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?

News / Parliament Matters Bulletin: What’s coming up in Parliament this week? 27-31 October 2025

The Attorney General, the Chief Secretary to the PM and the Head of the Crown Prosecution Service will face questions after the collapse of the China spying case. Nigel Farage plans to introduce a Bill to withdraw from the ECHR. MPs will question Yvette Cooper and Pat McFadden, and debate property service charges and end-of-life care. The Conservatives will choose Tuesday’s Opposition Day topic. In the Lords, Peers will debate Ukraine and hear from the Justice Minister and hospice and care sector representatives on the assisted dying bill. The Victims and Courts Bill and the Sentencing Bill have their final Commons stages, while in the Lords the Planning and Infrastructure Bill and the Employment Rights Bill face further scrutiny.

26 Oct 2025
Read more

News / Parliament vs. Prince Andrew - Parliament Matters podcast, Episode 111

This week, we explore how far Parliament can go in holding members of the Royal Family to account, as pressure grows for MPs to scrutinise Prince Andrew’s finances and royal titles. We ask whether Nigel Farage should get a right of reply at Prime Minister’s Questions amid his growing prominence, and examine Labour’s reshuffle of select committee posts and calls for greater transparency in how they’re filled. Plus, a look back at the rebuilding of the House of Commons Chamber, 75 years after its postwar reopening. Please help us by completing our Listener Survey. It will only take a few minutes.

24 Oct 2025
Read more

News / Parliament’s spying scandal: Why was the China case dropped? - Parliament Matters podcast, Episode 110

It’s been a tumultuous week in Westminster, with three ministerial statements on the China spying case and fresh questions about the collapse of charges against two alleged spies. We are joined by Cambridge public law expert Professor Mark Elliott to untangle the legal and political fallout, from espionage claims inside MPs’ offices to confusion over whether China was ever designated an “enemy state.” We also explore looming government challenges — the Budget, Afghan data leak, local election setbacks — and the membership of the new Select Committee to consider the assisted dying legislation in the House of Lords. Please help us by completing our Listener Survey. It will only take a few minutes.

17 Oct 2025
Read more

Briefings / Assisted dying - The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill: Rolling news

Stay informed with updates and analysis on the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill as it moves through Parliament. Learn about the debates, procedures, decisions, and key milestones shaping the assisted dying legislation.

15 May 2025
Read more

News / What are the Usual Channels? A short history of Westminster whipping - Parliament Matters podcast, Episode 108

In this episode, we talk to political journalist Seb Whale about his new book, The Usual Channels, which reveals the hidden world of Westminster’s whips. Seb charts how party discipline has evolved – from the stormy politics of the 1970s and the Maastricht battles of the 1990s to the legendary “black book,” the Brexit showdowns and the short-lived Liz Truss premiership. He explains how the whips’ office has adapted to a modern Parliament – especially with the influx of women MPs – and why, even today, whips still wield decisive influence over MPs’ careers and remain indispensable despite the pressures of contemporary politics. Please help us by completing our Listener Survey. It will only take a few minutes.

26 Sep 2025
Read more