Founded in 1944, we are a charity working in the UK and around the world to promote democracy and strengthen parliaments.
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Westminster Lens: Brexit Statutory Instruments Dashboard
In the run-up to the UK’s exit from the EU on 29 March 2019 we will be tracking the progress made by government and Parliament in preparing the statute book for exit day. Our analysis draws on parliamentary data and our own Statutory Instrument Tracker which we built several years ago to support our research on delegated legislation.
A government defeat on May’s Brexit deal tonight will be a historic failure of process
When an executive has negotiated a treaty that it can’t get through its legislature at the first attempt, as is probable in today’s ‘meaningful vote’, something in the process has gone wrong. If Parliament is going to get a bigger role in treaty-making, the experience of the Article 50 process could and should be taken as an opportunity to learn lessons.
Defining the role of parliamentarians in Jersey
In 2018, Jersey saw the launch and then abandonment of what could have been a unique official attempt to define formally the role of the jurisdiction’s parliamentarians.
Six ways the ‘meaningful vote’ is noteworthy: The Withdrawal Agreement & Parliament’s role in treaty-making
If the result of the ‘meaningful vote’ - whenever it is held - is that no UK-EU Withdrawal Agreement enters into force, it could be near-unique in 170 years of UK treaty-making. But if the Withdrawal Agreement goes through, its parliamentary process will still be unusual: it could be the UK treaty with the most parliamentary decision-making involvement ever.
The DCMS Committee, Facebook and parliamentary powers and privilege
For its ‘fake news’ inquiry the House of Commons DCMS Committee has reportedly acquired papers related to a US court case involving Facebook. Andrew Kennon, former Commons Clerk of Committees, says the incident shows how the House’s powers to obtain evidence do work, but that it might also weaken the case for Parliament’s necessary powers in the long term.
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Projects
Audit of Political Engagement
Now in its 15th 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.
Brexit and Parliament
Brexit 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’, the way in which Parliament manages the Brexit process and its post-Brexit role will be among the criteria for judging whether the UK ‘makes a success of it’.
Delegated Legislation
Most 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 each day. But despite its volume and importance, remarkably little attention is paid to it.
People2Parliament Training Programme
People2Parliament is an education programme designed to strengthen the culture of democratic participation by helping to build up citizens’ knowledge of, and connections with, the UK Parliament. The initiative.
Mock Elections
Join thousands of young people across the country in one of the oldest and largest civic engagement projects anywhere in the world. Our free resources provide all the materials and guidance you need to recreate the excitement and drama of a real election.
Monitor Statutory Instruments in Parliament with our online tracker and stay on top of all Brexit legislation
Our online Statutory Instrument Tracker, available on subscription, will help you monitor, organise and plan for all statutory instruments at every step in the legislative process.
To sign up for a free demo of the Statutory Instrument Tracker, please complete the form below. A member of our Insight team will be in touch afterwards to arrange a meeting.
Blog
Westminster Lens: Brexit Statutory Instruments Dashboard
In the run-up to the UK’s exit from the EU on 29 March 2019 we will be tracking the progress made by government and Parliament in preparing the statute book for exit day. Our analysis draws on parliamentary data and our own Statutory Instrument Tracker which we built several years ago to support our research on delegated legislation.
Defining the role of parliamentarians in Jersey
In 2018, Jersey saw the launch and then abandonment of what could have been a unique official attempt to define formally the role of the jurisdiction’s parliamentarians.
Six ways the ‘meaningful vote’ is noteworthy: The Withdrawal Agreement & Parliament’s role in treaty-making
If the result of the ‘meaningful vote’ - whenever it is held - is that no UK-EU Withdrawal Agreement enters into force, it could be near-unique in 170 years of UK treaty-making. But if the Withdrawal Agreement goes through, its parliamentary process will still be unusual: it could be the UK treaty with the most parliamentary decision-making involvement ever.
The DCMS Committee, Facebook and parliamentary powers and privilege
For its ‘fake news’ inquiry the House of Commons DCMS Committee has reportedly acquired papers related to a US court case involving Facebook. Andrew Kennon, former Commons Clerk of Committees, says the incident shows how the House’s powers to obtain evidence do work, but that it might also weaken the case for Parliament’s necessary powers in the long term.
Parliamentary consent to treaty ratifications: another procedure strained by Brexit?
Attention is focused on the ‘meaningful vote’ on the UK-EU Withdrawal Agreement, but the Agreement will also be subject to a parliamentary ratification consent procedure, under the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010, notable mainly for not involving a vote.
Publications
Evidence to the House of Lords Liaison Committee: Review of investigative and scrutiny committees
In November 2018 the House of Lords Liaison Committee published our evidence to its review of investigative and scrutiny committees. We made wide-ranging recommendations aimed at improving legislative scrutiny, facilitating more effective horizon-scanning and addressing post-Brexit scrutiny challenges.
Evidence to the House of Commons Procedure Committee: Motions under section 13(1) of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018
In our evidence on procedural arrangements for the ‘meaningful vote’ on the prospective UK-EU Withdrawal Agreement, we argue that the possibly unique nature and extraordinary political circumstances of the vote justify an extraordinary and imaginative remedy.
Evidence to the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee: ‘Global Britain’ inquiry
The House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee has published our evidence to its ‘Global Britain’ inquiry. We responded to its call for submissions focusing on metrics for assessing the success of ‘Global Britain’ with a proposal setting out how the Committee could go about compiling and publishing such metrics, and suggesting indicators it might include.
Evidence to the House of Commons Procedure Committee: Establishing select committees in a new Parliament
In our evidence on the establishment of House of Commons select committees in a new Parliament, we reiterated the arguments of an earlier blogpost about the damage caused by delay, and proposed the insertion of a deadline into Standing Orders to avoid it.
European Union (Withdrawal) Bill: Consideration of House of Lords amendments 110, 10 and 4 concerning scrutiny of delegated powers and Statutory Instruments
As the EU (Withdrawal) Bill arrives back in the House of Commons for consideration of House of Lords amendments, this briefing paper for MPs sets out our concerns about three amendments - 110, 10 and 4 - concerning scrutiny of delegated powers and Statutory Instruments.
Events
Launch of ‘Britain Votes 2017’
On 20 March, Professor Sir John Curtice and a panel of leading commentators outlined their findings at the launch of the first major study of the 2017 general election, ‘Britain Votes 2017’.
Deepening democracy: reconciling parliaments and people through public engagement
Join us for the launch of our new Global Research Network on Parliaments and People with a keynote speech on ‘Deepening Democracy’ by Baroness Amos.
Opening up the Usual Channels: next steps for reform of the House of Commons
In a speech to the Hansard Society on 11 October, the Rt Hon John Bercow MP proposed three key reforms for the House: the establishment of the House Business Committee approved in 2010; reform of Private Members’ Bills; and the creation of a mechanism for Members to request a recall of the House.
The EU (Withdrawal) Bill: Principles, Powers and Parliaments
On 12 September, the day after the EU (Withdrawal) Bill received its second reading in the House of Commons, this major one-day public event brought together leading parliamentarians and legal and constitutional specialists from across the UK to discuss the critical issues raised by the Bill and its prospects in the UK’s parliaments and assemblies.
Launch of the Audit of Political Engagement 14: the 2017 report
Join 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 democratic decision-making ever seen in this country has shaped levels of political engagement across the UK.