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Contacts for the media

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Hansard Society staff are happy to speak to the media about our research and recommendations. The Society's research team features regularly in broadcast, print and online media, and staff write and contribute to news and comment articles.

If you are a member of the press and would like to be added to our media database, please email: comms@hansardsociety.org.uk.

If you would like to speak to a member of our research team about any aspect of our work in relation to constitutional, legislative and parliamentary matters, please contact:

News / Parliament Matters Bulletin: What's coming up in Parliament this week? 9-13 December 2024

Peers will begin scrutiny of the House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Bill, while MPs focus on the Finance Bill. At Justice questions Suella Braverman will ask Ministers about the International Criminal Court, and Pat McFadden will give evidence to a Select Committee about the work of the Cabinet Office and the civil service. Lord Arbuthnot will question plans to overturn convictions of sub-postmasters affected by the faulty Capture accounting system, the predecessor to Horizon.

08 Dec 2024
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News / Football governance, fair elections, and fantasy reforms: Parliament Matters goes live! - Parliament Matters podcast, Episode 59

Is the Football Governance Bill being filibustered in the House of Lords? Did the House of Commons just vote for electoral reform and proportional representation as the Liberal Democrats claim? And what are your fantasy parliamentary reforms? Welcome to a landmark episode of Parliament Matters - for the first time, we are recording in front of a live audience at the 60th anniversary conference of the Study of Parliament Group.

06 Dec 2024
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News / How a British student has schooled the US Congress - Parliament Matters podcast, Episode 58

In this special episode, we dive into the fascinating world of US congressional procedure with Hansard Society member Kacper Surdy, the once-anonymous force behind the influential social media account @ringwiss. Despite being a 20-year-old Durham University student, Kacper has become a go-to authority on Capitol Hill’s intricate rules, earning the admiration of seasoned political insiders. With Donald Trump hinting at bypassing Senate norms to appoint controversial figures to his cabinet, Kacper unravels the high stakes procedural battles shaping Washington.

04 Dec 2024
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Briefings / The Assisted Dying Bill: A guide to the Private Member's Bill process

This briefing explains what to watch for during the Second Reading debate of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill on 29 November. It outlines the procedural and legislative issues that will come into play: the role of the Chair in managing the debate and how procedures such as the 'closure' and 'reasoned amendments' work. It looks ahead to the Committee and Report stage procedures that will apply if the Bill progresses beyond Second Reading. It also examines the government's responsibilities, such as providing a money resolution for the Bill and preparing an Impact Assessment, while addressing broader concerns about the adequacy of Private Members’ Bill procedures for scrutinising controversial issues.

27 Nov 2024
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News / What's the point of petitioning Parliament? - Parliament Matters podcast, Episode 56

It’s Parliament Week, and Ruth and Mark are joined by researchers Cristina Leston-Bandeira and Richard Huzzey to celebrate an unsung hero of Westminster: the petitioning system. Once on the verge of irrelevance, this mechanism has seen record levels of public engagement, sparking debates and inquiries on an avalanche of citizen-driven issues. Together, they explore how petitioning adds value for both petitioners and MPs, and what has driven this surprising revival of a centuries-old tradition in the digital age.

22 Nov 2024
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