an important role in creating strong and stable democraciesIn the run-up to the 2017 election, the issue of youth voting has once again returned to the fore in public debate, much as it did in 2015. Although there was an increase in the number of 18-24 ye…blogLessons for new select committees from the BHS inquiryWhen select committees in the new House of Commons look for a successful past inquiry from which to learn, they may well think of the inquiry into Sir Philip Green and the collapse of BHS. In this…blogDeal or no deal? A parliamentary Brexit vote and the two-level gameTheir manifestos have confirmed that Labour rejects a ‘no deal’ Brexit, while the Conservatives believe ‘no deal is better than a bad deal’. This difference has implications for the structure of a…blog A guide to the Parliament of Ethiopia - by Meheret Ayenew and Tsedey MekonnenThe Ethiopian Parliament has two houses. The main legislative body is the lower House of Peoples’ Representatives (HoPR) consisting of 546 directly elected members. The upper House of Federation…blogAudit 14 key findings (video)Explore the key findings from the 14th annual Audit of Political Engagement in this short video and learn about the state of public attitudes towards politics in 2017…blogParliamentary democracy or referendums? Public attitudes to decision-makingAfter four referendums in six years – two UK-wide and one each in Scotland and Wales – our latest annual Audit of Political Engagement shows that the public exhibit declining support for more of t…blogHow research is contributing to Bangladesh's development improvements is explored by Zahir Ahmed Earlier this month the Impact Initiative brought Bangladeshi development leaders together with researchers focused on the country, to explore what has made Bangladesh’s development so successful…blogTaking back control? Initial thoughts on the Great Repeal Bill White PaperIn the newly published White Paper, the government makes much of the theme ‘taking back control’. But the paper’s content does little to alleviate the fear that it is the executive, not Parliament…PrevNext
blogThe State Opening of Parliament: history, tradition and what to expectThe State Opening of Parliament is one of the most anticipated events of the parliamentary year. Beamed to television and radio networks around the world, it has become a symbol of the the UK’s de…
resourcesA Numbers Game: Parliament and Minority GovernmentWith the country facing a hung Parliament how will a government be formed and then sustained in office? Plotting a roadmap through the constitutional issues, this paper highlights and explains key…
resourcesBack to Business: Procedure at the start of a new ParliamentExhasted by weeks of campaigning, the 650 successful MPs elected on 8 June will have just five days to rest and recharge their batteries before the new Parliament begins and gets back to business…
blogThe Mock Elections 2017 national results are in!Results in at the national Mock Election headquarters show that the Labour Party has won the school election campaign across the country by a comfortable majority…
blogWhy schools play such an important role in creating strong and stable democraciesIn the run-up to the 2017 election, the issue of youth voting has once again returned to the fore in public debate, much as it did in 2015. Although there was an increase in the number of 18-24 ye…
blogLessons for new select committees from the BHS inquiryWhen select committees in the new House of Commons look for a successful past inquiry from which to learn, they may well think of the inquiry into Sir Philip Green and the collapse of BHS. In this…
researchAudit of Political EngagementNow in its 14th year, each Audit measures the ‘political pulse’ of the nation, providing a unique benchmark to gauge public opinion across Great Britain about politics and the political process. W…
researchBrexit and ParliamentBrexit could strengthen Parliament or weaken it. This applies to its standing in relation to both the government and the public. Given the promise that leaving the EU means ‘taking back control…
researchWestminster LensThis data project enhances the provision of information and analysis about the scrutiny of primary and secondary legislation by the Westminster Parliament. It draws on our unique Statutory Instrum…
researchParliaments, Public Engagement and Poverty ReductionIn Bangladesh and Ethiopia progress has been made towards development goals even though parliamentary scrutiny is weak and political opposition constrained. This research explores what role parlia…
researchFuture Parliament: Restoration and Reform of the Palace of Westminster The proposed multi-billion pound refurbishment of the Palace of Westminster presents a rare one-in-150 year opportunity to reform the leading institution of our democracy…
