Journal

Parliamentary Affairs call for papers: Special section on the state of British politics in 2024/5

©

This call for papers, from the editors of Parliamentary Affairs, is for a special section of the journal on the state of British politics in 2024/5. It will identify the key institutions, issues and challenges that need to be addressed by a new Government taking over in 2025, following the general election expected at the latest by the end of 2024.

The special section’s guest editors will propose five or six papers, including an introduction drawing out key themes and theoretical approaches. All papers and the special section will be peer reviewed.

  • The deadline for proposal submissions is 30 September 2023, with first drafts due at the end of January 2024.

  • The aim is to publish the special section in late 2024 or early 2025, to coincide with the general election.

Proposals should include: a summary of the overall special section and its contribution to wider theoretical and practical debates (at minimum, one page in length); titles; authors and their affiliations; and abstracts (of 250 words) for each paper proposed. The proposals should also contain a suggested timeline for delivery, alongside a list of potential reviewers. The guest editors will be responsible for submission of the papers. All papers will be subject to peer review. Prospective guest editors are recommended to contact the editors of Parliamentary Affairs in advance of submitting their proposal.

With a general election expected by the end of 2024, this special section of Parliamentary Affairs will consider the current state of British politics. After 14 years of Conservative-led rule, the UK is a very different state to the one governed by the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition that came to power in 2010.

The UK is no longer part of the European Union, support for potential independence has grown in three parts of the Union, and the British party system has seen the rise, fall and influence of some significant non-mainstream parties. British institutions have been under considerable and sustained pressure, with parliamentary scrutiny and processes at the centre of much of this. Leadership has experienced large turnovers. Public opinion has seen a range of shocks, from the economic to the political. And public policy has struggled to cope against a variety of major challenges, including – but not only – the Coronavirus pandemic.

For queries, please do not hesitate to contact the editors of Parliamentary Affairs:

Professor Alistair Clark

Dr Alistair Clark is Reader in Politics at Newcastle University. His research interests revolve around political parties, Parliament, electoral politics and integrity in public life. He is a former editor of the British Journal of Politics and International Relations, and the ECPR Political Data Yearbook. He is a former winner of the PSA’s Arthur McDougall Prize, and his publications include Political Parties in the UK (2nd Edition, Bloomsbury, 2018).

Dr Louise Thompson

Dr Louise Thompson is Senior Lecturer in Politics at the University of Manchester. Her research focuses on the UK Parliament, particularly the legislative process and the role of parliamentary parties. Louise is the author of The End of the Small Party (MUP, 2020) and Making British Law (Palgrave Macmillan, 2015) and is co-editor of the textbook Exploring Parliament (OUP, 2018).

News / Parliament Matters Bulletin: What’s coming up in Parliament this week? 19-23 May 2025

Stella Creasy MP and Richard Tice MP will lead a backbench debate on the EU–UK summit. The Foreign Affairs Committee will hold a joint session with its Ukrainian counterpart on Russian misinformation. MPs will question the Defence Secretary, Chancellor of the Exchequer and Northern Ireland Secretary. Scrutiny of seven Government bills will continue in both Houses. Debate topics in the Commons will include an e-petition on transgender self-identification, and support for local pubs. On the Committee corridor, highlights include sessions on the security of undersea cables and the accessibility of the parliamentary estate. Michael Gove will be formally introduced to the House of Lords as its newest member.

18 May 2025
Read more

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.

12 May 2025
Read more

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.

14 May 2025
Read more

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.

17 May 2025
Read more

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.

01 Apr 2025
Read more