Support and connect with us

About

Support and connect with us

Connect with us and support our work to improve the way Parliament works and champion a more informed public debate about parliamentary democracy.

Membership and donations

Will you support our work by becoming a member of the Hansard Society or making a donation?

Become a member

Statue of Winston Churchill in Parliament Square. CC

Amid growing concern about the increase in executive power and the side-lining of Parliament, there has never been a more important time to support us in developing solutions to improve the way Parliament works and to champion more informed public debate about Parliament and parliamentary democracy.

Our members form a valuable network of people who care about Parliament, public life and politics and want our parliamentary institutions to prosper in the future.

If you are currently unable to commit to becoming a member, please consider making a single or recurring donation and support our work to improve the way Parliament works!

Become a member

Come to our events

Members / Holding Government to Account - Democracy and the National Audit Office

Each year MPs approve trillions of pounds of public spending. But can they really follow the money? Our guest speakers – Dr Henry Midgley, Professor Laurence Ferry and Aileen Murphie of Durham University − will be discussing how Parliament scrutinises Government expenditure and holds Ministers to account for it. 6.30-7.45pm, Tuesday 14 January 2025 online via Zoom This is a meeting for Hansard Society members and their friends. Not already a member of the Hansard Society? Join us now!

Members / Mapping the Constitution with David Torrance

Dr David Torrance spoke to us about his major new project for the House of Commons Library: Mapping the UK Constitution. 6:00pm-7:15pm on Tuesday, 10 December 2024, at the Palace of Westminster followed by refreshments at a nearby venue This is a meeting for Hansard Society members and their friends. Not already a member of the Hansard Society? Join us now!

Webinars / The Assisted Dying Bill: Making sense of the parliamentary process

The Assisted Dying Bill is a Private Member’s Bill (PMB). Although the legislative stages for PMBs are the same as for Government bills, the rules that apply are different, creating distinct procedural hurdles that PMBs must navigate. This online discussion featured a discussion between a panel of impartial experts about the parliamentary process affecting this Bill. If you were unable to join us for the live event, a recording is now being made available. The live event took place between 6:00pm and 7:15pm on Tuesday 26 November 2024 Post-event recording will be available from 27 November 2024 (Tickets: £10)

Members / The Modernisation Committee’s potential for reform

The House of Commons has appointed a new Modernisation Committee and issued a call for views on what it should address. So what is the Modernisation Committee, and what should it be doing? Our Director, Dr Ruth Fox, led Hansard Society members in an online discussion on Modernisation Committee reforms. 6:30-7:45pm, Tuesday 19 November 2024 online via Zoom This is a meeting for Hansard Society members and their friends. Not already a member of the Hansard Society? Join us now!

Members / Annual General Meeting - with Sir Peter Riddell

Our Annual General Meeting updated Members on the work of the Society and provided a look ahead to our future plans. Our special guest speaker was Hansard Society member Sir Peter Riddell, former political editor and chief political commentator at The Times and author of numerous books about Parliament and politics. Sir Peter joined us to discuss the general election campaign and the challenges facing the new Parliament. 6:00-7:30pm, 12 June 2024 This is a Members-only hybrid event: in person at our base in Westminster, and on Zoom.

Latest / Highlights

Submissions / Status and rights of independent MPs in Parliament – Our evidence to the House of Commons Procedure Committee

Our evidence on the status and rights of independent MPs has been published by the House of Commons Procedure Committee. Our submission summarises the direct and indirect references to political parties in the Standing Orders and whether they might apply to groupings of independent MPs, analyses whether small parties and independent groupings face disadvantages, particularly in relation to committee membership, and considers whether parliamentary publications should distinguish between the many different kinds of independent MP.

Blog / The Planning and Infrastructure Bill: What happens when detail is deferred?

The Hansard Society has long raised concerns about the Government's increasing tendency to present undeveloped legislation that lacks detailed policy and grants ministers broad delegated powers to fill in the gaps later. This practice undermines effective parliamentary scrutiny, by preventing MPs and Peers from fully assessing how powers may be used, (or misused), in the future. The weak system for overseeing delegated legislation—especially in the Commons—exacerbates the problem. Several powers in the Planning and Infrastructure Bill currently before Parliament highlight these ongoing issues.

News / Assisted dying bill: Special series #12 - Parliament Matters podcast, Episode 93

Is Kim Leadbeater's Assisted Dying Bill now "over the hump?" The Bill's supporters got it though its first day of Report Stage consideration in the House of Commons unscathed, with comfortable majorities in every vote. So, with debate on the most contentious set of amendments disposed of, will it now coast through its remaining scrutiny days in the Commons? Please help us by completing our Listener Survey. It will only take a few minutes.

Submissions / Evidence to the House of Commons Modernisation Committee: Priorities and strategic aims

In response to the Modernisation Committee's call for views on 17 October 2024, we submitted evidence outlining key areas we believe the Committee should prioritise. Our submission recommended a focus on: strengthening legislative scrutiny, with particular emphasis on reforming the delegated legislation system; enhancing financial scrutiny, especially in relation to the Budget and the Estimates; addressing strategic gaps in parliamentary scrutiny; making more effective use of parliamentary time; and reviewing the Standing Orders, language and rituals of the House of Commons.

News / Spooks, the Ombudsman and the Royal Albert Hall - Parliament Matters podcast, Episode 92

Parliament’s Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC) – not a select committee, but a group of senior MPs and Peers appointed by the PM – has a “canary in the coalmine” function, to keep an eye on the security and intelligence services and reassure Westminster that all is well. But last week the canary emitted a loud squawk. The ISC raised concerns about its secretariat being under-funded and too tightly controlled by the Cabinet Office – issues that could hinder its independence and effectiveness. Please help us by completing our Listener Survey. It will only take a few minutes.