Parliamentary Affairs (vol 72, issue 3, 2019)

Journal

Parliamentary Affairs (vol 72, issue 3, 2019)

1 Jul 2019

Articles on topics including political trust and behaviour, the different campaign strategies deployed during the 2017 UK general election, diversity among UK Conservative Brexiteers in the UK Parliament, and constitutional conventions in Westminster democracies.

Articles

Money, Sex and Broken Promises: Politicians’ Bad Behaviour Reduces Trust (editors' choice)Richard Rose, Bernhard Wessels
‘For the Many, Not the Few’: Strategising the Campaign Trail at the 2017 UK General ElectionAlia Middleton
Did They Write Back? A Mandate Divide in Response to Constituent Casework in Devolved BodiesAlex Parsons, Rebecca Rumbul
Visible, Elected, but Effectively Nominal: Visibility as a Barrier Maintaining the Political Underrepresentation of Britain’s Immigrant Origin CommunitiesPatrick English
Effects of the Mixed Parallel Electoral System in Lithuania: The Worst of All Worlds?Mažvydas Jastramskis
‘Less Stale, Only Slightly Less Male, but Overwhelmingly Less Pale’: the 2015 New Conservative Brexiters in the House of CommonsAgnès Alexandre-Collier
Political Staff and the Gendered Division of Political Labour in CanadaFeodor Snagovsky, Matthew Kerby
Electoral Rules and Legislators’ ProductivityOsnat Akirav
The Dynamics of Constitutional Conventions in Westminster DemocraciesNicholas Barry, Narelle Miragliotta, Zim Nwokora
Fashioning Parliament: The Politics of Dress in Myanmar’s Postcolonial LegislaturesRenaud Egreteau
How Formal Parliamentary Negotiation Affects Policy-Making: Evidence from TaiwanShih-hao Huang

Latest / Highlights

News / Parliament Matters Bulletin: What’s coming up in Parliament this week? 14-18 July 2025

MPs will consider a rare privilege motion relating to a request from the Omagh Bombing inquiry, while the Conservatives will choose the topic for Tuesday’s Opposition Day debate. Select Committees will question Cabinet Ministers on welfare reform, the NHS Plan, foreign policy, national security, and policy announcements made first to the media rather than Parliament. The Deprivation of Citizenship Orders Bill will complete its Commons stages. Peers will scrutinise bills on renters’ rights, employment, and planning. MPs will debate Statutory Instruments on media mergers, murder sentencing, and energy costs, and will vote on extending interest registration rules for MPs’ staff. Backbench MPs will lead debates on giving every child the best start in life, the Global Plastics Treaty and end of life care. The House of Lords will debate the Strategic Defence Review. → We value your thoughts. Please click here to let us know what you think of the Parliament Matters Bulletin in our reader survey.

News / One year on: How is Parliament performing? - Parliament Matters podcast, Episode 100

In our 100th episode, we take stock of Parliament one year after the 2024 general election. With a fractured opposition, a dominant Labour government, and a House of Commons still governed by rules designed for a two-party system, how well is this new Parliament really functioning? Please help us by completing our Listener Survey. It will only take a few minutes.

News / Labour's welfare meltdown - Parliament Matters podcast, Episode 99

It’s been a bruising week for the Government, as a Labour backbench revolt forced ministers to gut their own welfare reforms live in the House of Commons. We explore why Sir Keir Starmer appears to have such a poor grip on parliamentary management. Plus, House of Lords reform expert Professor Meg Russell explains why the hereditary peers bill may be a once-in-a-generation chance to tackle deeper issues — like curbing prime ministerial patronage and reducing the bloated size of the upper chamber. And in Dorking, faith and politics collide over assisted dying. Please help us by completing our Listener Survey. It will only take a few minutes.

News / What Westminster gets wrong about the NHS - Parliament Matters podcast, Episode 98

We are joined this week by two guests who bring invaluable insight into the intersection of health policy and parliamentary life. Dr. Sarah Wollaston and Steve Brine – both former MPs, health policy experts, and co-hosts of the podcast Prevention is the New Cure – share their experiences of how the House of Commons handles health and social care. Please help us by completing our Listener Survey. It will only take a few minutes.

Submissions / Parliamentary scrutiny of treaties - Our evidence to the House of Lords International Agreements Committee

Our evidence on treaty scrutiny has been published by the House of Lords International Agreements Committee. Our submission outlines the problems with the existing framework for treaty scrutiny and why legislative and cultural change are needed to improve Parliament's scrutiny role. Our evidence joins calls for a parliamentary consent vote for the most significant agreements, a stronger role for Parliament in shaping negotiating mandates and monitoring progress, and a sifting committee tasked with determining which agreements warrant the greatest scrutiny.