researchDelegated LegislationMost of the UK’s general public law is made not through Acts of Parliament but through delegated legislation. It is crucial to the effective operation of government and affects millions of people…
researchA Year in the Life: From Member of Public to Member of ParliamentWhat is it like to be a newly elected Member of Parliament? This comparative research study of the first year experience of newly elected legislators in four different institutions tells the story…
eventsLaunch of the Audit of Political Engagement 14: the 2017 reportJoin the authors of the 2017 Audit of Political Engagement as they present their findings alongside a panel of leading commentators, and explore how one of the most consequential acts of democrati…
eventsFuture Parliament: Hacking the Legislative Process // Capacity, Scrutiny, EngagementFrom finance to healthcare, technology has transformed the way we live, work and play, with innovative solutions to some of the world’s biggest challenges. Can it also have a role in how we make o…
eventsIt's Brexit... So What Now for Parliament?What does the decision to leave the EU mean for Parliament? What role will MPs and Peers want in relation to the exit negotiations and what will it mean for the legislative and scrutiny process…
eventsLord Speaker Hustings 2016On 25 May the Hansard Society hosted the hustings for the Lord Speaker in the Robing Room in the House of Lords…
eventsLaunch of the 2016 Audit of Political EngagementThe authors of the 2016 Audit of Political Engagement present their findings and discuss how public attitudes towards politics, Parliament and MPs have changed over the past year with a panel of e…
eventsMaking sense of May 7: the 2015 election and the future of British politicsOn 8 September we invited Professor John Curtice and other leading analysts to dissect the implications of the 2015 general election at the launch of the first major book on the campaign and its o…
eventsTTIP: beneficial to our economy or a threat to our democracy?This TTIP Summit explored the biggest free trade negotiations in history and their implications for the future of people in Yorkshire and across the country…
blogThe State Opening of Parliament: history, tradition and what to expectThe State Opening of Parliament is one of the most anticipated events of the parliamentary year. Beamed to television and radio networks around the world, it has become a symbol of the the UK’s de…
blogThe Mock Elections 2017 national results are in!Results in at the national Mock Election headquarters show that the Labour Party has won the school election campaign across the country by a comfortable majority…
blogWhy schools play such an important role in creating strong and stable democraciesIn the run-up to the 2017 election, the issue of youth voting has once again returned to the fore in public debate, much as it did in 2015. Although there was an increase in the number of 18-24 ye…
blogLessons for new select committees from the BHS inquiryWhen select committees in the new House of Commons look for a successful past inquiry from which to learn, they may well think of the inquiry into Sir Philip Green and the collapse of BHS. In this…
blogDeal or no deal? A parliamentary Brexit vote and the two-level gameTheir manifestos have confirmed that Labour rejects a ‘no deal’ Brexit, while the Conservatives believe ‘no deal is better than a bad deal’. This difference has implications for the structure of a…
blog A guide to the Parliament of Ethiopia - by Meheret Ayenew and Tsedey MekonnenThe Ethiopian Parliament has two houses. The main legislative body is the lower House of Peoples’ Representatives (HoPR) consisting of 546 directly elected members. The upper House of Federation…
blogAudit 14 key findings (video)Explore the key findings from the 14th annual Audit of Political Engagement in this short video and learn about the state of public attitudes towards politics in 2017…
blogParliamentary democracy or referendums? Public attitudes to decision-makingAfter four referendums in six years – two UK-wide and one each in Scotland and Wales – our latest annual Audit of Political Engagement shows that the public exhibit declining support for more of t…
blogHow research is contributing to Bangladesh's development improvements is explored by Zahir Ahmed Earlier this month the Impact Initiative brought Bangladeshi development leaders together with researchers focused on the country, to explore what has made Bangladesh’s development so successful…
blogTaking back control? Initial thoughts on the Great Repeal Bill White PaperIn the newly published White Paper, the government makes much of the theme ‘taking back control’. But the paper’s content does little to alleviate the fear that it is the executive, not Parliament…
