Events

It's Brexit... So What Now for Parliament?

18 Jul 2016
The EU flag in the foreground and Big Ben in the background during a protest in Parliament Square, Westinster

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?

Paul EvansClerk of the Journals, House of Commons

Seema Malhotra MPMember for Feltham and Heston

Professor the Lord Norton of LouthMember of the House of Lords Constitution Committee and Professor of Government and Director of the Centre for Legislative Studies, University of Hull

At this event, involving leading parliamentary and constitutional experts, we will be debating the key questions now facing Parliament over the next few years:

  • What reforms – in the Chamber and Committees – might be needed to ensure the scrutiny process is fit for purpose to deal with the scale of the challenge ahead?

  • Should there be a move towards greater joint working with the House of Lords? What are the pros and cons of this approach?

  • Do we need a super-committee, for example modelled on the Banking Commission inquiry?

  • Given the volume of legislation and regulation that will need to be sorted out, how might this be done most effectively?

  • Does Parliament have sufficient capacity and expertise to support MPs and Peers and if not, what might be needed?

Briefings / The assisted dying bill: A guide to the legislative process in the House of Lords

Having passed through the House of Commons, the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill - the Bill to legalise assisted dying in England and Wales - must now go through its legislative stages in the House of Lords. This guide explains the special procedures for legislation in the House of Lords, and for Private Members’ Bills in particular. It answers some frequently asked questions, including how Peers might block the Bill, and gives an explanation of each stage of the process, from Second to Third Reading.

10 Sep 2025
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News / Parliament Matters Bulletin: What’s coming up in Parliament this week? 8-12 September 2025

The Assisted Dying Bill has its Second Reading in the Lords, while in the Commons the Chancellor and Defence Secretary are among the Ministers facing questions. MPs also begin work on the Diego Garcia Military Base and British Indian Ocean Territory Bill and three other bills, on renters’ rights, bus services and pensions. Peers will examine bills on border security, planning, and children’s wellbeing, and will debate an Order to facilitate earlier prisoner deportation. Lisa Nandy appears before the Culture Committee, Lord Hermer before the Constitution Committee, and there is a pre-appointment hearing for the Registrar of Consultant Lobbyists. MPs debate two e-petitions on indefinite leave to remain, and Sharon White, the former boss of retailer John Lewis, is formally introduced to the House of Lords. Note: The Ministers identified in this Bulletin may change following the Prime Minister’s reshuffle of the Cabinet and junior ranks. ❓ We value your thoughts. Please click here to let us know what you think of the Parliament Matters Bulletin in our reader survey.

07 Sep 2025
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Briefings / Delegated powers in the assisted dying bill: Issues for the attention of the House of Lords

Like many pieces of primary legislation, the assisted dying bill leaves much of the practical and policy detail to be worked out later by Ministers through regulations. After the Bill’s Second Reading in the House of Commons, we published a briefing which drew attention to two of its delegated powers. But since then the Bill has been heavily amended, prompting new questions: how have its delegated powers evolved, do these changes strengthen or weaken the approach to the delegation of ministerial power, and are further amendments needed and if so, why?

29 Aug 2025
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News / Is Parliament at the root of the country's problems? - Parliament Matters podcast, Episode 105

Does Parliament itself lie at the root of some of Britain’s political and economic difficulties? Lord Goodman argues that it does and so makes the case for urgent parliamentary reform. This week we also examine the implications of a Downing Street reshuffle that has created a “Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister,” raising new questions about accountability in the Commons. The discussion ranges from Angela Rayner’s uncertain position, Nigel Farage’s controversial US appearance, and the Greens’ leadership contest, to the growing use of artificial intelligence in parliamentary work. Please help us by completing our Listener Survey. It will only take a few minutes.

05 Sep 2025
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News / Prime Minister's Questions: Westminster's weekly gladiatorial combat - Parliament Matters podcast, Episode 104

Every Wednesday at noon, the House of Commons chamber comes alive with Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs), the loudest, most theatrical half-hour in British politics. To some it’s democratic accountability; to others, a raucous playground of yah-boo antics. Loved and loathed in equal measure, PMQs is Parliament’s weekly shop window, offering a revealing glimpse of how Britain does politics. In this episode, we explore its history, purpose, and international impact, including why France briefly trialled it last year only to drop the idea. Please help us by completing our Listener Survey. It will only take a few minutes.

29 Aug 2025
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